Is it true about Yosemite??

[Likes to tow]

Just talked to a fellow who recently came back from Yosemite National Park and he said it was a bad experience and I should think twice about making this a major destination. According to him the illegals have swarmed the park and have practically taken over !!! Everything was so crowded and they did not feel it was worth the effort to go there. It was a terrible disappointment. Now I'm having second thoughts about our trip in September!! I have wanted to see this major tourist attraction for years and now I may have just waited too long. I know California is suffering from immigration problems and homeless people laying in the streets of major cities but to think we have lost the ability to see national parks is heart wrenching
Has anyone visited Yosemite lately?? How was your experience??

[Steve7]

Yosemite is and has been crowded during popular times of the year for a long time. I had friends that went there every year, and had to make reservations a year in advance. I doubt illegals are impacting it, and also doubt there are homeless in the interior of the park, (maybe on the outside?). I’ll be interested if anyone states otherwise.

BTW, my Dad was from Huntington WV, and we went there about 15 years ago with him for a reunion. We had a great time. Wonderful people and beautiful country!

[TheLexx]

We were just there a few days ago over the July 4th week no less. The Valley floor is crowded no doubt. It’s been that way for many years as Yosemite is a major attraction. However I never saw any homeless people. The biggest issue is finding a parking space. Your best bet is to park the vehicle and take their free shuttles.

Also note Highway 108 and 120 are very twisty and turny coming into the Valley. If you have a big trailer I would leave it outside the park and not try navigating those hills With the turns and elevation. I’m sure there are those who have done it I will say it’s no big deal but my preference would be to leave my trailer at the campground outside the park.

Highway 140 from the Fresno area is an easier drive.

Yosemite is a beautiful place with amazing scenery around every turn. I do not think he will be disappointed with the park. I wouldn’t worry about the homeless. Just go and enjoy yourself.

[Skirugger]

Yea, it’s terrible there, I don’t think you should go. Pass the word, National Parks are awful now! Anyone with a 30-40ft trailer definitely should NOT go! Now to totally not make my own reservations......

[mageorge]

We went last year but earlier- early June, a little too early, some of the remote roads weren’t open. We are Escapees members and stayed at a really nice park owned by them called Park Sierra in Coarsegold, Ca. Very cheap, we stayed for a week. It was a easy driving to Kings Canyon and Yosemite from there. Yosemite was very crowded, you need to plan for a early arrival. We got to see everything we wanted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Justincasemi]

You should not miss a chance to see this park. I've been there many times. Yes, it has become increasingly crowded over the years. I seriously doubt the story about illegals taking over. California is a very diverse state and Yosemite is an international destination. Yes, it will be very crowded but it is spectacularly beautiful. I can't speak for campgrounds in the park but I have stayed at Yosemite RV Resort which is on Highway 41 just south of Coarsegold and about 30 minutes to the south entrance of Yosemite. Not the most convenient campground if you are planning a multi-day visit in Yosemite but it is well run and sunset views from the pool are outstanding. At the Yosemite south entrance is the Mariposa Grove which contains many Giant Sequoia trees. Well worth seeing. From there it is about another hour to the valley floor.

[JCZhome]

Towables are restricted to 35' (if you can find an open reservation) and tunnel heights are low (you'll have to google it cuz I've always been on a Harley. I spent most of my life just a couple of hours away, in Sacramento until I retired and went full time.

Yosemite and Yellowstone are both very, very crowded in the summer months (when school is out). Yosemite is even worse on the weekends because it's within 2-3 hours from the bay area, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto and Fresno.

I would suggest finding an RV park around Oakhurst, Mariposa, Coulterville or Groveland and driving in to Yosemite early in the mornings on a Mon, Tue or Wed. but definately not the weekends in the summer. One place you sure don't want to miss is Glacier Point (walk the 100 yrds. on the paved trail out to the point and look down at Yosemite Valley below). Also, visit the Majestic Yosemite Hotel....walk through the lobby, dining area and the lobby in the back (massive fireplaces on each end....then walk out back for those Kodak moments. The little snack bar is a great place to grab a lunch, also. NOTE: There isn't any fuel in the valley......leave civilization with a full tank. I agree with the recommendation for the Escapees RV Park in Coursegold.....a nice park, easy enough to get to with a large RV and very close to Oakhurst (supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, etc.)

If you decide to go, tell me where you're going to be staying and I'll lay out a route that covers everything without having to backtrack (a lot of one way roads through the park). That's a real time killer and what causes people to miss different things. Where ever you stay (those mountain towns that I named above) allow roughly 1 hour of travel time to get to the park and even early in the morning it will be crowded, just not as crowded as later in the day.

By the way....I don't know if they're "illegal" but you will see a number of tour busses full of Asians. That's the large majority of foreigners. I don't think the park service is going to allow homeless people to hang in that park.

[tswitz65]

My advice is don't cancel your trip. It is doable. My wife and I were there June 2017. I cannot speak to the camping aspect of it as we did not do that. We stayed one hour away in Mariposa at a Best Western. However, do be prepared for lots of traffic in the valley. Parking is a nightmare at the different scenic stops. They recommend going early (7am) and parking at the National Park's parking lots and taking their tour buses from site-to-site. That may be wise but in our experience we could not find a parking spot at their parking lots. We ended up driving our rental car and parking where we could or just pulling off the side of the road and looking at it from a distance. We never saw anything indicating a immigrant problem or a homeless problem. To summize...beautiful park and worth seeing. If you're going in the summer months, be prepared for traffic. No immigrant or homelessness observed. Go and enjoy it. It is not as enjoyable with all of the people but still worth the trip. I hope this helps

[Likes to tow]

I need to have this guy who told me about the illegals be more specific about what he saw. I know from previous travels that many foreigners visit our National Parks but they are only tourists. However we have experienced overcrowding in the State Parks with the influx of migrants and others pouring into this country. State Parks are generally free and they certainly take advantage of it. Our annual family reunion recently at a state park in nearby Kentucky was quickly ended by overcrowding that suddenly appeared and took over everything including the softball field. Not one word of English was spoken by any of them.

[J&G garage]

Just talked to a fellow who recently came back from Yosemite National Park and he said it was a bad experience and I should think twice about making this a major destination. According to him the illegals have swarmed the park and have practically taken over !!!

Uh, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. He probably saw bus loads of affluent Chinese tourists sporting the latest fashions, electronics and cameras. This notion that western US is overrun with illegal aliens is absurd. Yosemite is terribly crowded during the summer but not with homeless "illegals".