Camp at Camp 4, Yosemite NP

Easy and inexpensive

Uncrowded on a winter weekday and it had water access, what more could you ask for?

Worth waiting in line

We got in late (2am-ish) on a Thursday night and signed in on the after-hours check in then waited in line for a solid 3-4 hours the next morning to pay for the night before and reserve a spot for the next couple nights. Definitely a pain but to sleep in the Valley without reservations is pretty amazing. You wake up in walking distance to world class hiking and rock climbing...doesn't get much better than that. Just plan well for the line...make coffee and breakfast, bring games, make friends...and you'll be good. FYI the check in opens at 8:30am, when we went to get in line at that time we were probably behind 30+ people. If you really want to get a jump on the day, get there by 6:00/6:30am.

A Stepping Stone

I spent a few days at Camp 4 though was probably the least deserving one there. My intent was not to scale the mountains but rather base camp there for several day hikes prior to the lead up to a large backcountry undertaking. Despite my mixed motives with the natives, the climbers were very accommodating and friendly. Maybe the next time I go back, I'll be ready to climb.

Get There Early

If it's a weekend get there Friday night and prepare to sleep in line. A little bit of a hassle and maybe a few morning hours wasted but afterwards the headache of having to find a campsite will be completely gone.