Hi all,If there are other threads I have missed please just redirect rather than reply. Thanks==We leave Augusta GA mid-April heading west via New Orleans - had to sacrifice NO in autumn 2015 trip after spending too long in New England and coming down the Appalachians - and have a fairly good idea of what and where we are going BUT need some insight into the seasons and impact of campground openings. We have a Coachmen Freelander 25'. I think the main Q is do we have to leave visiting Yosemite until June? It would make more sense route-wise to do it en route from Texas, New Mexico heading to San F and Oregon Coast but if the campgrounds are closed then we can come back west from the eastern side of the Rockies in late July or August. We travel quite slowly - averaged 86 miles per day on 90 days on east coast trip last year. Plan is to be back in Augusta by end August - ned to sell the RV then!

Yosemite in June? Might be a stretch this year. Were getting a lot of mountain snow. I think your going to want two plans. Selecting the best options as late as possible based on weather. Generally speaking the mountain west of best from late June thru mid to late Sept. Same for the pacific north west coast.

donn0128 wrote:Yosemite in June? Might be a stretch this year. Were getting a lot of mountain snow. I think your going to want two plans. Selecting the best options as late as possible based on weather. Generally speaking the mountain west of best from late June thru mid to late Sept. Same for the pacific north west coast.Ditto on that. Some years you can get in in late May, but on other years it would be late June before the roads are cleared. It's unpredictable and depends on the weather. There are plenty of southern AZ, NM and CA parks that will be open in April. Think about visiting those until the roads are clear.

You can go into Yosemite before June if interning from the west slope. Aril and May are some of the best months for the falls. With that said they are all booked up for those month's already. Take it from someone in CA you do not need to wait till June. If that was the case why are they booked solid???????? You can get into Yosemite year round from the west slope. I don't understand why anyone would say you cant get in till may, I have been to Yosemite each month of the year over my life time.

You asked if Yosemite is available earlier than June. Yosemite is open year round in the valley. Camping is availble all year also. If you stay on the valley floor Yosemite will be just fine in June, even earlier in April or May. The waterfalls should be good this year. Don't forget Tahoe in your travels, Big Sur, and the Redwoods. There is lots to see on the west coast and four months should give you time to begin to explore some of it.

starcraft69 wrote:You can go into Yosemite before June if interning from the west slope. Aril and May are some of the best months for the falls. With that said they are all booked up for those month's already. Take it from someone in CA you do not need to wait till June. If that was the case why are they booked solid???????? You can get into Yosemite year round from the west slope. I don't understand why anyone would say you cant get in till may, I have been to Yosemite each month of the year over my life time.Thanks for all replies. I wonder if the difference of opinion has anything to do with some commenting on access roads rather than the campgrounds per se? Yesterday on the NPS site it said some campgrounds would not be open until June

4+ months in the West | Good Sam Community

donn0128
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2016
Yosemite in June? Might be a stretch this year. Were getting a lot of mountain snow. I think your going to want two plans. Selecting the best options as late as possible based on weather. Generally speaking the mountain west of best from late June thru mid to late Sept. Same for the pacific north west coast.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Jan 13, 2016
donn0128 wrote:
Yosemite in June? Might be a stretch this year. Were getting a lot of mountain snow. I think your going to want two plans. Selecting the best options as late as possible based on weather. Generally speaking the mountain west of best from late June thru mid to late Sept. Same for the pacific north west coast.

Ditto on that. Some years you can get in in late May, but on other years it would be late June before the roads are cleared. It's unpredictable and depends on the weather. There are plenty of southern AZ, NM and CA parks that will be open in April. Think about visiting those until the roads are clear.
starcraft69
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
You can go into Yosemite before June if interning from the west slope. Aril and May are some of the best months for the falls. With that said they are all booked up for those month's already. Take it from someone in CA you do not need to wait till June. If that was the case why are they booked solid???????? You can get into Yosemite year round from the west slope. I don't understand why anyone would say you cant get in till may, I have been to Yosemite each month of the year over my life time.
jmtandem
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2016
You asked if Yosemite is available earlier than June. Yosemite is open year round in the valley. Camping is availble all year also. If you stay on the valley floor Yosemite will be just fine in June, even earlier in April or May. The waterfalls should be good this year. Don't forget Tahoe in your travels, Big Sur, and the Redwoods. There is lots to see on the west coast and four months should give you time to begin to explore some of it.
PJ30
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
starcraft69 wrote:
You can go into Yosemite before June if interning from the west slope. Aril and May are some of the best months for the falls. With that said they are all booked up for those month's already. Take it from someone in CA you do not need to wait till June. If that was the case why are they booked solid???????? You can get into Yosemite year round from the west slope. I don't understand why anyone would say you cant get in till may, I have been to Yosemite each month of the year over my life time.

