Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park, one of the best places to camp in California, offers 13 different campgrounds for tent pitchers to enjoy. The park is 95 percent wilderness, which means that there are no cars, structures, buildings, or electricity. But plan ahead and you’ll be rewarded with the best camping in the state. First-timers will appreciate the Upper Pines campground, which is open all year and sacrifices solitude for an enviable location on the valley floor, within walking distance of major attractions. Outside the valley, the 304-site Tuolumne Meadows campground sits at 8,619 feet elevation and features 'The Sound of Music' scenery as well as trails to Elizabeth Lake and the Cathedral Lakes.
Wawona, located at the park's southern end, offers spacious campsites along the Merced River with easy access to the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove. Book any of the five High Sierra Camps, which are spaced roughly 5-10 miles apart and offer hikers tent cabins and family-style meals. Saddlebag Lake in the Inyo National Forest, east of the national park, has the highest drive-to campground in California at 10,000 feet.
Yosemite also has a plethora of hiking trails for nature lovers. You can take a hike on the Four Mile Trail from Yosemite Valley to the top of Glacier Point or if you’re looking for something a bit more difficult, the Panorama Trail offers 8 miles of adventure.
- Area: 3,027 km²
- Website: https://www.yosemite.com/
- Google Rating: 4.8/5.0
- Location: California
