Large Fifth Wheel in Yosemite, North Pines Campground

[Ed_White]

I spent a lot of time over the past week studying the site sizes and photos for North Pines Campground at Yosemite, and this morning, when reservations opened at 7am, I managed to bag Site 128 at North Pines for 4 days in May. Ten minutes later every site was booked, so there's no going back.

Reviews of the site say it is one of the best in the park, and it looks wide enough and long enough for my 38 ft fifth wheel.

Officially, the site is listed as suitable for a 35 ft fifth wheel or 40 foot motorhome.

Just wondering if anyone is familiar with the road system in North Pines, and in particular the road width around site 128, for reversing or jack-knifing a fifth wheel trailer into the site. After all the stress of making the reservation, it would be even worse to arrive and discover the site is inaccessible.

[mikestock]

Trying to remember....I think we were in the Lower Pines. I had a 37' fifth wheel with 4 slides. The site we were in was supposed to accommodate a 38' camper, but if the site across from us had been occupied when we arrived or vacated we would not have managed to get in or out. We talked to the people who arrived in that site after we did and they were, fortunately, leaving the same day as we were. We had to time our departure after theirs and before the next arrival.

[agesilaus]

The only sites IMHO that are suited for a big unit is that one I mentioned right at the start of of the loop that do not involve driving into the loop:

Map

I'm sure we stayed in either 111 or 113, the ones closer to the ranger station I think had horse trailers in them but I'm sure they did not have campers. The sites 520/22/24/26 might be possibilities but it seems their availability depends on the state of the river flooding.

We eventually moved to either 219 or 323 I'm not sure which but had a heck of a time getting in, we didn't damage anything getting out so we are not the ones referred to above but we did attract a crowd getting in. Getting to that site was no fun either dodging trees and boulders.

I don't recall what the odd numbers from 525 to 531 were like but you may want to look for photos. All of those 500 numbers would require driving against the traffic flow.

[tammyinwv]

Thanks Ed for your quick reply. I realize It had been a long time when you made your original post. I guess we have to try and find something out of the park then.

[bikendan]

2gypsies wrote:
I'm amazed you came back to this post after 4.5 years and gave an answer!!

i know! Holy Thread Resurrection, Batman:E
4 1/2 years for the OP to come back with an update, has to be a record.

[2gypsies1]

I'm amazed you came back to this post after 4.5 years and gave an answer!!

[Ed_White]

It was a VERY VERY tight fit for our 39 ft Escalade, even though the description implied there was plenty of room. As "Finally Time" states, boulders and trees opposite make it very difficult. We had to ask other folks to move their cars and trucks, and a crowd assembled to watch me put the trailer on the site, and again when I hauled it out. We didn't get any scratches or dents, but it was a challenge. I wouldn't do it again.

[Finally_Time]

It's not always the length of the site in Yosemite. Many times there is a tree or boulder across from or next to the site that makes it impossible to back in a trailer. That's why they give different lengths for motorhomes and trailers for most of the sites. I once watched a fifth wheel take almost an hour maneuvering back and forth to get into his site. Leaving he scraped his truck on a tree and the back of the fifth wheel on a rock.

[tammyinwv]

We are planning on going in spring of 2020 but will be pulling a 39 ft fifth wheel. Was your site long enough?

[Ed_White]

Thanks for all the input. I have several pictures of the site, and all of them have convinced me that there wil be plenty of room once we're in there.

It's the loop road system though that I'd like more information about. There are some good videos on Youtube that show how narrow the roads are, but nothing specific to the area around site 128. I'm sure it won't be a problem to come into the loop the wrong way, if necessary, to improve the approach for backing into the site.

Still, if anyone has some site specific road information, I'd love to see it.

[othertonka]

According to the picture here, it looks like you will be fine.
Site 128 North Pines If you prefer to back in on the drivers side, it appears that you can go in on the next loop and come in against traffic so as to back in on the drivers side, if allowed. Good luck

[Fresno_Tundra_D]

My guess is that you'll be fine. If it can hold a forty foot motorhome, it should hold your 38 foot 5er. It is a double driveway so you can even slant it a bit if needed. The rangers won't hassle you as long as you are not sticking way out in the road. Go to Yosemitecampsites.com to see another picture of it. It shows a long trailer in it. Congrats on snagging the site. I'm sure it was stressful!!

[agesilaus]

I don't recall which sites we stayed in but the first one was near the beginning of the loops and across from the bathroom. It was on the river. That was easy to get our 34 footer in. If you go into the loops then it gets very very tight. The roads are very narrow and there are trees and rocks. We moved to another site that was on the outside of the loop but we had to drive thru the loop and then back into the site, it took about 5 tries to get in.

BK

[mdamerell]

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