Crane Flat Campground

We really enjoyed our stay at Crane Flat campground. We took our 24ft RV, the plots are spacious but as mentioned by others, it really wasn’t flat. Didn’t affect us too much. The facilities are clean, need a flashlight as there is no lighting, but not an issue. Seems a much more pleasant experience than staying in the valley, was a relaxing place to stay. The drive to the valley is fairly short and has some wonderful views. All staff we encountered were very friendly.

It was fairly easy to get a tent site here during the high season. Plus it's a bit cooler than the valley. However, the whole place slopes and sometimes seemingly flat tent spots slope a little bit. But, I'd stay there again.

I recently spent a few days at Crane Flat campground and I've got some thoughts. 🏕️ The location is fantastic, providing easy access to many of the park's best trails and views. I found the sites were pretty well-spaced, giving a decent amount of privacy and room to breathe. 🌳 The facilities were clean and well-maintained, making the camping experience much more pleasant. One thing to note is that reservations are a must, as it gets busy. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Crane Flat for a great camping experience! 💯 #CraneFlat #CampingAdventures #NationalParkLife #OutdoorLiving #TravelReview #434

Clean toilets and nice camp ground with dense tress at 6000 ft elevation. Night gets really cold. Bears and deers are common.

Enjoyed our 5 night stay here in September. Ample room, and some so-so privacy. I’d aim for sites at the beginning of the loop (adjacent to the meadow) to avoid crowding. We had a water spicket and bathrooms with running water. This campground is about a 40 minute drive from Yosemite Village. That’s a commute for sure , but it offers much more of a “camping” experience than the 3 “pines” campgrounds in the Valley - folks are just stacked up on each other down there IMO.

Loved this campground! It’s so much easier to book compared to the “valley” campgrounds. It’s peaceful and quiet. And the drive from it to the valley is so scenic! The booking process was easy, the campground’s staff answered all of my questions and have always been polite, welcoming and friendly. We decided to leave Yosemite earlier due to the weather and change of travel plans and my refund for 3 nights has been processed with no questions at all. Absolutely recommend the campground!

Crane Flat recently reopened, after quite a lot of renovation. The campsites are well spaced (with much more privacy than many of the sites in Yosemite Valley itself). They’re also very level, which makes pitching a tent much easier (although thr comoacted ground can make getting a stake into the ground a bit difficult). The bathrooms are convenient. The garbage and recycling locations are a bit further apart. The nearest wonderful thing to do is the Tuolomne grove of ancient sequoias. Well worth the somewhat steep hike. Getting down to Yosemite Valley is 30-45 minutes. Tuolomne Meadows is a bit longer in the other direction.

Not my favorite campground in Yosemite (yet anyway). Just spent two nights there hoping the refurbishing project after the two year closure resulted in improvements. I was disappointed to find the sites are really close to together, with almost no privacy for some. The grounds are still loose, powdery construction dirt so the sites are very dusty – not much fun to pitch a tent on. It will take a few years of pine needles and natural compacting for that to improve. They are still doing daily work in the campground clearing trees and grading. The slips/driveways are short and almost all of them not level. Some have pretty extreme grades, so be careful when booking if you don't want to have to severely level out your RV or car.

From check in to setting up and checking out, this campground exceeded my expectations. They have new restrooms as well. Kept clean. Bear boxes to avoid any bear incidents. At night, you can see the sky full of stars. Can't wait to go again.

Enjoyed our 5 night stay here in September. Ample room, and some so-so privacy. I'd aim for sites at the beginning of the loop (adjacent to the meadow) to avoid crowding. We had a water spicket and bathrooms with running water. This campground is about a 40 minute drive from Yosemite Village. That's a commute for sure , but it offers much more of a "camping" experience than the 3 "pines" campgrounds in the Valley - folks are just stacked up on each other down there IMO.

Not my favorite campground in Yosemite (yet anyway). Just spent two nights there hoping the refurbishing project after the two year closure resulted in improvements. I was disappointed to find the sites are really close to together, with almost no privacy for some. The grounds are still loose, powdery construction dirt so the sites are very dusty - not much fun to pitch a tent on. It will take a few years of pine needles and natural compacting for that to improve. They are still doing daily work in the campground clearing trees and grading. The slips/driveways are short and almost all of them not level. Some have pretty extreme grades, so be careful when booking if you don't want to have to severely level out your RV or car.

Came for the snow play at Crane Flat, and we picnicked, but we took all our trash with us and left no trace behind. We drove from Groveland and entered from Big Oak road and it's 8 mi from that entrance. Snow was plenty and there are multiple hills created for sledding so groups can spread out. If you are willing to go higher up from the parking lot almost to the restroom building (that's closed for the winter) there's a longer and better slope for sledding that's a better angle and distance. We came Christmas Day, arrived 10:20a, and there were 10 cars already. There isn't much parking so people parked on one side of the road into Crane Flat campgrounds. Only port-a-potties at this site.

*Visited business before COVID-19; appreciation post* Crane Flat was a great campground; easily accessible, about 15-20 mins away from the valley, and very clean. We tried for Upper/Lower Pines & Camp 4, but this was a great alternative. Getting there: The campground is about 30 mins northwest of Yosemite Valley, on the Hwy 120. Experience: It's not in the mix of everything, but it is a nice and chill place. We did have a bear encounter at night. I heard the bear in my sleep and would have woke up screaming, but my friend covered my mouth before anything could come out. The bear didn't harm us at all we just made noise and it went away. Someone might have left food outside of the bear locker.

