Yosemite Valley Backpackers Campground

Overview

Tucked just behind North Pines, the Yosemite Valley Backpackers Campground is the no-fuss, permit-holder basecamp for the night before you launch and the night after you return. It’s walk-in, inexpensive, and designed for people with wilderness permits (or those who arrived to the park by foot, bike, or bus). Don’t expect frills—do expect convenience and a solid night’s sleep under the Valley’s granite walls.

Who Can Stay

• Wilderness permit holders: one night before your trip starts and one night after it ends.
• Arriving by foot, bicycle, or YARTS: you may stay one night here, then one night in each other open backpackers campground on consecutive nights.
• Heads-up: Half Dome day-hike permits don’t qualify.

Season, Fees, and How Payment Works

• Typically open when North Pines is open (roughly mid‑April to early October; check current status).
• $8 per person, per night.
• Pay on-site using the Recreation.gov app’s Scan & Pay.

Amenities (and what’s not here)

• Vault (pit) toilets in camp.
• Bear lockers and a few picnic tables; space is shared on a first‑come basis.
• No potable water at the backpackers campground—fill up at nearby North Pines.
• Campfires in the Valley are allowed 5–10 pm from May through September; no wood collecting.

Getting There and Parking

• Unload at the small, signed 15‑minute pullout inside North Pines, then walk your gear over the footbridge to camp.
• Move your vehicle to designated overnight parking (Valley Trailhead Parking or Curry Village parking). Overnight parking is not allowed at The Ahwahnee.

What It Feels Like

It’s a backpacker’s scene: tents tucked among trees near the Merced, bear boxes getting shared, early quiet hours (“hiker midnight”), and people up before dawn to catch trailhead buses. In summer it can feel busy and communal; in shoulder months it’s calmer and easier to spread out.

Best Time to Visit

• Late afternoon arrival gives you time to pay, pick a decent tent pad, and fetch water before dark.
• Summer weekends are the busiest; midweek and shoulder season nights are mellower.
• For photos and a quiet vibe, arrive near golden hour and settle before the 5–10 pm fire window.

Why It Matters

Securing regular Valley campground reservations is tough. This spot guarantees a simple, legal night on either side of your wilderness trip—close to water, food, and transit—so you start early and stress less.