Yosemite · California
Crane Flat Campground is a large national-park campground in Yosemite's high country in California, sitting at about 6,200 feet on Highway 120 roughly 30 to 45 minutes above Yosemite Valley. It is a forested, summer-season campground near the Tuolumne and Merced Grove trailheads, and we think of it as the cooler, less frantic alternative for RVers who cannot get, or do not want, a Valley site but still want to sleep inside the park.
| Hookups | None — dry camping |
|---|---|
| Sites | ~160 (reservable, summer season) |
| Max RV length | ~27–35 ft (site dependent; verify per site) |
| Cost | ~$36/night |
| Reservations | Recreation.gov, five-month rolling window |
| Best for | Cooler summer camping, sequoia-grove access |
Crane Flat Campground is a large national-park campground in Yosemite's high country in California, sitting at about 6,200 feet on Highway 120 roughly 30 to 45 minutes above Yosemite Valley. It is a forested, summer-season campground near the Tuolumne and Merced Grove trailheads, and we think of it as the cooler, less frantic alternative for RVers who cannot get, or do not want, a Valley site but still want to sleep inside the park.
Like every Yosemite campground, it is dry camping: no electric, water or sewer, and generator hours are restricted. Around 160 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov, with the park's five-month rolling release on the 15th of each month at 7:00 AM Pacific. Rig limits are site dependent, roughly 27 to 35 feet, so verify your exact site. Expect about $36 a night. The one trade-off that catches RVers is that Crane Flat has no dump station of its own, so plan a dump-and-fill at Upper Pines or Tuolumne Meadows on the way in. Summer only; the high country closes for winter.
Excerpts from the RV Parks Guide articles that cover this campground. Each links to the full guide.
Regional guide
RV Camping in Yosemite National Park: The In-Park Campground GuideCrane Flat sits at about 6,200 feet on Highway 120, roughly a 30–45 minute drive above the Valley, in a forested setting near the Tuolumne and Merced Grove trailheads. It is a large campground that opens for the summer season and offers a cooler alternative to the Valley heat, though it has no dump station of its own.
Read the guide →Our verdict
Book Crane Flat if you have a self-contained rig under about 35 feet and want a cooler in-park base with a better shot at a reservation. Skip it if you need hookups, an on-site dump, or a rig over 35 feet.
No. There are no electric, water or sewer hookups at any Yosemite campground, including Crane Flat. Generator use is limited to posted hours.
About $36 per night, in line with the other in-park Yosemite campgrounds. Confirm on Recreation.gov.
Roughly 27 to 35 feet depending on the site. Verify the listed maximum for your exact site before booking.
No. Crane Flat has no dump station of its own; the in-park options are Upper Pines and Tuolumne Meadows, so arrive with fresh water full and holding tanks empty.
Through Recreation.gov on a five-month rolling window; releases happen at 7:00 AM Pacific on the 15th of each month. Have a backup campground ready.
No. It is a summer-season campground; the high-country campgrounds close for winter.
Compare alternatives before you book — or browse the whole California hub.