Big, Basic campground | Avoid site #124 We were a large group of 11 people and came in with 5 cars. The limit for each campsite: 6 people, 4 cars. If you have extra cars, you can park near the kiosk and there's another spillover parking lot. $26 per campsite. Gas station across the street. 20 minutes from the Valley. No showers. No lights, so bring headlamps. Flushing toilets (hold down the button to fully flush) Wash your dishes outside near the bathroom area. One bear locker at each site People were pretty quiet overall. I think everyone was asleep around 10:30 - 11pm, too! We enjoyed our stay here. We came in late at night to the sites and then tried to check in before 9am at the kiosk. No one was there! A bunch of people showed up as well to check in and we all ended up writing on paper to tell them we waited past 9am to try and check in. They give you paper placards for you to hang on your vehicles... so that's what we needed, but it wasn't a big deal. We ended up telling the guy at the kiosk what happened when we were back from the Valley. Just making a note on Yelp about this because they may not be on time to help you check in. Avoid site #124 if you can. All of us ended up staying at site #122 because it was a bit bigger and flatter than #124. I think because #122 and #124 is so close to the road heading out, it's on a hill. Supposedly there were two cases of the hantavirus that occurred here, but we didn't know. Just be cautious. Lock your food. Don't feed wildlife.

Just returned from a Monday through Friday camping trip at Crane Flat Campground with a 30 minute drive into Yosemite Valley. Very happy we camped there as there are trees, elevation 6,200 ft, and camp grounds not piled on top of each other. Observed the first come first serve Campground 4 in the valley and it looked "packed" and absolutely preferred Crane Flat. Our site on Loop 500 was really nice though we had to search for a flat place to place two tents. We were in site 542 which was across from bath room. Only cold water in BR, and bathroom relatively clean- really fairly good with flushing toilets and 2 sinks. Cold water spicket next to BR, so being across from a BR is great if your cooking! We brought tea kettle to fill with H2O and propane stove to heat our water etc. so always had hot water available. Bear bins to store food and canned food. Was able to place two ice chests plus another box of food in the bear box. The price was incredible as we used our Lifetime Senior Pass and received a 50% discount. Had initially reserved the Canvas Tents in Yosemite Valley, but so glad we chose Crane Flat as the tents are so close together and would have cost almost $780 for 4 nights. Tried to reserve dinner at beautiful Ahwahnee elegant dining, but need reservations months in advance, so enjoyed appetizers in Ahwahnee Bar. Enjoyed the deer in our campground. Got lucky and had different but quiet respectable camp neighbors. Bring your own firewood. There is a expensive gas station and market that we used to fill up going to and from Yosemite Valley as well as to refill ice chests (very handy). Would definitely camp at Crane Flat again.

Loved this place. It was quite, nice, glean and cheap. It had the essentials like toilets and drinking water. Close to Yosemite Valley and if you are lucky you get to see a bear. We would love to stay here again!

We went to Yosemite in early September and camped at Crane Flat campground. We were pretty disappointed that we couldn't get a campsite in Yosemite Valley ( upper and lowers pines, curry village) but after camping here a few nights we agreed we got the better deal. We camped at site 519 which was next to the restrooms but actually pretty convenient. Our campsite had all the necessities- fire ring, picnic bench, log for sitting by the fire, bear box for food and scented products, and tons of space for a tent or two. We brought our hammock and found two trees to hang it in at our site. There are mostly adults but a good number of families too. That said, we didn't have issues with noise disruptions or party groups. There is a park ranger onsite at all times. The one downfall was the bathroom situation. It's very DIY as in there is only toilet paper and running ice water. No soap or lights so I highly recommend getting a head lamp. Also it's hard to wash dishes. They recommend washing at your campsite then rinse near the bathroom area at a spigot. In the morning the area gets pretty muddy and there are a ton on yellow jackets. Another thing is I have never had to fight off so many flies, bees, yellow jackets, and other winged insects while cooking and eating breakfast. It was pretty bad. We ended up burning a small fire just for the smoke to keep the bugs away. When we went down for a hike in Vernal Falls and to see other Yosemite attractions, we noticed that the camp sites were packed with tents and very few trees compared to Crane Flat. In our campsite you could see your neighbors but it still felt like you had private space. There is a general store two min away that sells all the stuff you forgot at home like marshmallows, plates, cheese, plus ice, fire wood, and Yosemite souvenirs. Oh and there is a gas station here as well. All in all I highly recommend this campsite when visiting Yosemite. Bring headlamps and creative ideas for dealing with bugs!

I stayed at Crane Flat for two beautiful nights in October 2018 and found the campground to be a calm and quiet home base. Just be aware that this time of year is COLD at night, so pack accordingly. Winter hats, gloves, socks, jackets, and a good blanket + sleeping bag are essential. Size-wise, it's a huge campground that's well spread out. Nearest neighbors are still dozens of feet away. A nice contrast from my trip last year when we stayed at Hodgedon Meadows where it felt like the campsites were overlapping and people were constantly walking through each other's campsites. You are allowed to gather firewood if you'd like (or so the ranger told me), but I'd recommend bringing an axe to chop it, otherwise you'll only be able to use twigs and bark. The Crane Flat Gas Station is right up the road though, so if you need firewood, you can buy it there, just be sure to get there before 5pm or they will be closed! I reserved site 404. The parking area is on a slant, but there are two fairly level spots for tents. The nearest bathroom to our site was closed, so they had port-a-potties set up. Actually works well when you have to pee at 3am and don't want to disturb anyone by flushing a toilet, but I can imagine that it smells pretty rank in Summer. There was another bathroom with flush facilities just slightly further away on the 500s side, so it wasn't a big deal at all. I noticed less squirrels, chipmunks, and bugs than the summer months, and instead a TON of ravens that make a plethora of strange noises I had never heard a bird make before. Nature is amazing. Overall, I would definitely stay at Crane Flat again. For $26/night, it's worth it.

