Yosemite's North Pines Campground Tries New Reservation System

Above, The Beast at North Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Six years ago, I camped at North Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley. I camped there in April 2016 after getting a reservation through the National Park Service's reservation system the previous November.

I found out when the "window" for making reservations for North Pines Campground would open and set my cell phone calendar to alert me about 15 minutes before.

Then, when the window opened, I secured a reservation for the campsite. I was able to see aerial photos of each campsite before and selected my choice. 

Now, the National Park Service is trying something new for reserving a campsite at North Pines Campground.

From the Fresno Bee:

It’s hard to get a summer campsite in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park hopes to at least make the reservation process a little less intense for many by trying something new. 

The popular park in California announced on Friday that it will start a new reservation system, where winners of a lottery get first dibs at making summer 2022 campsite reservations at North Pines Campground. 

The idea is to give lottery winners a chance to make reservations in a less competitive environment during an early access window, where fewer people are online at the same time trying to grab the same campsite.

North Pines is a coveted campground in Yosemite Valley along the Merced River near the Mirror Lake trailhead. Most Yosemite campgrounds are full from April through September. The demand far exceeds availability in Yosemite Valley.

To see how the reservation system will work, go here.