Tuolumne Meadows.

Tuolumne Meadows backpacker camp - misc thoughts, things to know:

- Located atop a small rise, a little distance behind the store and grill, (between the A and B car-camp loops), and just atop the TM campfire circle (where they have some group thing, ranger-led most evenings) is the TM backpacker camp - no reservation needed. There is a use-trail on either side of the store parking lot going south...then left at the road...and right as you pass the SAR camp (and the green dumpster), up the small hill (here there's a sign with an arrow)...or you can go/drive east to just before the river and follow the main campground road, south in, but this way is lots longer if walking.

- At the base of the marked backpacker's hill, there is a place you can park temporary to unload the car/gear, but you can't overnight your car here (or in the store parking lot either.) Park anywhere on 120 (over the white line), up by stables, or in the wilderness permit lot if long term.

- Immediately when entering the BP camp confine, you will see a "self-register" station - map, rules, etc. You pay here - $6.00 pp/ per night...($3 if a senior card and you have a number). There is a small box holding envelopes... fill out the front, put money in the (goldenrod colored) envelope and deposit the sealed envelope in locked box right there too. Before dropping, tear off the (perforated) flap of the same envelope and hang this stub, visible on your tent or on nearby numbered site posts in camp.

- The TM backpacker site is a "Everybody is welcome" campsite. Just because you got there at 3:30 and were first and set up your tent (BTW, Safe to leave your stuff set up and go explore) at site #10 (my favorite), doesn't mean that you will have site #10 exclusively later on. By 7:30, chances are you will be sharing both the land and the bear box...share wisely.

- FYI, When at the self-register area, looking west (atop, above the middle of the campfire circle now) - 50 - 75 feet away, there is a wood post with a water spigot...this is closest potable water for the entire camp.

- Don't know exactly how many numbered sites there are in the campsite - maybe 25, but there are large numbered bear boxes at/also one for each site, a picnic table, and a ~3-4 foot diameter, heavy metal, campfire ring - heavy grates fold up over the rings, making sort of a grill...good for pots and hot dogs, not so good for burgers.

- The backpacker camp itself goes back a ways south, makes a dogleg left. When you came up from the store, there was a stone restroom you passed, just before you came up the little hill, right by the posted temp. parking area. That restroom is ancient...leaks...most widely used. At the back of the BP campground - end of dogleg left, (just past sites # 17, 18) there is another/ newer/better restroom just over the hill east...and it is closer too.

- This backpacker-only camp site is designated one night before and one night after a hike - wilderness permits are required - rangers do check too...sometimes.

Right there in his description: “The TM backpacker site is...Don't know exactly how many numbered sites there are in the campsite - maybe 25, but there are large numbered bear boxes at/also one for each site, a picnic table,

”...and a ~3-4 foot diameter, heavy metal, campfire ring - heavy grates fold up over the rings, making sort of a grill...good for pots and hot dogs, not so good for burgers.”








Now while that’s a Porcupine Flats campground campsite (so west of Tuolumne along Tioga Rd.) I’m confident the park used their standard rings for those relatively few backpacker sites (Tuolumne’s main campground has over 300 standard sites). ETA: With those same fire rings.