Campground · Yosemite National Park
Riverfront camping with a chance of Half Dome through the trees.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
“Up ahead is Curry Village, a useful stop for a meal even if you're staying elsewhere. Pizza Deck has hand-tossed pizza, and Taqueria at the Meadow Grill serves tacos and burritos.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tourRecorded for this place
Curry Village and Stoneman Meadow“Up ahead is Curry Village, a useful stop for a meal even if you're staying elsewhere. Pizza Deck has hand-tossed pizza, and Taqueria at the Meadow Grill serves tacos and burritos.”
Plays as you drive up to North Pines Campground in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Guide
North Pines is an 81-site seasonal campground along the Merced River at about 4,000 feet. It is a place to stay in the valley, with the river, free shuttle, bike routes and trailheads close by. You need a reservation, and sought-after dates can go quickly.
Every site has a fire ring, picnic table and food locker. Each reservation allows up to six people and two motor vehicles, which must fit on the parking pad. Eighteen of the 81 sites are for RVs only; none has electrical hookups.
North Pines is on the free shuttle route and within walking or biking distance of valley services and trailheads. Seasonal potable water and flush toilets are available in the campground, but there are no showers or camp store. Curry Village has showers, food and groceries; Yosemite Village also has food and groceries.
The Merced River borders the campground, and visitors use it for swimming or floating when conditions allow. Some individual sites have glimpses of Half Dome through the trees, but there is no campground-wide view. Sites can feel close together, and privacy and quiet vary by where you land.
Wildlife
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyMirror Lake Loop5 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayHalf Dome reflections at high water; a meadow when it recedes
ChallengingSnow Creek Trail9.4 mi · 6.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayHalf Dome gets closer as you climb nearly 2,700 feet.EasyMirror Lake Paved Trail2 mi · 1 hr · 0.3 mi awayA short paved walk with Half Dome and seasonal lake reflections.
ChallengingHappy Isles to Merced Lake Trail26.2 mi · 18 hr · 0.7 mi awayClimb past two waterfalls to a high-country lake.
ChallengingNevada Fall Loop via Mist and John Muir Trails6.4 mi · 6.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayTwo giant waterfalls, 600 granite steps, and a different way back.
ChallengingVernal Fall Trail2.9 mi · 3 hr · 0.7 mi awayClimb 600 granite steps beside Vernal Fall to its brink.
ModerateVernal Fall Footbridge Trail1.6 mi · 1.3 hr · 0.7 mi awayA short, steep climb to a footbridge below Vernal Fall.
ModerateLittle Yosemite Valley Trail9.6 mi · 7 hr · 0.7 mi awayA gentler JMT climb past two falls into a granite valley.
Campground · 0.1 mi awayLower Pines CampgroundA riverside Yosemite Valley base with free shuttle access.
Campground · 0.1 mi awayUpper Pines CampgroundFor Valley days, a handy camp with close sites and shuttle access.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayStoneman MeadowHalf Dome glows above an easy boardwalk through meadow grass.
Lodging · 0.4 mi awayCurry VillageHistoric tent-cabin lodging with dining in Yosemite Valley.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayThe AhwahneeSee this landmark’s public rooms without booking a hotel room.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayHappy Isles Art and Nature CenterHands-on nature displays, with river-isle walks just outside.
Lodging · 0.8 mi awayHousekeeping CampA fire-ring camp with real beds, near the Merced River.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayYosemite Conservation Heritage CenterA historic granite lodge with a bigger conservation story.Parkwolf’s Yosemite ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
