Just checking to see if anyone has any personal experience with how firm Yosemite Nat'l Park is in the trailer length restrictions stated on the reservations website.
A lot of the sites (Upper Pines) have driveways that seem to be plenty long, but then the max. trailer length stated for the site is substantially less than that. Are 5er's simply grouped in the same category as TT's and access to the campgrounds limited to 24ft?
As an example, Upper Pines site #4 shows a driveway length of 29ft, a max. vehicle length of 35 ft, but the max. trailer length is only 24ft.
And site #64 shows a driveway length of 39 ft, max vehic length of 35 ft and max trailer length of 24 ft.
We have only camped there in the past in tents and/or tent trailer, so had never paid any attention to length restrictions...esp. the apparent 24ft trailer length limit. I could have sworn we have seen some pretty long trailers/5ers in there in the past.
Thanks
Steve
2010 F350 XLT 4X4 6.8L V10
2010 Keystone Copper Canyon 252FWRLS Now selling a 2004 Fleetwood Hemlock PUP
It will also depend on access to actually turn into the site. So it depends on the angle and if it is on the curve of the access road vs. 90 degrees off a straight section.
Some you can put the rear tires to the bumper at the end of the pad. Even a little further but that is discouraged. Some have a tree close to the end of the pad so you will not hang over to the rear. Basically if you can get the thing in the site and not block the access road you can stay. Some definately have easier access and longer pads than others.
If the truck does not fit after parking you can park it one free tram stop away at Curry. That is my experience with a 26' FW.
I just called the Yosemite Camping information phone number (209 372-8502 in case anyone is interested). I mentioned we had just bought a 28ft 5er but noticed there was an overall 24ft trailer restriction. I was told to ignore the trailer length restriction and to just use the maximum allowable vehicle length per site as a guideline.
When in Yosemite earlier this year, we had to unhitch our TV from our fiver, as there was not enough room. In almost all instances we do this anyway. Our fiver is only 27' long, but with the TV, we are a little over 44' long. So class A and C units or truck camper will fit in those 35' spots, but not TT or Fivers, unless the spot has an extended front entrance, where we parked. And yes they DO check to see if you are parked off the roadway, and in your assigned spot.
mpfireman wrote: When in Yosemite earlier this year, we had to unhitch our TV from our fiver, as there was not enough room. In almost all instances we do this anyway. Our fiver is only 27' long, but with the TV, we are a little over 44' long. So class A and C units or truck camper will fit in those 35' spots, but not TT or Fivers, unless the spot has an extended front entrance, where we parked. And yes they DO check to see if you are parked off the roadway, and in your assigned spot.
We have had a site reserved for a while but we assumed we would be taking our tent trailer (expands to 27'). The site will be long enough for the FW (~28') and hopefully the drive is wide enough to park the truck next to it. If not the site is close enough to the road (outside the campground near the meadow) that we can park the truck there and walk back and forth...a pain, but workable (that's where we have parked extra vehicles in the past when we had the kids come visit us).
We did not camp in Yosemite, but we entered Yosemite from the west via the town of El Portal. Be advised that there is a length restriction on that road (I don't recall the number at the moment) of 45' due to a detour around a washed-out bridge west of El Portal. Now, having said that, we sneaked through (we're 47' nose to tail). I think anything over 50' would be asking for trouble. FWIW
There are two issues you will have. One is the length of the pad, and two is the extremely narrow interior roads. Depending on your setup you may fit the pad you are renting, but may have difficulty getting to, or into the pad. We were in Upper Pines in May of 2008 and there was a 5vr next to us that was over 30' but he needed a shoe horn to get it backed in.....took a lot of manuvering, but he did it. Our rig is longer than the pad we rented, but no one questioned our length. As long as your wheels are on the pad you can "hang" over the rear concrete barrier several feet.
chockwald wrote: There are two issues you will have. One is the length of the pad, and two is the extremely narrow interior roads. Depending on your setup you may fit the pad you are renting, but may have difficulty getting to, or into the pad. We were in Upper Pines in May of 2008 and there was a 5vr next to us that was over 30' but he needed a shoe horn to get it backed in.....took a lot of manuvering, but he did it. Our rig is longer than the pad we rented, but no one questioned our length. As long as your wheels are on the pad you can "hang" over the rear concrete barrier several feet.
I can see now that when we are there next month that I am going to have to walk around and make a list of all the sites (both Upper and Lower Pines) that 1) are long enough, and 2) have wide enough drives so we can park the TV next the FW.
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