My yearly camping trip has recently come to an end, so I decided to do a recap on my week-long excursion. I will also provide a few universal tips in case you want to check visiting a National Park off your bucket list.

My family booked camping reservations at Upper Pines Campground within the Yosemite Valley. We left on Sunday, August 17th, and stayed until Friday, August 22nd. Booking a campsite has been borderline impossible in recent years, so my pro tip would be to wait for cancellations. Camping spots tend to open up on the reservation.gov website and app about 4-5 months in advance, but are sold out in minutes. Know the days you want to go, continuously check the website, and wait for the cancellations to open up a week or two prior. It can feel stressful, but it’s been pretty foolproof for us.

Another note: book reservations during the week instead of trying to go on a Friday or Saturday. Because of high demand, it’ll be harder to find a spot.

There are also other options if camping isn’t your speed. There are tent cabins, regular cabins, and hotels, all of which are much easier to book.

Since we live in Vegas, it was about a 9-hour drive. We took my pup for his first road trip, so we made sure to stop whenever we could for him.

I hiked Half Dome last year, so I made it my mission to make this trip a relaxing one this time around. Truth be told, I didn’t really leave the campsite until my last full day there. Something to be mindful of when taking your dog camping is that they’re not allowed on certain trails, the shuttle buses, and, of course, in stores. My dog is very reactive, so it made it difficult to take him to many places, but it was worth seeing how excited he was to be there.

One thing about my family is we don’t camp, we glam-p. We put inflatable mattresses in our tent, and we bring a stove to cook. Since we’ve been doing this for generations at this point, we’ve been able to accumulate the things we need and the things we want to make our lives easier.

There are many basic camping guidelines that we follow, but I would say my biggest tip would be to plan a menu if you want to cook. That way, you can have all of your food prepped and ready to go because the grocery store prices in Yosemite are not cheap.

Aside from the necessities, my other random tips would be to bring chairs for your site (although there are picnic tables at each one), a book or some board games, and pack vanilla-scented products. I know the last one is weird, but I’ve found that using vanilla body spray has been the only thing that keeps the bugs away. Sounds counterproductive, but it works for me. I’m not a scientist, so I don’t claim this, but it’s something my mom and I have been doing for the last two years.

If you haven’t visited Yosemite, or any National Park for that matter, I would recommend laying out a plan for what you want to do beforehand. It’s very apparent when people are unprepared for certain hikes, which can be extremely dangerous. Knowing what you’re getting yourself into is essential to your safety and overall enjoyment.

For additional hiking tips, refer to my series “A Day on the Trails.”

When it comes to Yosemite, the possibilities are endless. I tend to stay in the valley since that’s what I grew up doing (I also worked there for two summers, if anyone is interested, I’ll write an article about that as well). But if you are looking to explore, Tuolomne Meadows, Yosemite’s high country, is absolutely stunning. You can use Tioga Road to drive up, or if you're feeling extra adventurous (and prepared), you can choose to backpack via the John Muir Trail, which is also a part of the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s almost 30 miles and takes a few days, something I would love to do one day.

You can also choose to drive up to Glacier Point or take a visit to Hetch Hetchy, which is in the northwestern part of the park. I hiked to Glacier Point back in 2022, while the roads were shut down due to maintenance. You can access this hike through a point called the Four Mile Trail in the valley. You’d be surprised to find that it is, in fact, not four miles, but thirteen. See photos below.

As for the Yosemite Valley, this is definitely the more “touristy” section of the park. And rightfully so. The views of Half Dome, North Dome, El Capitan, Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, and Glacier Point, to name a few, are unbeatable.

On top of the views, there is so much rich history. From the formation of the granite rocks to the indigenous people who originally inhabited the land (the Miwok people, also known as the Ahwahnechee tribe), to the buffalo soldiers and the founding of the National Park, there is so much to learn.

On my final day in the park, I decided to take a solo hike around the valley, putting in a good seven miles on my New Balances. I know the area like the back of my hand at this point, but it never gets old to visit the museum in The Village or walk through the meadows near the chapel. So that’s what I did. On my way back towards the campsite, I decided to take a detour toward Mirror Lake and stumbled upon an area I’ve actually never seen. August, especially, while there wasn’t any water in the falls, is a nice time to visit because you can still get the summer experience with less foot traffic. So it was nice to tread out on my own that day. It helped me discover something new and to be present, which isn’t something I do very often.

That pretty much concludes my week in Yosemite. I hope to travel more in the future and experience the beauty in the world because it’s important that we do.

My Camping Trip: A Yosemite National Park Travel Guide

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