Yosemite Raises Fees for Trailside Camping

Yosemite National Park has increased fees for overnight wilderness camping reservations from $2 to $5 per person per night and now allows 60% of the permits to be reserved in advance, instead of the previous 50%. The park has room for 1,180 people per night to camp along its 60 trails, according to park spokesman Marc Stevens. He said about 10 of those trails get fully booked each night.

The permits are technically free; the $5 is a “reservation processing fee,” not charged to walk-ups, who can request permits in person on the day they begin their trip or on the day before. The increased funds will help hire more people to answer understaffed reservation phone lines, Stevens said. Reservations can be made two to 24 weeks in advance by calling (209) 372- 0740 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or by mailing requests, with a check or credit card number, to Wilderness Permit Reservations, P.O. Box 545, Yosemite, CA 95389.