Tuolumne Meadows Campground

Tuolumne Meadows Campground is Yosemite’s largest campground, with 289 sites among the pines along Tioga Road. It’s a good summer base for hikes, lakes, and the Tuolumne River; the campsites sit in the trees rather than opening onto broad meadow views. All sites require reservations, and the season follows Tioga Road access and campground work.

Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and food locker, with flush toilets and drinking water nearby. There are no showers or utility hookups. Use the food lockers for food and toiletries; don’t leave them in a vehicle. Site size and privacy vary, and some restroom walks are longer than others. Many sites accommodate only one vehicle, so check the parking arrangement when booking.

The campground is about 54 miles, or roughly 90 minutes, from Yosemite Valley. A small store and grill are nearby in Tuolumne Meadows, but there’s no store inside the campground. Pack warm layers for cool nights at this high elevation, even when the day feels mild. Treat it as a destination for the high country rather than a quick Valley stop.

The campground was built from 1931 to 1934 as recreation grew and unmanaged camping threatened the meadow’s soil and vegetation. Landscape architect John Wosky laid out four clusters linked by one-way roads, separating vehicle movement from camping areas and reducing trampling. The Civilian Conservation Corps built early roads and structures; later Mission 66 work added comfort stations, sites, roads, fire rings, and tables.

The meadow is part of a much older travel landscape. The Mono Trail crossed the Sierra through Tuolumne Meadows between Mono Lake and the western slope. The National Park Service’s cultural landscape record documents Eastern Paiute and Western Miwok seasonal use of the high meadows and subalpine forests.