This was my third time at Yosemite and the first I'd heard about Crane Flat. In fact, I didn't really know anything outside of the Valley. Last year we were in the heart of the Valley, and this time..we had to drive over an hour through the park to get to CF. (not recommended - get yourself a map and drive outside the park) If you're coming from the Bay Area, this is perfect because it's right off the 120 going through Manteca. Our friends had to endure only 20 minutes of winding roads before arriving at our campground. Half the sites here are first-come, first served. Since it's a good half hour outside of the Valley, the campground wasn't crowded like the Pines. We were in the 500's, which seem to be more isolated than the lower ones. Some of the sites are on set on a hill, so ask for ones on level ground. So other than the isolated location and the easy to get reservations, why is CF awesome? - There's a general store and gas station less than 5 minutes down the road. (which sells It-It's for 75c!!) - Also 5 minutes down the road is the trailhead to hike down to see giant sequoias - We didn't encounter one single bear. That could've been luck on our part, but I think it's also because the campground was so isolated. Very different from last year, when bears came on two of the three nights. =X - It's QUIET. seriously, we could barely hear the other campsites once it got dark. in fact, we even stayed up until 3am, thinking it was only midnight because we couldn't hear anyone else for hours. so if you're looking for peace and quiet, this is the campground for you. Of course there's drawbacks too - you're far out so it's a long drive to get to anywhere else in the park. It's also a really high elevation compared to the other sites. Keep that in mind before you go off drinking and running around on an empty stomach because you WILL faint like I did. But aside from that, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Looking fwd to coming back!

My family just got back from an extraordinary 2012 Summer camping trip in Yosemite. We camped at Crane Flat. We had two families and our camping spots were 502 and 504. We LOVED our location. Some of the others are good too (some are on a bit of a slope), but ours were so roomy and we were at the end, so we only had neighbors on one side. There was a hiking trail behind our site which lead to a beautiful meadow. There was tons of shade and even though the days were warm, the shade kept everything cool. The one negative is when the garbage guy comes around. It's a big truck that picks up the bear bins. It happens about 7am and he just slammed them down. A bit jarring when you're enjoying the peace and quite. Oh yeah, we were freaked out when we looked online and saw the space of the bear boxes. We don't mess around and follow the rules to a 'T." We measured everything before we left to make sure our items fit. When we arrived, we had the best surprise...site 502 had an extra bear box!!! This made things so much more convenient and we didn't have to fit all of our stuff like a puzzle into the box since we had two! (I did not see two bear boxes at any other site.) As mentioned by many others, it's so convenient to be near the gas station. You have to drive out of the camping area to get to it (which is a good thing). I was afraid that it would be super close and noisy, but it was not. Close enough for convenience and not a nuisance. You can get everything from firewood, beer, canned food, water, milk, eggs, and ingredients for the all important S'mores! They have a microwave there too. It's like having a 7/11 nearby. I commented to my wife that if we wanted to do a spontaneous trip to Yosemite, we could just head out with our camping gear and get all the supplies when we arrived. But do expect to pay a bit more. Crane Flat allows for you to gather any wood that has fallen for firewood. So if you want to keep the kids busy, you can get them on that task! The Rangers were always friendly and there is a campfire area where they have a Ranger give a talk (check the schedule when you arrive). It was a nice experience. If you don't know already, getting reservations at Yosemite is no short of a miracle. I had hoped to be in the valley, but that filled up 30 seconds after they became available. So, in an act of desperation, I grabbed two spots in Crane Flat. I was bummed at first, but later was happy that we ended up at Crane Flat. Crane Flat is about a 12 mile (30 minute) beautiful drive to the valley. There's even one place to stop and see Half Dome along the way. When we were on the valley floor and looking at the other camp sites, I felt very happy about ours. Those sties are VERY close together. I wouldn't stay away from the valley floor, but Crane Flat is a bit more chill and roomy. Crane Flat is also about a mile from the Tuolumne Sequoia Grove. If you have a choice, I would recommend going to the Mariposa Grove near the south entrance. If you're entering from the South, go see Mariposa when you arrive because it's a LONG drive to this spot if you're leaving from the valley floor or Crane Flat. Tuolumne Sequoia Grove is nice and there is a fallen giant sequoia that is now a long tunnel that you can crawl through. The kids loved it. And the path down to the grove is nice on the way down...but coming up is tough. But keep in mind that the really big sequoias are at Mariposa. I would also highly recommend hitting Glacier Point. If entering form the south, you drive right by the turnoff when heading to the valley floor or Crane Flat. It is so worth going to this lookout. Absolutely breathtaking. My pictures look like a painting of a fantastical land on another exotic planet. My kids liked going there at the end of the trip because all the things we looked at had meaning. For example, "there's Vernal Falls" where we hiked," or "there is Half Dome that we've been looking at." If you're a hiker and in good shape, forget the drive and take the 4-mile hike to Glacier Point from the valley floor. Most of all, just enjoy yourself at this remarkable place that we are able to enjoy!

