Tamarack Flat Campground — Hotel in Oakhurst

All sites are FCFS - $10/night. US $ or checks accepted. No designated group sites but #1-3 are HUGE. #1 has enough space for 4 tents and very secluded. Elevation is 6300ft so it's much cooler than Yosemite valley area. No potable water, vault toilets, pets ok, no campground host. It is off Tio\ga Rd/120 - 3 miles in (1st 2 miles is like butter- paved but very windy; last mile is paved but full of potholes! No RVs allowed in - only tents or small camper vans allowed.||||We stayed in #28 - the 2nd best site although just slightly slanty. It's fairly recessed and you only have #29 to look at. Each site has a bear box (large enough for 2 big coolers and other boxes), fire pit, 8ft long picnic table. You can't see anyone to the left of you b/c of boulders- there are many boulders at this site (no one behind you or to the right of you). Bathroom is just a few yards to your right. Lots of shade in this campground due to trees.||||Closest store, potable water, and gas station is at Crane Flat - 10 min drive away off of tioga rd/120. Gas was $4.75/gallon and ice is $10.50 for 20# bag! Outrageous! Firewood was $8.99! Gathering firewood at campsites is prohibited but everyone does it! It's 45-60 min from east entrance, 35 min from Yosemite valley. We drove to Crane Flat campground to get our potable water. Sites are the FARTHEST apart out of any of the campgrounds we've seen....trust me! The only drawbacks here is no water and the last mile drive into campground.||||HOW TO GET A SITE: On Friday or Saturday- arrive on/after 8:30am (most do not wake up until then). Grab a bunch of fee envelopes on your way in. Ask campers if they're leaving - don't trust what's written on the fee slips (slips are 'tagged down' by a rock at each site). Campers can pay one night at a time if they want to. Once you secure a site, fill out fee envelope and put it under the rock at the post. You can pay later in the afternoon if you wanted to - rangers don't come around until 6 or 7pm. On sundays or weekdays, arrive after 10am. Checkout here is 12pm but most do not leave promptly!!! We had to remind campers of the checkout time b/c many actually have told us they didn't plan on vacating until 3pm! I have read stories of scams where people looking for sites will throw away fee slips others have filled out that morning if sites are empty of equipment....so wait around for your site to clear and then at least pitch a tent before heading out of...

It's reservation ONLY in 2022.

Per official reservation email: "Tamarack Flat Campground can only by accessed by a 3 mile long, narrow, single-lane road with many hairpin turns. RVs and Trailers are NOT recommended." The road was well-paved & super clean though, easy to access for sedan at least (see pic).

Pit toilets, no shower. Spacious and quiet. The creek running through the camp site still had water in early July.

No cell service, but relatively easy to find directions. Just follow the sings pointing to Tuolumne Grove, Tioga Road, and/or Tioga Pass. However, the side road leading to the camp site is so tiny, you really need to watch carefully. Once you turn into the side road, you will soon see the gate and more signs for the camp site.

Yosemite valley (where all the popular trails & camping sites are) is ~50-60min away. But the view along the drive was stunning! You can see Half Dome at Yosemite Valley Vista Point along the way.

Crane Flat gas station is ~25min away, conveniently located on the way to Yosemite Valley and several Park exists. They sell food, ice, and super basic camping gears. Clean restrooms in case you're sick of the pit toilets.

For fist-time visitors like me who want to spend more time in Yosemite Valley, this camp site really ain't in the best location. But it's the only place that wasn't fully booked months in advance when I was planning my trip last minute, so really no...

In 2022, this campground requires a reservation through rec.gov and they are hard to get as this is currently the only camp ground open along all of Tioga road. We are tent campers and spent 4 nights here recently. The 3 miles into the camp ground from Tioga Road are via a paved, narrow and windy road which takes about 15-ish minutes. This road is not advisable for trailers or larger campers; in addition, parking at many sites is sloped so its better suited to tents and smaller campervans. There is no tap water available; the creek is the source and it is pretty dry even now so bring all the water you need. The Crane Flat gas station sells water, about a 25-ish min drive. The toilets are pit toilets and there is no electricity in the bathrooms, which were pretty clean. There are bear boxes at each site and you must store all food/scented items in them. Campfires are currently permitted at night and in the morning. Its about a 30 minute drive to Olmstead point, an hour to Tuolumne Meadows , and 45 mins to the valley area if no traffic. This was one of the quieter campgrounds we've stayed at in Yosemite, and voices carry here, it seemed like everyone got quiet by 10 pm. Great star-gazing. Cel phones do not work here. A trail leaves from the campground to El Capitan, it took us 7 hours R-T and we are...