Christian writes in:
“I’ve been wanting to visit Yosemite and the High Sierra for many years to photograph. This year looks like the year I’m finally going to be able to do it. The only time I have available is around Memorial Day….May 25 – June 4. I’ve heard the crowds are horrible on Memorial Day weekend so I was thinking about waiting until the 26th to arrive…do you have any idea if the crowds typically linger past Memorial Day weekend? I’m thinking a beginning to midweek visit might help avoid the mess.”
Well Christian, unfortunately, it does start getting crowded in the park after Memorial Day. But you’ve got the right idea. A mid-week stay is a lot less crowded than a weekend.
If you really want to avoid the crowds and get some beautiful shot’s I’d recommend staying at one of the campgrounds just east of the parks Tioga Pass entrance that are ran by Mono County and the US Forest Service.
They’re close enough to use as a base camp to many cool things to shoot (Mono Lake, Bodie, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Valley) that my wife and I will often stay there and we really like them. Normally we’ll get up early, get some coffee and go shoot Mono Lake then head up to Bodie, a rustic ghost town ran by the State of California. Then get a bite to eat and head back to camp for a quick nap. About 4 in the afternoon we’ll get back into the car and drive into Yosemite to catch sunset at Tuolumne Meadows, Olmstead Point and even to the Valley and Glacier Point. It’s great and crowds are minimal.
Hope that helps some. Have a great trip and take lots of photos!
Photo by Loyd Schutte
Comments
3 responses to “Memorial Day Camping”
Great post,
Staying in those campgrounds east of Yodemite sound like a good plan to avoid the crowds in Yosemite. I was just looking into them for our father/Daughter trip we take each August.
Which are your favorite campgrounds?
Thanks,
This is good advice. I find that anywhere outside of the Valley is much less crowded. Though probably more crowded than areas to the East, the northwest portion of Yosemite is also much less crowded, and it is closer to the Valley. I’ve done some camping along Evergreen Road. There are great hikes around Cherry and Eleanor Lakes and Hetch Hetchy. I also highly recommend Young Lakes. Here’s a photo I took of one of the Young Lakes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23329832@N04/2253842108/
Great suggestion, but with the snowpack this winter, what are the odds that Tioga Pass will open for Memorial Day? Better check past opening dates which can be found on several sites, including Cal Trans mountain pass closures/openings, the Yosemite NP website and also one of the Mono Lake sites.