It's been years since I've been to Crane Flat, but I feel like I know it quite intimately. My parents occasionally tell about the time we all camped in Yosemite Valley, I was almost a year old, and there was a huge rainstorm one night that collapsed the tent. Two results: my parents bought a travel trailer that year, and have had one ever since; and from that time on, the only place we camped in Yosemite was out of the valley at this campground called Crane Flat. If you want to explore more of the park than just the Valley, Crane Flat is in a good location. It's near the crossroads with the Tioga Road, the only road that crosses the park west-east. The gas station and convenience store is less than a mile away. The Valley is 20 miles away, and the view from the first tunnel is almost as good as the world-famous Wawona Tunnel View. This is one of the few campgrounds that allow dogs. And the sites are spread out, so that you're not within spitting distance of your neighbor. If it was just me, I'd go to Camp 4. But it's not just me anymore, I'm a family man now, and Crane Flat would suit my family better. Actually, Crane Flat would suit a lot of people better. Not if you'd rather stay in the Valley, though; in that case, pick a place and get your reservation in NOW. But if you want a good camping experience in this world-famous park (the three similar camps in the Valley have a reputation for being a terrible, sometimes dangerous, experience), Crane Flat is great.

Stayed in Site #244. Flat enough for our tent, and decent distance from the bathroom (but not TOO far). Campsite is very basic: flush toilets, no lights in old bathrooms, no showers. If you can't get a campsite in the Valley, this one is MUCH closer than the Wawona campground. Also convenient for Tioga Road (from here to east entrance was ~50 mins). Rangers were definitely around, so make sure you put EVERYTHING in the provided bear boxes. Crane Flat gas station is right around the corner. Again, VERY basic, but hopefully you're only back to sleep before exploring Yosemite during the day.

Stayed here for three nights over a weekend. Pros: - location: right at the fork to go up to the high country along Tioga road, or down to the valley - if you score a level and more private site like we did, you're gold for setting up a nice camp Cons: - showed up late night our first night and someone without a reso was squatting in our site. Not cool, we paid for that. Had to double up with our kind neighbors who arrived the same time as us (after midnight) in order to use a bear box. - camp host and ranger didn't seem to care that one of our neighbors left trash and food out over night. Enforce your rules! - same neighbors above had ridiculously loud music and partying until after 10:30pm when quiet hours start at 10. Again, enforce your rules! - no showers - old and unkempt bathrooms Best thing about this place is the location. I'll come back if I can guarantee a level site. Have to take a chance on the other stuff again.

We spend the Labor Day in this camp. We stay at camp site #508 which is two minutes away from the restroom. The experience is great. This camp is secluded and not too crowded. I will definitely go back here. And I highly recommend this camp site.

Average nice campsite. Because it is near the entrance of 120, nice to camp here on Friday night for the weekend. Because not in Valley, people camping here are quiet. The restroom has toilet paper, and sink. Portable water available. Bear box is availabe for each site, and fire ring, picnic table as well.

Our group stayed at Crane Flat for one night in August 2016. While there isn't a lot of privacy from one site to the next the campsites themselves were quite spacious. Ours was close to the bathrooms which was nice for anyone getting up in the middle of the night. Bathrooms were well stocked with toilet paper although no soap (as with most national park campgrounds we visited). We got to the site pretty late but a map with our campsite was written on the entry booth, making it easy to find in the dark. One of the best things about this campground is that it's right near the Crane Flat gas station so we were able to fill up on gas and get some snacks, supplies, and a couple souvenirs the next day. It's also very close to the Tuolumne Sequoia grove.

This is my favorite campground in California so far! I love that the campsites are spread out, it's quiet and private... and you don't hear your neighbors at all really. So you can soak up all the R&R you need! I loved being surrounded by the tall trees too. We had campsite 514, pretty flat. Not all campsites here are flat. Bathroom is close by with flushed toilets. There's a general store/ gas station near by, although they run on the 9-5 business hours. No showers here but there are $5 showers available in Yosemite Valley. Originally we wanted to get a campsite in Yosemite Valley but they were all full. I'm glad we camped at Crane Flat instead. I hate when campsites are nearly butted up against each other. I really preferred camping in Crane Flat and driving out to Yosemite Valley during the day. It's a 20-30 minute drive (17 miles away). So it was pretty easy to venture out there. There's SO much to see and do in Yosemite. I came here right after Labor Day, and camped during the weekday (Tuesday thru Thursday). It was the best time of year to come, no crowds. If we had more time, we would have love to have visited Tuolumne Meadows (it's an hour drive) or Mariposa Grove. We thought we could stop by Mariposa Grove (groves of Sequoia trees!) on our way out of the park but it's much more involved than we thought. We had to take a shuttle bus and didn't have the time to squeeze that in. I'm definitely planning on coming back to Crane Flat someday.

We just returned from a great camping trip in 2012 in Yosemite. We camped at this campground and loved it. We had two families in sites 502 and 504. Great location as others were on a slope. Our sites were roomy and at the end so we had neighbors on one site only. There was plenty of shade throughout the day and a small hiking trail behind us. A drawback was the garbage collections that were pretty noisy at 7am. Site 502 also had an extra bear box so our families had plenty of room. This campground is located close to a gas station and a convenience store which is a savings grace when you are camping! Not all sites are lucky to have this amenity. You can get everything from firewood, beer, canned food, water, milk, eggs, and ingredients for the camping necessity smores! Crane Flat allows for you to gather any wood that has fallen for firewood. So if you want to keep the kids busy, send them out to gather it up! The Rangers were always friendly and there is a campfire area where they have a Ranger give a talk so ask at arrival for the times. Getting reservations at Yosemite a major task. We had wanted to stay in the valley, but that filled up 30 seconds after they became available on line! So we ended up grabbing the next two sites at Crane Flat. We were bummed at first, but later was happy that we ended up at Crane Flat. Its about 12 miles into the valley with several great vista points. After seeing the other campgrounds, we were even more pleased to have ended up where we were. Plus the valley sites get very busy and noisy. We recommend staying higher up where it is quieter. Nearby Crane Flat is Tuolumne Sequoia Grove and Mariposa Grove which are great visits. Also must do's in Yosemite is Half Dome, or at least a small trip up to it via a Vernal Falls hike, which is pretty strenuous. There is Yosemite valley, you can tour around the town via a main walk way, we toured the cemetery which was neat. Plenty of things to do and see, AMAZING views and memories!

