ItOpened Guides · Yosemite National Park
How to actually get a site at Wawona Campground — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Overview Wawona Campground is located in breathtaking Yosemite National Park in Central California's rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The site is situated at the southern end of the park, 27 miles and approximately 45 minutes from Yosemite Valley, at an elevation of 4000 feet. Wawona was home to the park's headquarters in 1904 and historic structures still stand today. The majestic Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is just a short drive away. Within Yosemite, visitors gaze upon waterfalls, sheer granite cliffs, deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area and much more. When on reservation, Wawona campsites are available to reserve up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7:00 a.
| Total sites | 99 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Standard, Tent only, Walk-to / hike-to, RV, Group |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 65 · Tent only 20 · Walk-to / hike-to 10 · RV 2 · Group 1 |
| Area | Yosemite National Park |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| Nearest community | Yosemite National Park , CA |
| Activities | Camping |
| Directory phone | 209-375-9535 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Wawona Campground is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. ItOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Wawona Campground around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Tuolumne Meadows Campground | 309 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| Upper Pines Campground | 240 sites · same area |
| Crane Flat Campground | 151 sites · same area |
| Hodgdon Meadow Campground | 108 sites · same area |
| Bridalveil Creek Campground | 107 sites · same area |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Wawona Campground campground page · Yosemite National Park park page.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.