Yosemite National Park · caps RVs at 40 ft
Every Yosemite Valley campsite operates under bear protocol — secure food inside the rig or the metal locker every night or get cited. Upper Pines holds 40-ft rigs but you'll dry-camp.
40ft
None (dry)
Yes
April – October (most loops) · Year-round (Upper Pines)
Bear-resistant food storage is the operating premise of every RV-friendly campground in Yosemite Valley. Upper Pines, Lower Pines, and North Pines accept rigs up to 40 feet but require every cooler, every soda can, every tube of toothpaste off the picnic table and inside either the rig itself (windows up, doors locked) or the metal storage locker at the site. Citations are issued the same night a fed bear circles the loop. None of the developed Yosemite Valley campgrounds offer hookups; the closest full-service RV option is Wawona, also dry. Dump stations are at Upper Pines and Wawona. Reservations open five months ahead on a rolling window and Upper Pines summer dates clear in seconds. Tioga Road's Tuolumne Meadows Campground sits at 8,600 ft and is the high-country alternative once the road plows out, usually late June.
Primary sources
How to book this park
Reservations + adjacent staging
Official reservation portalLooking for the rig? Browse California RV rentals on PickRV →
Other national parks in California
Sequoia
Generals Highway prohibits rigs over 24 ft between Hospital Rock and Giant Forest. Potwisha (year-round) and Lodgepole (May–Oct) are the 22-ft basecamps; Mineral King is a 22-ft hard cap on gravel.
Lassen Volcanic
Lassen's hydrothermal features collapse without warning — stay on the trails, and book Manzanita Lake (35 ft) at the north entrance because the south road sits above 8,500 ft and closes early.
Kings Canyon
Highway 180 drops 4,700 ft in 31 miles to Cedar Grove and closes November–April. Grant Grove campgrounds stay year-round at 30 ft; in-canyon loops are May–October only.
Channel Islands
Channel Islands is boat-only — stage your rig at McGrath State Beach or Ventura Beach RV Resort, walk the island campgrounds with a pack, and time the ferry window around the weather call.
California rules · last verified 2026-05-10
- Rental tax
- 9.75%
- Min driver age
- 21+ std · 25+ Class A
- Gravel roads
- Permit required
- Generator quiet
- 22:00-06:00
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