Tuolumne Meadows Campground

taking the high road can be a good thing

Tuolomne Meadows Campground is a gem and thankfully only half of the sites are on the reservation system with the other half for walk-ins. Being on the other side of Tioga Road, it is remote and generally only return visitors or those spending more time in the park venture there to camp. At an elevation of 8600 feet, it is the highest in the park and obviously subject to road closure. Generally speaking, Tioga Road closes with the first snow and that can be quite early at this elevation! Sites cost $20 and there are flush toilets, potable water, and of course bear storage lockers.

The setting is gorgeous and there are some areas that are so serene that it's like being in the backcountry. Oddly enough, we had quite a mosquito problem up here. The snow melt was late that year and with all the water around, they were just getting out for their summer feeding. While we saw few mosquitoes in the warmer valley, there were tons of them up here at 8600 feet! We spent those hours in our tent with the fly off, just enjoying the serenity of the area. Well, that is until a bear routinely invaded our neighbor's spot!

Unique Quality: Not only were the spots great but the areas that were part of the campground like a nearby river were magnificent. We spent most evenings just sitting there and soaking in the scenery.

We loved this campground though we had some negligent neighbors that were not good with food storage. It seemed every day they had a bear in their spot and it being so close to ours, we were none too happy with it. We were meticulous about putting everything away after every meal, even though it is a hassle. The bears are just looking for food and not easier way of finding it than some lazy camper who thinks that $20 makes them owner of the forest.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Camping, National/State Park, Photography

Tuolumne Meadows Campground Photo: the campgrounds' common areas were gorgeous

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