Yosemite – Spring ’23
We have finally arrived back in Northern California, but one last stop before we head home. We booked a full two weeks near one of my favorite places on the planet, Yosemite.
Fortunately, Thousand Trails – Yosemite Lake is under 10 minutes from the Big Oak Flat and Hetch Hetchy entrance gates to the park. In fact, a year prior we camped just a couple miles down Hardin Flat Rd with some friends, before we ever heard of Thousand Trails.
The campground was still in the process of reopening so we stayed at a site way in the back, near a meadow. It turned out to be a great spot. Over the course of our two week stay, the main camp sections were opened and the summer camp atmosphere came alive.
This has got to be my favorite TT campground yet, and being only three hours from Sacramento, it’s likely to become our new home away from home. We already booked another two weeks in June.
The park was beautiful and still covered in snow. Many of the roads were recently cleared and the evidence of a harsh winter was apparent. There was red clay across the highway in areas that had seen landslides, washed out shoulders, and trees down everywhere. In the higher elevations, the road was boxed in by walls of snow that had been plowed 10 ft high.
Once we arrived it was surprisingly uncrowded. We apparently timed our visit perfectly between impassable roads and tourist season. By the end of our stay, the campground, the park and the local grocery store were bustling with vacationers.