This was "off the beaten path". Did not like that there weren't showers but really did appreciate the location. It was very laid back and not as hectic as the "Valley" floor. We we're able to explore Hetch Hechty, May Lake and Tenaya Lake. It was nice to visit the less populated areas of the park during the Summer months. Our campsite in the 200 loop, was relatively flat. The campground host was welcoming and very helpful. There is no wi-if, which was also a plus, as we we're able to really focus and disconnect. Showers are available in Yosemite Valley. I would highly recommend bringing a solar shower!!!

Want to go to Yosemite last minute, but all of the other campsites in the park are booked? Try Crane Flat Campgrounds! Located 40 to 45 minutes from the valley, most visitors and campers overlook this underrated campground (an unexpected benefit was how quiet and peaceful it was)! It has bathrooms with running water but don't expect showers. Our tent site was slightly up hill, but it worked out fine and we had a fun weekend at the park. I would definitely recommend and would consider coming back here again in the future.

The only drawback to this campsite was that several of the more isolated spots were fairly slanted hill-wise, so the first night my boyfriend kept rolling over onto me in his sleep (we couldn't find a spot that was entirely flat). Everything else was great-- 1. Polite neighbors 2. Free firewood (the rangers encouraged us to go collect it in the forest) 3. Ample shade 4. Well-run, clean site with bear boxes that totally worked 5. No bears during our stay 6. A gas station/convenience store five minutes away 7. When the valley was close to 100 degrees, our campsite was dramatically cooler (due to altitude). It did take us awhile to get into the valley, but the drive was beautiful and it felt worth it when we passed by the crowded, noisy campgrounds in the valley. On a totally separate note, a friend of mine survived a very intense rockslide (it killed someone) in Yosemite Valley in the 1990s, and I liked knowing that I was far out of the way when I was sleeping and there was no risk of being crushed to death in my sleep. Irrational, I suppose.

Last year, we camped at Fish Camp and ended up driving 2+ hours to get to our hikes. This year, we stayed at Crane Flat which is inside the actual Yosemite park, and saved ourselves tons of driving time. Crane Flat is approximately 20 minutes from Bridalveil and 30 minutes from Curry Village (Mist Trail trailhead).Tuolumne grove of giant trees is also right around the corner. The campsite itself is really clean, and plenty of space so that campers can spread out as they see fit. There are also plenty of bear lockers, and since this campground is prone to bear sightings, it's important to put away all of your food or you'll find yourself with no more food, and a bunch of ripped up bags to deal with the next morning. This place has flushing TOILETS. Last year, we had the old outhouse with just holes in the ground and it stunk to high heaven. Though having flushing toilets and running water at a sink isn't quite 'roughing it' so to speak, it was nice to go to a bathroom that wasn't barf-inducing. This campground is also literally next to a gas station/market, so if you forget anything, you can always stop by, gas up, and also stock up on firewood.

I went there at the beginning of July. This campsite has running water and a bathroom, but not showers. It is near the entrance of the park, but about 45 minutes away from the valley. It is fairly quite because it wasn't too crowded. I reserved a RV only site but was able to put a tent up. I don't think the rangers care, the RV only sites only mean that it might not have a flat place to put a tent up. But for us there were plenty of spots.

Beautiful Campground. My family and I stayed at campsite 112. It's a big campsite. More space and next to meadow. It's very quiet and beautiful. Saw many deer and a young cub. They have a store and gas station on the other side of the campground. It took us 20 minutes to Yosemite landmarks. We will come back here again soon!

Real rating: 4.5 stars. Thank you Yelpers! I saw an available reservation at Crane Flat and grabbed it... kept it b/c of Yelp. While it's not 100% perfect, in many way ways this seems like one of the best options available for car camping. The Good: --Location, location, location! We went the first week in August and the Valley Floor was easily 95 degrees and over. Temperature markedly lower at Crane Flat. You're not that far from the Valley (which is where a lot of the commercial action is- hotels, visitor's center, restaurants) - maybe 25 min one way (depends on if you get stuck behind an RV on single lane road). And you're also closer to lovely back-country spots such as Toulumme Meadows and the gorgeous Tenaya Lake. As other's have mentioned, you're right next to a Gas Station/convenience store which is indeed, very convenient. Also you're near the Toulumme grove of sequoias which are lovely. It is one of the lesser groves, I believe, but that was great b/c it wasn't crowded at all. Just know that the grove is down a long slope and you will probably sweat on your way out. Allocate 2 hours to see the trees. --Shady. --Well-run. Bear lockers were big enough for us. --Quiet. --Bathrooms. Men in our group complained about the men's room, but the Women's room was fine. Super basic and very dusty, but not smelly. Not ideal, but totally doable for a few days. As mentioned, there are no showers. The Bad: --lots are pretty close together - and some in our group - the more experienced campers - complained that they'd never seen campgrounds so close together. Each one maxes out at 6, but we had a group of 12 sharing 2 lots near us and while they were respectful, we could hear them clearly. Not like a refuge camp, but still... --Some lots are sloped. Ours wasn't, but I did see that. Advice: --bring earplugs. Yes, the grounds are close together. --the lots on the outer loops definitely have more privacy - some are right next to a gorgeous meadow. Meant to take a map and mark the best ones, but ran out of time. --my lot was #102 which was right next to the bathroom and the road. Didn't smell the bathroom at all and actually it turned out to be convenient. Still not my dream site. In Sum: --I would definitely stay here again... especially in the summer. In cooler seasons, the temperature drop might switch from an positive to a negative.

