Yosemite Camp Four-9 · Almonroth · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped
The National Park Service 2026 campground table for Yosemite National Park lists Lower Pines as open April 21 to October 19. That is the first of the three Pines campgrounds in Yosemite Valley to go dark for the season, with 74 sites at $36 a night and tap water still on through that window, according to the park’s campgrounds page.
If a valley reservation sits after October 19, the next move is Upper Pines, Camp 4, or a bed outside the campground loops. Start with Deep Arrival’s Yosemite National Park guide, then check the live Recreation.gov calendar before you assume a Pines pad is still bookable.
- Lower Pines: listed open April 21 to October 19, 2026, 74 sites, $36.
- North Pines: listed open April 21 to October 26, 81 sites, $36.
- Valley holdouts: Upper Pines stays open all year (236 sites); Camp 4 is year-round walk-in camping.
- High country next: Porcupine Flat October 11; Crane Flat and Tamarack Flat October 12.
- Booking: Recreation.gov, five months ahead on the 15th at 7:00 a.m. Pacific.
Lower Pines Last Listed Night Is October 19
Lower Pines sits in the heart of Yosemite Valley at about 4,000 feet, with paved spurs, flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, fire rings, and food lockers. The NPS table gives it a 40-foot RV limit and a 35-foot trailer limit, and it is one of the few valley loops with sites that large. Six of the park’s eight extra-long valley pads are here. The other two are in North Pines.
The same table prices the loop at $36 a night and opens reservations five months ahead on the 15th of each month. Recreation.gov’s Lower Pines page matches that five-month, 7:00 a.m. Pacific release and warns that Yosemite sites often sell out in minutes. The call center does not hold extra inventory beyond what the site shows.
NPS is explicit that opening and closing dates in the “Open tentatively in 2026” column can move. A late storm, a fire, or a utility failure can pull the date forward. Treat October 19 as the planning date on the current table, then re-read the park campgrounds page the week you travel.
The Pines detail page also lists a weather trigger: these campgrounds may close with short notice when the National Weather Service forecasts more than one foot of snow in Yosemite Valley over 24 hours. That rule can bite before the seasonal date if an early storm stacks up on the valley floor.
North Pines Follows One Week Later
North Pines is listed open April 21 to October 26, a week after Lower Pines. It has 81 sites at the same $36 rate, the same 40-foot and 35-foot equipment limits, and five accessible sites. Reservations are a lottery or the same five-month window on the 15th. If Lower Pines is already dark and you still need a valley pad that takes a larger RV, this is the remaining option for one more week.
After October 26, the NPS table leaves two valley campgrounds in play. Upper Pines is listed open all year, with 236 sites, a 35-foot RV and 24-foot trailer limit, and the same $36 fee. Camp 4 is listed open all year as walk-in, tents-only camping at $10 per person, with no RVs or trailers and no pets. Camp 4’s reservation window this year runs through November 29, and NPS says the last night for those reservations is November 28.
Upper Pines is also the valley dump station that stays open all year. There are no electrical, water, or sewer hookups in any Yosemite campground. If you are boondocking in a hard-sided RV, you still need a reserved site. Sleeping in a vehicle in a parking lot or along a road is not allowed.
High Sierra Campgrounds Are Already on the Clock
The same 2026 table is already thinning the high country. Tuolumne Meadows is listed July 1 to September 27. White Wolf closed September 14. Yosemite Creek closed September 7. Bridalveil Creek closed August 14 after a lightning strike damaged water and restrooms.
Porcupine Flat is listed June 23 to October 11 at $24, creek water only. Crane Flat is listed May 21 to October 12 at $36. Tamarack Flat is listed June 22 to October 12 at $24, tents only. A valley trip paired with a Tioga night needs a new pad before those three loops go dark.
Wawona Loops B and C close October 26. Loop A reservations run through November 29, last night November 28. Hodgdon Meadow is listed open all year. The Tuolumne Meadows dump station has been closed since September 8, 2026, for plant work; Lee Vining has a paid dump outside the park.
Valley Camping That Stays Open
Once Lower Pines and North Pines close, the valley map is Upper Pines plus Camp 4. Upper Pines is the large reservable loop with a shuttle stop and Curry Village showers for a fee. Use it if you need a parking pad after October 26.
Camp 4 is walk-in, tents only: 61 sites, $10 per person, no pets, no RVs. Reservations run one week ahead from April 15 through November 29, last night November 28. It is not a substitute for a Lower Pines RV site.
If both remaining valley campgrounds are full, NPS current conditions say you may camp or sleep in a vehicle only in a registered site. If every open park campground is full, leave the park. Use Deep Arrival’s where to stay near Yosemite list rather than circling a valley lot at night.
How to Move a Reservation After a Site Goes Dark
Book and cancel on Recreation.gov. The three Pines loops release five months ahead at 7:00 a.m. Pacific on the 15th and often sell out in minutes. The call center cannot add inventory. Match the rig to the site notes; NPS will not reassign you if the pad cannot fit what you bring. Upper Pines tops out at 35-foot RVs and 24-foot trailers.
Use 209 372 8502 for site-fit questions and 209 372 0200 (press 1, then 1) for roads and weather. Overnight parking along Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road ends October 15, already covered in Deep Arrival’s Tioga overnight parking note. Recheck the NPS table and Recreation.gov the week you arrive; follow a new date if the tentative column moves.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold Lower Pines after October 19 | Treat the NPS table as closed that loop; rebook Upper Pines, Camp 4, or lodging. |
| Need a valley RV pad after October 26 | Upper Pines is the remaining reservable valley loop with parking spurs. |
| Can walk in with a tent only | Camp 4 at $10 per person; last reserved night November 28. |
| Were pairing the valley with Tioga camping | Porcupine Flat October 11; Crane Flat and Tamarack Flat October 12; no overnight Tioga parking after October 15. |
October 11 is Porcupine Flat’s listed close. Move a high-country tent or small-RV night before that date.
October 19 is Lower Pines’ listed close. Rebook Upper Pines, Camp 4, or lodging if your valley stay runs later.
October 26 is North Pines and Wawona Loops B and C. After that date, valley camping is Upper Pines or Camp 4 on the current table.
When does Yosemite Lower Pines close in 2026?
The NPS 2026 table lists Lower Pines open April 21 to October 19. Those dates are tentative and can move for weather or utilities.
Does Upper Pines stay open after Lower Pines closes?
Yes. Upper Pines is listed open all year, with 236 sites at $36 and a year-round dump station in the valley.
When does North Pines close in 2026?
The same table lists North Pines open April 21 to October 26, one week after Lower Pines.
Can I reserve Lower Pines for late October 2026?
Not on the current table. Recreation.gov still sells the loop on the five-month window, but only inside the listed April 21 to October 19 season.
Are Yosemite campground closing dates firm?
No. NPS says the 2026 open column is tentative. Recheck the campgrounds page and current conditions the week you travel.
Where do I stay if valley campgrounds are full?
Leave the park to camp or sleep in a vehicle. Use lodging outside the loops rather than overnighting in a valley parking lot.
