All Yosemite campgrounds open for season; Yosemite Creek opens for first time since 1997 flood

All campgrounds at Yosemite National Park have opened for the summer, including the back section of Yosemite Creek Campground, which was closed after the flood of 1997.

Several campgrounds along the Tioga Road and the Bridalveil Creek Campground on the Glacier Point Road have been closed since winter because of heavy snowpack and water saturation. Campgrounds along Tioga Road, such as Tamarack and Porcupine Flat, are available to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Yosemite Creek now offers 35 more campsites. In Jan. 1997, flooding destroyed a bridge connecting two camping sections of the Yosemite Creek Campground, resulting in the back section being closed for 13 years. The bridge has been rebuilt and the full campground has reopened, Yosemite officials said.

All campsites on the reservation system are full through the rest of the summer season. Visitors wishing to camp in Yosemite National Park are urged to arrive early in the day to secure a campsite at one of the many first-come, first-served campgrounds. Additionally, there is more space available during the weekdays as campsites generally fill on the weekends.