Facility Details - TUOLUMNE MEADOWS, CA

Overview

Tuolumne Meadows Campground is located in breathtaking Yosemite National Park in Central California's rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain Range at an elevation of 8,600 feet.

The site is situated along the scenic Tioga Road just five miles from the Tioga Pass Entrance Station. Within Yosemite, visitors can gaze upon waterfalls, sheer granite cliffs, deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, vast wilderness areas, and so much more.

Natural Features:

Tuolumne Meadows embodies the high-country of the Sierra Nevada, with its broad sub-alpine meadows and granite domes and peaks. The gentle Tuolumne River, Lyell For, and Dana Fork flow through the vast, colorful meadows bursting with seasonal wildflowers. The meadows are surrounded by stands of Western White pine, Mountain hemlock, and Lodgepole pine.

Recreation:

Popular activities in the area include hiking, rock climbing, backpacking and fishing. The 4.8-mile roundtrip trail to Elizabeth Lake begins in the campground and climbs to a glacier-carved lake at the base of Unicorn Peak.

Other trails in Tuolumne Meadows include Soda Springs and Parsons Lodge, Lyell Canyon via the John Muir Trail, Cathedral Lakes, Mono Pass, and Glen Aulin. Nearby Tenaya Lake is a magnificent spot for picnicking, swimming and canoeing.

Facilities:

This large, popular campground contains family, horse and group camp sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and a food storage lockers. Flush toilets, drinking water, and an amphitheater are provided.

Tuolumne Meadows' seasonal free shuttle bus stops at the campground entrance, and provides service between Tioga Pass/Gaylor Lakes Trailhead and Olmsted Point, stopping at various trailheads and viewpoints along the way. Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center is within walking distance, as is a general store and gas station.

Nearby Attractions:

Yosemite Valley, an awe-inspiring landscape containing many of the famous features for which Yosemite National Park is known, is 55 miles and two hours from Tuolumne Meadows. Hiking trails and bike paths are abundant in the valley. Rafting the Merced River is a fun way to cool down on a summer day when water levels are sufficient. Yosemite Valley also offers numerous guided bus tours, educational programs, museums, ranger-led activities, and an art center with workshops.

Glacier Point is an hour from Yosemite Valley, with sweeping views of both Yosemite and Little Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and Clouds Rest, among other notable landmarks.

A visit to Wawona and the Pioneer Yosemite History Center is like stepping back in time.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is a must-see. A guided bus tour (tickets must be purchased) and a network of hiking trails leads to stately trees with names like Grizzly Giant, Faithful Couple, and California Tunnel Tree.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
Amphitheater Campfire Rings Drinking Water Equestrian Sites	Flush Toilets Food Storage Locker Group Camping Host

Know Before You Go

Half of the campground is available by advanced reservation, the other half is open on a same-day sale basis, and still fills nightly

This is a high elevation facility; please exercise caution when traveling from lower elevations

Bear Habitat!
- Food and toiletries must be stored 24 hours/day
- Food lockers are provided in all campsites (45x18x33)
- Absolutely NO food stored in vehicles
- Dispose of garbage immediately in bear-proof dumpsters
- These rules are strictly enforced!
Group sites are tent-only; no sleeping in vehicles

Horse sites available by phone reservation only at (877)444-6777; online reservations not accepted for horse sites

You must have a horse with you to camp in horse sites, no exceptions

Pets are not permitted in group or horse campsites, but are allowed in family sites

There are no electric, water or sewer hook-ups at this facility; however, a dump station is located nearby

You are responsible for reading the site alerts and booking a site that will accommodate your equipment

If arriving one or more days late, call (209)372-4025; your reservation will be forfeited if we do not hear from you within 24 hours of your arrival date

Resale or auction of advance reservations is prohibited

For additional park information, call (209)372-0200 or visit www.nps.gov/yose

Getting There:

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
37.87111, -119.36
37°52'16"N, 119°21'36"W

Take Highway 41 north from Fresno, Highway 140 east from Merced, Highway 120 east from Manteca or west from Lee Vining (State Route 395) into Yosemite National Park. Tuolumne Meadows Campground is located 5 miles from the Tioga Pass Entrance station (Hwy 120 from the east), and is 55 miles (2 hours) from Yosemite Valley.