Hodgdon Meadow Campground
The Quick Take
Hodgdon Meadow is the campground you drive past on your way to somewhere more famous — and that's exactly why it works. Sitting right at the Big Oak Flat Entrance, it's the first thing you hit coming from the Bay Area, which means you can roll in after work on a Friday and be set up before dark instead of white-knuckling 45 more minutes to the Valley. The trade-off is real: you're nowhere near Half Dome views or Yosemite Falls, and the amenities are bare-bones — vault toilets, no showers, no camp store. But the sites are spread through a genuine meadow setting with decent spacing, and you're a short drive from two giant sequoia groves that most Valley-obsessed visitors never bother with. Choose Hodgdon if you want a quieter base camp and don't mind driving to the main attractions, or if every Valley campground is booked solid — which, let's be honest, they usually are.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 105 sites are reservable.
Book at Yosemite LodgesWhat You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. Maximum length: 35 feet. No electrical hookups.
Accessibility
There are no designated accessible campsites at this campground. Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Rules to Know
- Fires:<b>Pets:</b> Permitted (must be on a leash at all times) <b>Fires:</b> Wood and charcoal fires are permitted all year.
- Bear Safety:<b>You are required to store food properly in order to protect Yosemite's bears.</b> Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/bears.htm">bears</a>, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bears.htm">proper food storage</a>, and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/lockers.htm">food lockers</a>.
- Occupancy:<b>People per site:</b> A maximum of six people (including children) are allowed per campsite, except for the group sites, which requires 13 to 30.
Pro Tips
The campground splits into reservation-required summers and first-come-first-served winters. If you're visiting between mid-October and mid-April, show up early on a Friday — sites turn over in the morning and the off-season crowd is thin enough that you'll almost always land one.
The Tuolumne Grove trailhead is less than ten minutes by car, and the hike down to the giant sequoias is dramatically less crowded than Mariposa Grove on the south end. Go early morning before the day-trippers arrive from the Valley.
There's no camp store here, and the closest supplies at Crane Flat are minimal and overpriced. Stock up on firewood, ice, and groceries in Groveland on Highway 120 before you enter the park — you'll save money and avoid that sinking feeling of realizing you forgot charcoal with no good options nearby.
Photos
NPS Photo
NPS Photo
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
The Hodgdon Meadow Campground is located along the Big Oak Flat Road. From Hwy. 120 west/Big Oak Flat Entrance, the Hodgdon Meadow Campground is located immediately on the left after entering the park. From Yosemite Valley take the Big Oak Flat Road to the park entrance/exit; approximately 26 miles (45 minutes). You’ll find the campground on your right just before the exit to the park.
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