We spent 2 nights here and wished we had stayed longer. The camp is 20 minutes from the valley and much cooler in the summer!! The rangers were awesome and the nightly ranger fireside stories were fun for the kids (me too btw). The bear lockers are much smaller than the lockers in the valley, kind of annoying -will remember for next trip. the up-side: no annoying fat squirrels or wasps or crows. the down-side: hum, can't think of anything major except some camp sites are very sloped and challenging for larger tents and vehicles.

Campsite #115- Limit 6 people per camp/ two tents Stayed at Crane Flat Campground 07/03-07/07. Price was excellent for what you got. I realize that it was the 4th of July so people can get noisy. However, multiple nights after the 4th of July, people were blaring their music, children running through peoples camp sites who had already gone to bed ( I am assuming they were getting up early to hike), 5 tents and 4 cars at one campsite. It was absolutely ridiculous. The rangers would cycle the campground hourly during the day, yet at dusk and at night there was no ranger around. My husband went to find the camp host who was not at their campsite when all this was going on. To top it off, the mens bathroom was closed (with no sign as to why) from Thursday-Sunday. We would have to drive to the gas station to use the restroom. This is a national park campground and we expected so much more. I do not recommend to anyone getting away to enjoy nature as people that stay here just want to party at all hours of the night.

I had a wonderful few nights here the week of Labor Day weekend. The loop I was on (the 500 loop) is at the back of the campground and the sites are close together and many are on the side of a hill which made it a bit challenge to find the right spot to pitch my tent, but the campground was pretty quiet, set amid beautiful pines and felt really comfortable. Most people there were hikers, not touristy families, so it had a nice vibe. The tent areas were set off from the areas for big camper rigs, which I liked. The location is about 40 minutes out of the valley, but right at the intersection of the Tioga Road and the road down into the valley which makes it easy to go to the valley or go out the Tioga Road and access the far less crowded hikes off of it. Compared to the campgrounds in the valley, Crane Flat was a paradise of serenity and quiet, so if you don't want to be in the middle of a circus of people and families, I would highly, highly recommend Crane Flat. The only really long trip to take to hikes is going over to the road to Glacier Point, but it really is no big deal in exchange for the peace and quiet and access to the valley and Tioga Road. There is also a gas station and camp store only about a quarter mile away which was very nice to have. I would highly recommend this campground to hikers and those who want a quieter setting. I would recommend families go down into the valley near all the amenities and people where the kids can play more, go to the camp stores and ice cream shops, etc..

We camped in two RV spots this weekend even though we were just in tents. It was very dusty and dry at this site, but at least it is only 8 miles/20 minutes from the park entrance. If you are planning to stay ONLY at your campsite due to kids/laziness, check out Wawona (out of the way but next to a river). If you plan to venture into the main park everyday for the trails but couldn't book a spot in the valley, then this place is quite convenient. Our sites, 105 & 106, were conveniently close to the bathrooms which were quite well kept for a campsite, I'd say they were a little cleaner than bathrooms at Vietnamese restaurants. The potable water faucet is also a life saver for cooking and cleaning. The camp sites are VERY close in this area. Your group won't really feel any privacy and your tent spot will probably back into someone else's site. If you have a loud/big group, you'll probably feel the need to quiet down. That being said, our late-20s party crew was mildly obnoxious but the entire campground consisting of families/groups/friends is noisy until about midnight and everyone sleeps at about 1-2am. We had a ranger come by at around 1am to tell us to quiet down at 1am. If you just keep it reasonable, you'll be fine. The rangers are nice and will only ticket you if you are really stupid (bear box/big fire/large&loud group). Although it is a hassle, you should pretty much pack everything into the bear box or properly dispose of it after EVERY meal and keep smelly things in there. Even if you don't see bears, there are tons of other critters. People in the site next to us came back to see ALL of their trash destroyed in their campsite. I think another group across from us was fined by the ranger for this type of violation as well. We had 5 cars show up in the two spots and the rangers had us park in our spot since there was enough room instead of sending it to overflow. Remember to book this FAR in advance and right when the calling center opens.

Very loud campground as it was full. The bathrooms have no electricity and the type Of facets that spray all over you because Of how pressurized it is. The campsite we had was not level so we slid down the slope all night. And there was such a bee problem that all the campers we saw (including us) cooked as fast as we could then ate in the car. I don't mind roughing it, but this was too rough for $30/night!!

