California is a dream road trip destination and the perfect place to test out travelling in an RV for the very first time, with Yosemite National Park being our first stop. If you don’t own an RV or want to test one out before buying one, rentals are easy and plentiful from companies like Roadsurfers.
After picking up our RV near Oakland, California, we drove east with a stop at a Safeway grocery store to stock up for the week and make some plans. Bonus tip: if you don’t have one already, ask for their free club card at the checkout, this saved us close to $25.
Tip 1 – Book your RV spot in the park 6 months in advance.
If you really want to stay inside Yosemite NP between April and September, you will need to plan well in advance to book one of the very limited RV camping spots. There are no full hookups and limited hours when you can use a generator. For more information, visit: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/rvcamping.htm
Since we did not plan this trip 6 months ago, we went to Mariposa, where they have an RV park in their fairgrounds. Just make sure there isn’t a fair or festival happening! It was the most economical campground we’ve found and had lots of room to accommodate a last minute or late arrival. The drive into the park from there is about an hour so plan for an early morning departure. We also stayed one night at Yosemite Lakes RV Park which is close to the north west entrance on Highway 120.
Tip 2 – Arrive early when you head into Yosemite Valley
The parking lots will fill up by mid morning during the high season (June-August) so arrive early. With an RV, there are even fewer spots and some parking lots don’t allow any so check the signs or ask a ranger. There are some spots to park along the road which is what we ended up doing.
Tip 3 – Use the free shuttle
Once you find parking, use the free shuttle that loops around the valley. It will stop at all the parking lots, campgrounds, hiking trailheads and scenic stops.
Tip 4 – Go to Tunnel View
After exploring the valley, head out to Tunnel View by taking Wawona Road. There are two large parking lots at the mouth of a tunnel (one on each side of the road). We heard Glacier Point also has a great view but the road is not recommended for large RVs. Tunnel View will give you the iconic view into the valley where you can see El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the distant right and Bridal Veil Falls on the right. One your way back down, make a quick stop to see Bridal Veil Falls up close.
Tip 5 – Cross the Tioga Pass towards Mono Lake (note: this road is closed during the winter months)
After a pleasant 2.5 mile hike to visit the Giant Sequoia trees in Tuolumne Grove on the 120 (aka Big Oak Flat Rd), we drove right through the park going east on the Tioga Pass. Scenic mountain vistas, high alpine meadows and pristine lakes awaited us around every turn. Olmsted Point has a great pull out where you can take in another view of Half Dome. When you leave the park, head over to Mono Lake, a fascinating salt-water lake formed by volcanic activity. There are osprey nests on the tufa spires sticking out of the lake. There are no fish in the lake so they need to fly to the nearby rivers for food. Other shorebirds enjoy the brine shrimp (think Sea Monkeys) that do inhabit the lake in abundance.
From there, you can head north towards Lake Tahoe or south towards Sequoia National Park or Death Valley. California has so many gems but Yosemite is certainly one of the best!