Avoid These 5 Yosemite Campgrounds That Left Some Parkgoers Disappointed

Yosemite National Park is a breathtaking place, full of waterfalls, wildlife, and enormous giant sequoias. You can stay in lodges, hotels, or campsites, but if the latter is what you're thinking about for your next vacation, you should carefully consider which one you choose to pitch your tent at. There are 13 campgrounds in total in Yosemite National Park, and some are better than others. The ones that have left some campers less-than-satisfied include Hodgdon Meadow Campground, Crane Flat Campground, Upper Pines Campground, Camp 4, and Yosemite Creek Campground.

To find the Yosemite National Park campgrounds that have left some parkgoers disappointed because of issues like cleanliness, access, overcrowding, and noise, we checked out reviews on Yelp, Google Maps, and Tripadvisor, as well as Reddit posts. All in all, Yosemite is still one of the five best national parks for camping in California, out of the nine the state has. It should also be noted that we looked at the past two years specifically, as Yosemite only reopened all its campgrounds for the first time since the pandemic in 2025. 

Hodgdon Meadow Campground on the west side of the park is one that has left campers disappointed. It's got a 3.2/5 rating on Tripadvisor, a 3.5/5 on Yelp, and a 4/5 on Google Maps. Reviewers mention issues like uneven and sloping ground on a number of the campground's sites, making it difficult to set up and sleep, and few bathrooms for the amount of sites. Overcrowding is another drawback, with one Tripadvisor reviewer saying, "Other campers walking through your 'campsite' to get to the bathroom...it was ridiculous."

The seasonal Crane Flat Campground, also on the west side of the park, has a 4.2/5 rating on Google Maps, with one person mentioning, "The sites in this campground are very crammed together." They also point out the dirty and lacking restrooms, something that a number of other reviewers echoed. The campground has an even worse review total on Tripadvisor, getting a rating of 3.7/5. A Yelp review mentions that the sites are dusty due to recent renovations, and not level. 

The next camping area on our list is the Upper Pines Campground near the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. While it's close to attractions, and has some positive reviews, several campers on Google Maps mention that it's very crowded. That's echoed on Yelp as well. Other issues include the bathrooms. One Yelp reviewer points out that it's full of trash and doesn't have soap, while another says the hand dryers aren't in working order. A reviewer on Tripadvisor, where Upper Pines got a 3.9/5, also says that it can get very smoky from all the campfires.

Bathroom quality and cleanliness is a big issue with a lot of campers, and that's definitely the case for Camp 4 in Yosemite. People on Google Maps mention broken showers and dirty facilities. One reviewer says, "The showers brought forth feelings of utter disgust and the doors didn't lock." Other reviewers praise the location of the campground, but not the sites themselves. Noise is yet another drawback, with one reviewer on Yelp mentioning that there was no enforcement of quiet hours while they were visiting. 

Another campground that disappointed some parkgoers is Yosemite Creek Campground. While this area has positive reviews overall, some reviewers have an issue with its remoteness. On Tripadvisor, where Yosemite Creek has a 3.9/5 rating, one reviewer mentions that it's hard to find, and there are no bathrooms, showers, or electricity. A reviewer on Google Maps suggests that the road in is rough, referencing surface quality and speed. Despite these poor reviews, Yosemite is still a beautiful park and worth camping at. If you're visiting, here are the cleanest campsites at Yosemite National Park, according to reviews.