We just stayed at Crane Flat campground in Yosemite National Park. The park ranger told us it is the worse campground in all the national parks. We thought he was joking. He was not. Every site is not level. There are ruts and holes and steep in the sites you try to pull into. We have a 30 foot motorhome. We got site 305. We had to pull in the site 3 times to try to get the rv a little level. The generator hours are from 7-9 am 12-2 pm and 5-7pm. The guy beside us had a commercial generator and he would turn that on and not turn it off. One time the ranger stopped by and told him to turn it off. He turned it off and waited for the ranger to leave. He then turned it back on for an hour until 8PM. Him and his buddy ran the generators all day long. They didn't care if they bothered anybody. I could not wait to leave that campground the next day. I feel sorry for who ever came in the next day. https://www.flickr.com/photos/67616811@N00/29295046331/in/datetaken-public/ picture of the campsite.

Great size campsites, not much brush between the sites but better than other campgrounds we've driven by. This one had space between each spot with some rocks and redwoods to give space and privacy. But the bathrooms need sensor lights at night (bring your flashlight) and hooks for your towels. Quite at night, clean, would return again. About 30 minutes to Curry Village....depending on some bad traffic in the valley.

We stayed in site 307 June 5-8 2015 in a popup camper. The weather is important when camping. Crane Flat is over 6000 feet elevation, the Yosemite valley being just 4000 something. When we were there the temperature at Crane Flat was 10 degrees cooler than the valley. It was hot in the valley and just right in Crane Flat. Sit 307 is a good site, a pull through and pretty level with a good view of the meadow where we saw numerous bears. I want to congratulate the Yosemite staff for educating the public about keeping a clean campsite, which in turn keeps the bears out. They stayed in the meadow the whole time....at least I think they did. Pros: Not crowded, easy to get a reservation, in between both the valley and Tuolumne Meadows (we visited both). Close to a store & gas station. Cooler temps due to elevation. Close to Tuolumne Grove (5 minutes). Cons: Not in the Valley, you don't have those awe inspiring views here. It's not flat in Crane Flat. The water was an issue in our loop, handle was broken (bring vice grips). Garbage dumpsters are quite far from the cg. By design I suppose to keep the bears away from people. It means you have to make numerous trips to a far away dumpster to keep your campsite clean.

Great campsite away from the valley's busy activities. They also have potable water. No showers. Also, a gas station is just around the corner for supplies. On July 4th weekend, I lost my gold wedding band at campsite #424. I believe it's somewhere near or around the fire pit area. If found, please turn into campsite host as they have my shipping information. Thanks for your help and enjoy this great campsite.

We just got back from a 3 day camping trip in October. It was a little cold at night but I am guessing that in the summer it is nice since it is higher up. I can only say 2 bad things about this place. The first is that I just wish it were closer to the valley. The second is the bathrooms could use at least a light so you can find them in the middle of the night! We were at site 508 and it was great. Flat, nice fire pit, bear locker,picnic table and not too far a walk to the bathroom. (It's across from 514 if you want to be close.) Most of the sites on the outer 500 were flat (500-518). Those across were on a hill. I would recommend if you do have at least 2 tents to try and get 502, 512, or 514. The sites are a bit close together but we never had any issue with our neighbors. There was a VERY loud group up on the hill that we could hear but once quiet hours (10pm to 6am) were enacted it was a nice night. As said in previous reviews there are running water bathrooms but no showers. We ended up at the hospitality camp down in the valley when we need to. AND there is no electricity. So bring a head lamp to make going in the night easier. If you go back a little bit around the campsite there are some great places to get firewood. And if you forget anything the little store and gas station are right up the road. All in all a nice place to camp!

of all the campsites i've been to it yosemite (upper/lower pines and tamarack flat)..crane flat was the best. although it is about a 30 minute drive to get to the valley, its still worth it for people who would like to stay away from the business and crowds that are found when camping the the valley. bathrooms were the usuals of what you find in most campgrounds, but they were always stocked and had mirrors. our campground itself was big and still distant enough from the other campsites to get some privacy. although it was typical to hear the early risers next door talking and packing away loudly. bathrooms and water spouts were spaced evenly around and ours were just a minute away. the only negative thing was having to walk a long way to throw away our trash..but i understand keeping it away from the campgrounds to prevent bears from coming in. the large trash bins was near the campground entrance..so it was pretty far considering we were right in the middle. it's a great place if you also want to explore other areas of yosemite along tioga road. there's may lake and many vista points along the road. it's also less cars around there since everyone is in the valley. i stayed in last week of august and had no problem reserving a campsite for two nights. (reserved it about 1 month prior to arrival) would definitely come back again!

Stayed in site 208 with a 30' trailer. The site was plenty big for the trailer. It was a bit uneven. But with enough maneuvering we were able to level with only one set of blocks. The bathroom was close and pretty clean. There are no lights in the bathroom so headlamps are helpful. The site was huge and our neighbors were far enough away that it felt like camping.

Just got back from 3 nights 7/17-7/20, and it was just ok for us. We were in 542, and the loop we were one had some seriously sloped sites. After walking the place, in that loop, only 502 thru 514 or 15 are flat, when looking at the loop map you make a right in to the loop from the main road, so from that first site going in on the right to about 3/4 of that road were flat. Anything else all campsites on left side of the road are really not very good'. We did not drive through the other loops but from the road they looked better than the 500 loop. They do have bathrooms, but no electricity, so no lights on at night. Closest showers were at Housekeeping in Yosemite Valley, it was $5 for adults, 4 for kids Bear lockers are plenty big enough for all of your dry goods, but no way are you putting coolers in there too. Not to say that you won't see them, but we had no bear issues at all. The drive into Yosemite Valley is easy, only about 20 min, and after seeing the zoo that the valley has turned in to, I'm glad that we were staying outside of that. I know that it's summer, but holy cow. I have camped in the valley probably 15-18 times, and i have never seen so many people. The shuttles, while constant don't seem to be able to handle to crowds. You are allowed to gather downed wood, but if you're planning on going that route, a saw or ax would be a good thing. Camp host does not sell wood, but there is a gas station with a store just outside the gate. They sell wood for $9 a box. Overall it's very pretty, and you're right by the big trees trail (well worth the hike) and it's close enough to the valley to make it a good place to stay.

