Camp 4

[max]

Does anybody have any experience w/ camp 4? I'm headed down with another guy and a set-up VW bus. My question: where can we park this beast and cook and sleep? I think I read in the guide book Camp 4 proper is cheap ($3 ?) but it's walk in, and that there is "car camping" but it's expensive ($15 ?). Can people discretely pull to the side of the road? I just want to park and sleep!

dave

[W]

Dave,

I have a great deal of experience in outwitting Uncle Sugar in Yosemite. However, for fear of them catching on to some of my tricks, I am not going to publicly disclose them.

However, I will tell you this:

No matter where you park and try cooking and sleeping, you'll get caught sooner or later. Eventually they may even start recognizing you and will boot you from the park. It CAN be done, but don't be surprised to have a spotlight on your vehicle at 4 AM and a heavily armed ranger beating on the window with a flashlight. Even if you are hiding in there with your windows and curtains shut, and have been discreet, a common trick is for them to announce either in person or over the loudspeaker "we know you're in there, come on out!!" when they see a vehicle like a VW bus or a van, where someone might be sleeping. They may in fact have no inkling you're in there, but more than one sucker has surrendered and opened the door, to find the ranger walking away already, turning around surprised and going "oh, we didn't really know! well, good, now GET MOVING!"

Truthfully, having pursued all avenues of existence in the valley, the best bet is to do Camp 4 ($3 a night, with a seven day limit until Sept. 1, then its 30 days) if you are going to be there more than a few days. In order to get a campsite in high summer and fall, you'll need to sleep in front of the kiosk or else show up no later than maybe 6 am to get a good place in line. The booth opens at 8:30 but usually by 7:30 there can be 30 or more people in line and often not everyone gets accomodated. Until last fall I had never been hassled sleeping in front of the kiosk; then I was rousted at 4:30 am by a ranger rudely shining a maglight in my eyes. He ordered me to "get moving", and I then watched him walk to his patrol car and drive away. Shaking my head, I walked 30 feet to another tree and resumed my sleep for another 2 hours. On one occasion the rangers did a midnight raid looking for dirt baggers in the camp, mistakenly wakening several campers when they missed seeing their tent tags. It's kinda heinous, but then it's kind of getting to be as much a part of the valley experience as Degnan's and granite. well almost.

whatever you do, if you bend the rules be discreet as hell; the NPS is really watching climbers, and we have to take responsibility for our actions. Agree with the regs or not, Yosemite is a heavily used place and we need to foster a good relationship with the NPS or else there will be even more rules.

Good climbing to you!

[Guest]

Just to add, the "car camping" is not at all granted, people make reservations 6 months in advance as I found out...

[Yossarian]

While you may have to fight the crowds in order to get a site during the summer, the camp is pretty open during the first part of spring. Rangers are less of a hassle as well. Rates have increased to $5 per person, however.

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[dan_e]

I passed through Yosemite on my way to WA in 1996 and spent the night, back in the day when I could sleep in my truck that had a canopy and a custom built sleep deck. The campgrounds were full, so I simply found a road, drove down it, parked and spent the night. What a peaceful night that was, sure beats the noise and stench of those overcrowded campgrounds.

[the_last_boyscout]

I spent three months in Yosemite (not in the valley, but in the NW backcountry which BTW has amazing climbing opportunities, but requires some major backcountry traveling, no VW bus's allowed ) here are some tricks:

TIGHT BUDGET trip to Yosemite.....

my favorite trick to avoid overcrowded campgrounds, their associated fees, bears breaking into your car to steal your chub, and even avoiding paying an entry fee is to do the following:

Most parks like yosemite are bordered by Forest Service land. You are permited by law to drive on any Forest Service road, pull your rig over to the side and crash. No wake up calls from the law, no $15 charge, and you get some solitude. There are an abundance of roads off HWY 120 just outside of the Hodgdon Meadow entrance to yose. Some even are next to streams which provide wonderful bating ops. One road in particular is the road to Hetch Hectchy which is RIGHt outside the park entrance. What I've done in yose and many other parks is crash outside the park on these FS lands, awaken early in the AM, and sneak into the park before the Fee Collection boths are staffed. This is usually quite early, but it is worth saving the $20. Since you are up so early, you are the first to the crag, and don't have to wait in the normal lines on the trade routes! Works out pretty nicely.

Then you hang out in the valley, spraying at camp 4, or perhaps at degans, or camp curry, whatever, until late in the evening, when you high-tail it back past the now empty enterance check point, to your secret road just outside the park. I'm tellin you, this is the LIFE!

If you prefer sleeping in, you can pay your $20 entrance fee which is good for 7 days, which really isn't a bad deal.

Driving time from Hodgdon(enterance station) to valley is around 30-45 min depending on how many rental RV's you get stuck behind (yet another reason to wake up early), and how reliable your transportation is.

If you decide to try to park and sleep inside the park, you are a sitting duck. The long arm will catch up with you eventually!

good luck

 

[kevin]

you can always climb walls. campings free...