Please take note: this information is based on reports from the National Park Service (NPS) and United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDAFS), and is subject to change as health officials are continuously evaluating safety concerns and needs.
YOSEMITE – In an effort to combat the rise of COVID cases in the Eastern Madera County (EMC), park officials have closed many of their campgrounds after only two weeks of the park being open.
Campground reservations in the park cannot be made, with the exception of some Upper Pines campgrounds, until November 15th. Reservations at all campgrounds must be made in advance, and existing reservations will be rescheduled until after August 1st. The Upper Pines campground will be available for reservation from September 15th through November 15th. Additionally, the Wawona Campgrounds will be closed indefinitely due to sewer system repairs.
Here’s a breakdown of campsite availability through November 15th:
Yosemite Valley:
- Upper Pines — open year round, requires $26/day reservation
- Lower Pines — closed indefinitely
- North Pines — closed indefinitely
- Camp 4 — closed indefinitely
South of Yosemite Valley:
- Wawona — closed indefinitely
- Bridalveil Creek — closed indefinitely
North of Yosemite Valley:
- Hodgdon Meadow — closed indefinitely
- Crane Flat — closed indefinitely
- Tamarack Flat — closed indefinitely
- White Wolf — closed indefinitely
- Yosemite Creek — closed indefinitely
- Porcupine Flat — closed indefinitely
- Tuolumne Meadows — closed indefinitely
For more up-to-date info on Yosemite National Park openings, visit the National Park Service website , the NPS’s facebook page or the NPS’s list of available campground
BASS LAKE – Despite campgrounds closing inside the park, the Sierra National Forest has allowed twenty-three of the Bass Lake campgrounds to reopen, starting on June 18th. However, according to the Forest Service some sites will continue to be closed beginning June 18th and ending October 1st. After October 1st, the closed sites will be evaluated, with the possibility of reopening if they meet the California Resilience Roadmap criteria.
For those that have already reserved campsites that are closed during that period, customers will be notified via Recreation.gov and will receive a refund. Some campgrounds may be opening earlier than expected, and those reservations will be honored if the reservation was not cancelled.
Those wishing to stay in the opened sites are encouraged to check the Forest website and Facebook for the most up-to-date information on campground openings, or call the Bass Lake Ranger Station at (559) 297-0706, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Bass Lake visitors should be aware that some shared areas of the campgrounds may be closed. It is also recommended that campers bring all necessary cleaning and sanitization supplies, such as hand sanitizer or soap, and a tablecloth for picnic tables that can be taken home for washing. In addition, some activities may not be available, such as group picnic areas, swimming beaches or amphitheaters. Visitors to the sites are also expected to adhere to proper safety precautions, such as maintaining a 6 feet distance from other, washing hands frequently, and taking back/disposing of anything that you may have brought to the site (including trash).
The following Bass Lake campgrounds are open as of June 18th:
Bass Lake Ranger District:
• Wishon Boating Site
• The Falls Picnic Site
• Lakeside Picnic Site
• Denver Church Picnic Site
• Little Denver Church Picnic Site
• Rocky Point Picnic Site
• Willow Cove Picnic Area
• Recreation Point Picnic Site
• Pine Point Picnic Site
• Cranberry Flat Picnic Site
• Indian Flat Picnic Site
• McClendon Beach Picnic Site
• Redbud Picnic Site
• Forks Campground
• Lupine Campground
• Cedar Campground
• Spring Cove Campground
• Wishon Campground
• Summerdale Campground
• Dirt Flat Campground
• Dry Gulch Campground
• Chilkoot Campground
• Fish Creek Campground
• Soda Springs Campground
• Sweetwater Campground
• Greys Mountain Campground
• Soquel Campground
• Fresno Dome Campground
• Kelty Meadow Campground
High Sierra Ranger District:
• Huntington Boat Launch
• Billy Creek Picnic Site
• Dowville Day Use
• Dinkey Creek Campground
• Buck Meadow Campground
• Mono Hot Springs Campground
• Mono Creek Campground
• Vermillion Campground
• Portal Forebay Campground
• Ward Lake Campground
As always when you go camping, have fun, bring bug spray, and BRING MASKS!