Porcupine Flat Campground

Porcupine Flat Campground is located off the Tioga Road about 30 minutes west of Tuolumne Meadows and over an hour from Yosemite Valley. It typically opens in late June and closes mid-October, though the opening date varies depending on the opening of the Tioga Road and related seasonal facility and road work. RVs and trailers are not recommended for the narrow roads in this more primitive campground. At an elevation of 8,100 feet (2,500 m), the campground sits near Porcupine Creek, a seasonal creek that is its only water source and whose water must be filtered, treated, or boiled. There are no visitor services close to the campground, and there is little to no cell service along the Tioga Road. Porcupine Flat is extremely primitive, with no connectivity and no drinking water. Basic amenities include vault toilets, trash and recycling collection, food storage lockers, fire rings and picnic tables. Wood and charcoal fires are permitted when the campground is open. The Porcupine Creek Trailhead is nearby. Yosemite's trails, cliffs, roads and rivers provide endless recreational activities for any kind of visitor: hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding, rafting, auto touring and photography are all very popular in the park. The Tioga Road offers a 39-mile scenic drive past forests, meadows, lakes and granite domes, ranging from 6,200 feet to just under 10,000 feet in elevation. Tuolumne Meadows, 25 miles to the east, embodies the high country of the Sierra Nevada and is a good starting point for countless hikes. The Crane Flat area, 23 miles west, offers many other hiking opportunities such as the Tuolumne and Merced Groves of Giant Sequoias, both of which require a 2.5 to 3-mile roundtrip hike to view. Just 25 miles away is Yosemite Valley, an awe-inspiring landscape containing many of the famous features for which Yosemite is known, with abundant hiking trails and bike paths, guided bus tours, museums, ranger-led activities and an art center. Rafting the Merced River is a fun way to cool down on a summer day when water levels are sufficient. Beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, just 23 miles from Crane Flat, is home to spectacular scenery and numerous wilderness trailheads. Most of Yosemite is blanketed in snow from about November through May.