Thanks for all replies. I wonder if the difference of opinion has anything to do with some commenting on access roads rather than the campgrounds per se? Yesterday on the NPS site it said some campgrounds would not be open until June
PJ30
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
jmtandem wrote:
Yosemite is open year round in the valley. Camping is availble all year also. If you stay on the valley floor Yosemite will be just fine in June, even earlier in April or May. The waterfalls should be good this year. Don't forget Tahoe in your travels, Big Sur, and the Redwoods. There is lots to see on the west coast and four months should give you time to begin to explore some of it.

Thanks.
PJ30
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
donn0128 wrote:
Yosemite in June? Might be a stretch this year. Were getting a lot of mountain snow. I think your going to want two plans. Selecting the best options as late as possible based on weather. Generally speaking the mountain west of best from late June thru mid to late Sept. Same for the pacific north west coast.

Thanks. Thats the conundrum too: the best time to visit most of the west seems to be summer - perhaps we should try and linger in interior on our way through and not arrive in SF until as late as poss without leaving ourselves short of time to get up to Seattle, over to Colorado, S Dakota and back to Augusta. Of course we would have longer to play if someone wants to buy the RV out west and save us driving back!!
jmtandem
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2016
Thanks for all replies. I wonder if the difference of opinion has anything to do with some commenting on access roads rather than the campgrounds per se? Yesterday on the NPS site it said some campgrounds would not be open until June

California State Route 120 crosses the Sierras at 10,000 feet elevation from the east (US 395 at the town of Lee Vining) and enters Yosemite near the crest. It typically is closed (depending on snow pack) until around Memorial Day. Yosemite valley is open all year and can be accessed from the central valley of California. There are several routes across the Sierras that are kept open all winter, SR 120 is not one of them. You can cross the southern end of the Sierras and drive up the central valley or travel across near Reno and use IR 80, US 50, SR 88, or SR 70, all kept open all year.

The bigger issue with Yosemite will be the crowds. If you can go before school is out, you might find is a little less crowded.
starcraft69
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
PJ30 wrote:
starcraft69 wrote:
You can go into Yosemite before June if interning from the west slope. Aril and May are some of the best months for the falls. With that said they are all booked up for those month's already. Take it from someone in CA you do not need to wait till June. If that was the case why are they booked solid???????? You can get into Yosemite year round from the west slope. I don't understand why anyone would say you cant get in till may, I have been to Yosemite each month of the year over my life time.

Thanks for all replies. I wonder if the difference of opinion has anything to do with some commenting on access roads rather than the campgrounds per se? Yesterday on the NPS site it said some campgrounds would not be open until June

Some C/G wont open till later but valley C/G are open even now I was looking to go in april for two days but they are booked the days I need look at weekdays in may you might get one. There is a nice RV park just outside the park on HWY 140 that you could probably get into if you book now. I think the difference in opinion is one who lives here and one who doesn't. I would not have the best info for the east coast as I live here on the west. Anyway have fun and be safe live, love, laugh
4runnerguy
Explorer
Jan 13, 2016
OP - You seem to have questions about snow in Yosemite in June, but then mention other destinations in the west, some of which will also be affected by snow (e.g. Colorado). Are you going to Yellowstone or Glacier? Are you planning time at desert parks like Zion and Arches?

Could you make a short list of your main destinations for us? That might make it easier to get an overall view of your plans.

Forum Discussion

4+ months in the West

About Campground 101

Related Content

West travel

Moving west

3 month stays

Three Months Later

East/West bed???