This campground is about a 20 min drive to valley, which was ok as we were doing different hikes each day. But only negatives were if you want to eat in valley or take a shower you would have to drive. Other than that....I have never slept so good as here...no lights at all in bathrooms or around camp which made it so peaceful, at 9:30 pm each night it was so dark and quiet. We had campsite 518 best one, right on meadow and our neighbors were far away, very private, and he bathroom was just across the road great for a group of women! Bathroom had 3 stalls for a lot of campsites...running water,flush toilets which is a level 2 bathroom for us. Crane Flat gas station and store is across road, gas was 4.61 at this date, basic stuff in store, no hot food items.
Tuolumne tree area across from store did not have a chance to go there. Tioga Pass right there, got to Tuolumne Meadows quickly which has more food options as well, White Wolf has a small restuarant, so does Tuolumne Lodge both expensive. But the best is Tuolumne Grill, great food, and ice cream and crowd of hikers, loved it.
Back to campground 6 people per site, bear locker fits two ice chests and rest of your stuff. Put fire out before bed, you can gather dead wood around campsite and buy wood at store for 8.75. Dogs allowed here, saw quite a few. Also we saw no I repeat no animals at our campground,no bears, sqirrels, or dear, was disapointing. We did see a mama bear and her cubs on way down 4 mile trail and dear throughout park.
Parking for 2 or more cars on road in front of site, good.
Have fun!

This was our first time staying at this campground and our family of four really enjoyed it! We reserved spot 246, for two nights, which had more room than we knew what to do with, it was a huge corner. There are 2 bathrooms nearby, downhill from this site. This campground is on slight hill, so coming up from the bathrooms or a walk around the campground made for good exercise. This site is at the entrance from the road leading in, so we did have road noise during the night. The garbage trucks that pick up garbage from the dumpsters are very loud! But you are right near the main dumpsters which is nice since you must keep all garbage picked up constantly (due to bears). Also across the road, across from this site is the Amphitheater! We enjoyed a Ranger Campfire story one night during our stay. A local Ranger builds a campfire and tells stories about the area, that was really fun! The bear lockers at the sites are quite spacious and easy to use. Picnic table and fire pit are also provided at each site. The campground was pretty quiet and we had 2 deer walk through one afternoon! We were there during bear season and never saw any bears, which was good. Also in the campground is a scenic trail, which is 1.5 miles one way, and leads to an overlook of the Yosemite valley. Very much worth the hike, the view was breath taking! We spent a good 2 hours hiking to the overlook and back. There are many downed tree's that block the trail, so there is some climbing required to get over the logs, all part of the adventure! There were a lot of mosquito's, but if you kept a fire going and citronella candles lit at the table, they weren't bad at camp. The mosquito's bit us the most during the hike, so bring bug spray!

We drove into Yosemite Valley one day and that was about a 20 minute, beautiful drive! We really like how this campground is away from the Valley, where it was really crowded. We could enjoy the Valley activities, that we could get near, and then head back to camp where it was quiet and serene. There is also a gas station and small market across the street from this campground, in case you forget something! We would definitely stay here again!

We stayed at Crane Flat June 15-18, 2012 and though the location was fantastic. We did our research and chose the 500's loop, on the outer side with our site #522. Our site was flat with picnic table, fire ring, and bear locker. Please do your research because the inner ring of the 500's have a hill to them. If you are ok with a slope in your tent, then fine.

Please keep in mind that the bathrooms have NO lights, so I suggest that you buy a headlamp if you don't have one already. You cannot bathe in these bathrooms, but you can pay $5 for a shower in Curry Village. They had plenty of toilet paper and flush toilets, but can get a bit crowded at times. Out side they do have a hopper to dump waste, and an outside faucet.

In June bring Off bug spray as the mosquitos are out in full force. Or, you can have a fire going which really discourages the mosquitos. You can collect firewood from the surrounding campsites, but please keep in mind that you would need to bring your own hatchet if you want to cut any wood. Pine cones and pine needles are protected, and cannot be burned.

The elevation is 6200 feet, so it can get a bit chilly at night. I would suggest bringing long pants and a jacket just for nights/mornings.

You are right by the gas station, AND the east/west Tioga Road, so you are in a perfect location away from the massive crowds in the valley. We will definitely go back to Crane Flat!

Just came back from Yosemite Park and had a pretty good experience at Crane Flat campground. You'll certainly enjoy their huge campsites with plenty of space to set up your tent, bear proof food containers, spots for 2 cars, table + benches and fire ring. The only non-convenient part is that there's no showers ($ 5 at Curry Village). There's a grocery store and a gas station pretty close to the campground.
My tips if you're going to stay at Crane Flat:
– Make sure to take a flashlight with you. The place is dark at night and there's no electric light at the restrooms.
– Fill up your car's tank outside of the park, since all the gas stations inside the park are pricey.
– Take a warm jacket even if you go in the middle of the summer. The early mornings and nights are cold.
– Please drive slowly. Bears, deers and other animals can cross your way at any time!