Yosemite Lakes RV Campground
On the way to Yosemite Lakes, we followed the GPS out of Fresno and wound up on California 49. This highway drops a couple of thousand feet to cross the Merced River and climbs back out with more twists and turns than any road I’ve ever been on. After seven hours on the road we arrived, checked in, detached the car and went looking for a spot. After finding one, we got all set up only to find that it had no power. So, we pulled in the slides, pulled up the jacks and moved to another location. The campground was okay, it had some older facilities, but they were working on building some new 50amp sites. There is no cell service at all in the park and the little bit of Internet that was available was only available in the lodge and just enough to check your email unless others were doing the same and then even that was difficult. However, the park’s location to Yosemite makes up for any shortcomings we found with the park.
Unfortunately for us, we scheduled this visit over the first weekend in summer. The number of people visiting Yosemite Valley was unreal. On Saturday, we did laundry and then went to Yosemite instead of heading there at first light. As you’re driving into the valley, there’s a turnout in the road where you can view it for the first time. Like the Grand Canyon, it took our breath away and left us speechless. This is another place that everyone should put on their bucket lists. At every turn along the road, there was another view more spectacular than the last. I just can’t express enough about how beautiful the valley is. It was too bad that there were so many cars that it was impossible to find a place to park and do some hiking. After exploring what we could in the car we headed back to the campground with plans for an early morning visit the next day to beat the crowd.
The nearest town to buy groceries is Groveland, twenty miles to the west. We found one small grocery store and picked up what we needed. Groveland is a nice little town with some touristy shops and restaurants, but nothing to write home about. However, there was cell service there.
Sunday morning, we got an early start and made it into the valley before most people were up. We found a good place to park and taking the advice of the shuttle bus driver, she dropped us off at the head of Mist Trail. A mile and a half up the trail learned why it was called Mist Trail. Just before we reached Vernal Fall, the trail got very wet and so did I. Once back down to Yosemite Village, it got cold and tried to rain on our parade. So, we ended our visit with another drive through the valley. On our next visit, we will need at least a week or so to hike more trails, drive through the rest of the park and drive up to the top of Glacier Point.
Wow! Yosemite Lakes RV Resort is the perfect camping destination for enjoying a scenic summer in California. Just five miles from Yosemite National Park, this campground features 400 acres of wonderland and activity. The South Fork of the Tuolumne River running through the preserve is ideal for swimming, fishing, and panning for gold. Just 35 miles to the west, Lake Don Pedro offers boating, water skiing, and fishing. Moaning Cavern is another area attraction, the largest public cavern in the state.
With 254 full hook-ups, 130 tent sites, and a variety of cabin and yurt rental accommodations, Yosemite Lakes RV Camping is ready for your visit. This RV campground in California is set in one of the most majestic natural settings in the country with plenty of woods, water, and mountains to explore right outside your campsite.
