Yosemite national park?

[DuckDogDr]

Guys I’m having to go to Yosemite for continuing education this year .. and on one hand I’m excited.. on the other I’m borderline having an anxiety attack… I’m a very small town guy and worried about getting from the airport to my lodging.. .. I really don’t like being in large groups of people… and the lodge they are presenting is EXPENSIVE
To save money I’m considering flying my tent, backpack etc and camping while I’m there… and just going to lectures during the day.

Would be traveling in October.. how safe is the area… any dos or don’ts i should be aware of. ..
what about showering opportunities as I will have to be among the civilized folks for 1/2 the day .

According to the seminar lectures are 1/2 day so we can experience the park the other 1/2 of the day.

 

[wesfromky]

There is no official dispersed camping in the park, so you would need to get a c ampground site, not sure what availability is though, so you probably should get a reservation. I have stayed in camp 4 for a few nights before, and it was OK. They have bear boxes everywhere, so be sure to store your food in them, as Yosemite bears are super human food motivated. Probably starting to get chilly in October, so be prepared for potentially kinda cold nights.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We did an air bob last trip that was just outside the park. Plenty of people camping in the front country but you need a reservation At a camp ground. There are showers at the pool at curry village. Your site may not be close to your lectures but there is a bus. get a rental car and buy groceries outside the park. Bonus of having wheels is you can pop down to sequoia.

 

[DuckDogDr]

Is it generally a safe area

 

[def90]

Is it generally a safe area

You’ve never heard about the drive-bys in Yosemite?

 

[manitou1]

I know nothing about Yosemite, but here in WY all the FS campgrounds shutoff their water and bathroom facilities Sep 1st to prevent freezing. Might want to check there before committing.

 

[Crusader]

My daughter and her husband visited SF and Yosemite a few weeks ago, flew out from STL. They took an Uber from the SF airport to pick up their rental car from a place in Berkeley, I believe, because it was way cheaper than at the airport. They rented a Prius at a pretty good rate and obviously, did not have to use a lot of fuel. They stayed at an Air BNB in Sonora and daily drove into Yosemite for visits. That lodging was way cheaper than trying to stay in or near Yosemite. I believe they said that a simple/basic camping cabin in Yosemite was $150/night. Note though, that their reservations for rental car and lodging were made several months ago. Also, they felt very safe, did not have any real concerns about that in their SF sightseeing (a few days) or at Yosemite. Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[displacedtexan]

Is it generally a safe area

What are you worried about?

 

[wesfromky]

Is it generally a safe area

The dirt bag climbers stealing your food/beer is about as big of a threat from people as you will find there. The black bears can be an issue if you don't store your food correctly, but otherwise, outside of the occasional rockfall or tourist falling off a cliff, the park is pretty safe.

 

[flyinsquirel]

Very safe in or around Yosemite outside of the habituated bears that want your food. There are several small towns within easy driving distance where lodging will be considerably cheaper than inside the park; Mariposa, Oakhurst, Sonora, etc.

 

[DuckDogDr]

Thanks for the replies guys. Hadn’t considered an Air BNB for that area.

Any particular trails to hike

 

[Sherman]

TURO can be cheaper than going to a car rental company. TURO is basically the Airbnb of car rentals. People list their own vehicles for rental.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Yosemite National Park is a big place. Is the conference in the Valley (Big Ditch) or down by the Big Trees or someplace else? I've only spent time in the valley and that is like a small town. Groceries, restaurants, Degnan's Deli, gasoline, hotel, motel, campgrounds, gift shops, Ansel Adam's gallery, Bank of America & ATM, mountain shop, municipal bus system, park police (Federales) and jail, plenty of drunk youts.

We always did a crash-n-dash the first night before getting in line for shared campsite in Camp 4 (Sunnyside). One time the rangers were scoping us with night vision and scared off the bear that was stalking us. Bear huffed and ran and the ranger skedattled the opposite direction. Didn't sleep well the rest of that night. Not sure if Camp 4 is first come/first served anymore. Certainly remember the Curry Village showers (which at the time were a bit too skanky [really busy not much maintenance] for my current taste) and laundry and the bus system. Swimming pool at Yosemite Lodge. Ice cream shop.

Any hike from the valley floor to the rim is at least a few miles long and half a mile up. Trails around on the bottom of the valley are shorter. Yosemite Falls trail (7.2 miles RT/2400 feet up) is brutal sunny switchbacks and 6-8 hrs but the top is pretty cool. Little Yosemite Valley up the John Muir and down the Mist trails (or vice versa) past Vernal (2.5 miles x 1000 ft) and Nevada Falls (5.5 mile x 2000 ft) around the back side of Half Dome can go forever or pick a turnaround. Half Dome is 16 hrs RT x 5000 feet up...permit required. There's a short hike to the base of Bridal Veil Falls and under the Leaning Tower. Short hike also to the base of The Captain (the size of which you still won't be able to comprehend from the base). El Cap meadow in the evening for the sunset on the stone.

Valley is a great place to visit, it's truly a park.

 

[def90]

Just go to the conference, stay at the lodge they are putting you up in, stop at a pot shop on the way and take the edge off.

Millions of people travel through California to visit Yosemite every year without getting jacked or shot, if you survive the drive to the airport and the flight you will most likely be fine. If you decide to sleep in a tent and bring a candy bar in with you as a late night snack and all bets are off when it comes to bears.

 

[bozeman]

We stayed just outside the park and had a blast! Go in early and get a parking spot. As mentioned, drop in for a visit @ Sequoia. I’m still amazed at those forests.

We hiked Upper Yosemite Falls and it was WELL worth it

 

[sneaky]

Is it generally a safe area

The Park? Are you asking about Yosemite Valley? Probably the safest place in Cali at the present time. I lived there for a few years working in the Park at the Ahwahnee. Just how bad is your anxiety? I'd be more concerned about the food conditioned bears than any of the people in the Valley.

 

[BFR]

As has been said, it’s not the people for the most part, it’s the bears. They can smell it out if you even think of food. For me tents are out. Even camp trailers are borderline. My daughter worked at the lodge for three weeks, was supposed to be all summer. We got her a nice 20’ camp trailer to stay in. All her meals were furnished in the lodge. She saw bear tracks around it from day one. No foods or snacks were in her trailer but a bear wanted to make sure so he ripped the door off and proceeded to remodel and decorate the entire inside.When he/she was satisfied it went out a window. We got the call at 11pm to come get her she had enough. The insurance totaled the trailer. Other than that it’s great, went there often before I escaped Commiefornia.

 

[jasonhul]

TURO can be cheaper than going to a car rental company. TURO is basically the Airbnb of car rentals. People list their own vehicles for rental.

Just did Turo in AK. Worked great. Much less expensive than the traditional rental companies.


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[Soj51hopeful]

If your using the 120 groveland entrance I can point you to camp spots outside the park where bears won’t bother you. I used to work at Hetch Hetchy.