Wawona Campground

Location

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Policies

Check-in

12:00 PM

Check-out

12:00 PM

Max stay

7 nights

Pets

Allowed (per listing)

Campfires

Allowed (per listing)

About

Wawona Campground sits at about 4,000 feet on the south side of Yosemite National Park, where a mixed forest of ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, white fir and whiteleaf manzanita offers a comforting mix of sun and shade and the gentle South Fork of the Merced River runs alongside the loops. The campground contains 98 sites arranged in three loops A (25 sites), B (14 sites) and C (59 sites) and the site types are split between 31 tent-only sites, 36 RV-only sites and 31 sites that accommodate either tents or RVs. Roads and parking spurs are paved, and each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring and a food-storage locker; flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Wawona supports family, group and horse camping (group camp remains on reservations year-round), and a general store with gas is about a mile south of the campground. From here you're a short drive to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (roughly 4 miles), can step into the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, or pick up local trails such as the Wawona Meadow Loop, Swinging Bridge Loop, Alder Creek and the route up to Chilnualna Falls. Reservations and operations at Wawona have a few specifics to plan around: currently the campground is operating first-come, first-served for sites 7 30 only, so if you expect to reserve a specific site you'll need to check recreation.gov for availability; when reservations are offered they open up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7:00 a.m. PST (log into or create your recreation.gov account before that time sites regularly sell out within minutes). Download the Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival so you can pay for a first-come, first-served site onsite. Cancellation policies are strict enough to note: individual or equestrian site cancellations incur a $10 service fee (and the first night's fee if canceled within 48 hours of arrival); single-night cancellations within 48 hours don't receive a refund but aren't charged the service fee; group site cancellations within 14 days incur the $10 fee plus the first night's use; and no-shows are charged a $20 service fee plus the first night. From Wawona you're about 27 miles (roughly 45 minutes) south of Yosemite Valley and within reach of the park's wide range of activities hiking, biking, climbing, fishing, horseback riding and wildlife viewing among them as well as longer scenic drives to Glacier Point, Tioga Road and Hetch Hetchy.