I love this place, there are a few sites we had seen that are slanted but most are fairly good. We stayed over the 4th of July weekend and it was amazing!! Nice and cool compared to the valley and talk about green, the only downfall is other campers next to us didn't clean up there food even went behind a rock to leave their dirty tampon gross but the site itself is truly beautiful

The camp site we had was kind of on a slope (Site 420), which made it harder to find the right spot for the tent, but the overall experience was OK. The rangers were super friendly (kindly helped when my wife locked the car keys in the car), neighbors were quiet enough and the site was clean and had the regular fire ring and picnic table. A bit secluded from the valley supposedly way cooler so I wouldn't mind going back.

Favorite camp location in yosemitie! Clean, lots of space, large sites, plenty of things to explore, and nice bathrooms. The only two things I would change. I would make the bear lockers a little bit bigger, if you have a large family or you are staying for more than just a weekend, you will have a hard time fitting everything in that locker. We barely fit 2 ice chests along with our bathroom supplies (lotion, tooth paste, shampoo, etc). I would also add showers. Other than that, if you are to camp in Yosemitie, try to get crane flatts! You will not regret it.

We stayed in early July 2013. Our first site was 306 but we could not fit our trailer in it. The site was too small for a tent trailer as you can't back it in because of the surrounding trees. When we talked to the ranger he said we were the second family who had this issue. We were moved to a better site. The only thing fly in Crane Flats is the name. It appeared to me that all sites were slanted. I don't quite understand that as a bulldozer could fix this issue in the off season. Anyway, we were in a trailer so it wasn't a huge issue, a tent might not be as fun. The site is relatively close to the valley but you will be driving a lot. It is close to the gas station and store and that is nice. It also is a lot roomier than the valley campsites which look like refugee camps. Site was quiet, bathrooms are fine, nice shade with all the trees. Perfect for hammocks. Of the sites we saw I liked these the best. Tuollome had a nice one too but it's far from the valley. Also the bear box is small and everything has to go into it. Our ice chest is a cube and wouldn't fit with the lid on. Measure yours before you go. It made for quite an experience. I do recommend this site except for 306 which might be the worst site I've ever seen (a tent would work there fine but not my pop-up at 16 feet.) close enough to the action without the Calcutta experience.

While staying in Yosemite is surreal, amazing, and totally worth it, this particular campground is not that well kept up. Our site (434) was littered with garbage (while that is the fault of the crappy campers before us, I thought the Rangers might make a sweep through after each stay). The bathrooms were god awful and there was a constant swarm of horse flies (that look like bees) at our picnic table. I'll definitely try a different campground next time I go.

Crane Flat needs maintenance. Entrance bulletin board is falling apart, and looks like it has been for some time. Yosemite is supposed to be a "crown jewel" of our National Parks. It is being loved to death. Secondly, the rules and regulations specifically state that gathering firewood is prohibited. Yet, people were walking around with armloads of twigs and branches that they had gathered. If you don't want people gathering wood, sell it to them! Other National Parks sell firewood (Rocky Mountain N. P. for example). Thirdly, it is quite apparent that the campground host, should be called the campground "ghost". All I saw them do was drive about in their car. Their site (425) looks like a gypsy camp. Toilets are full of cobwebs and dirt are everywhere. It is quite apparent that basic maintenance is being overlooked. I've been to campgrounds where the hosts walk the sites and say "hello", clean out the fire pits in the morning, and generally tidy up. Not here, not at Crane Flat. It's camping, I get that. Cold water only and no showered is OK by me, but their is a general lack of presence and a bit of an "I don't give a shit" air about the campground. Just a piece of paradise lost. That's too bad.

Poor bathroom cleanliness: no soap, dryer trash, or lights. One close by was closed. It's a sloped campsite (more like crane hill) with plenty of bees. Looked like there were few flat sites. Bear box was on the ground and particularly difficult to get things into it at that angle. No showers: they are only in the valley 30 min away. Fire pit was full. Only pro was that it was quiet. We stayed at incredibly better campsites at other national parks. Never will stay here again.

We stayed at Crane Flat on the last weekend in July, which as it turns out is a terrible time to visit Yosemite because of the heat and the crowds. All the time we spent in Yosemite Valley was miserable...good thing the campsite was awesome. It's 20-25 min from the valley and at a higher elevation so it's always at least 10 degrees cooler. We were assigned a small site on a hill that would not have accommodated our group, which consisted of 6 people and 2 cars. The super nice ranger re-assigned us to a huge, shady site on the outer corner which was perfect. The site was relatively quiet, and the bathrooms were not too gross...though lights would have been nice. Also, be sure to bring serious bug spray in the summer. We only brought natural hippie bug spray and were eaten alive by mosquitoes. We were located right next to the bear trap but we never saw any bears (though lots of other campers said they did...or they were just involved in an elaborate hoax to make us fear those godless killing machines)

Awesome campgrounds outside of the heavily full campsites closest to the falls hike and half dome. Conveniently next to a gas station for last minute purchases like restocking up on booze. Will definitely come back here!