If like me you missed out on the popular campsites, this is a great backup

Good sized pitches, quiet, only 20mins from the valley floor

Clean toilets, no showers though

Gas Station & Store around the corner

Camping in Yosemite is a matter of tradeoffs. You can be near the Valley and in the middle of crowds, way up in the wild with few facilities or in the middle and that's Crane Flat. You'll be just down the street from one of three gas stations in the park and an attached store [hours are 9-5 daily] which is great since you'll be driving 25 minutes to the Valley, 35 to Tuolomne Meadow, 50 to Glacier Point, or 60 to Wawona.

There's 4 or 5 loops each with several dozen camp grounds so not overly crowded although it does fill up and sites can be close together. Noise becomes an issue based on the neighbors... we had some who were too loud but for the most part the place was near silent. Save the sound of campfires of course.

In terms of facilities again it's somewhere in the middle of options as far as campgrounds go... You get restrooms with real sinks, potable water but no lights, showers or dining. For those you have to head down to Curry Village / the valley.

And remember, you're in Yosemite. The goal is to get out and enjoy... not sit at your camp site all day.

Here's the Pros and Cons of Crane Flat Campground:

Pros:
1. It is not in the Valley, which is full of vehicles and RVs and crowd. It is relatively peaceful and we did not hear any RV generators during our three nights of stay there.
2. Lots of trees for shade.
3. There is a gas station and general store (with firewood, groceries and etc.) just outside the campground.

Cons:
1. Pick carefully the site you reserve. Crane Flat is a misnomer. Most of the sites there are on a slope. We lucked out and had reserved a site (site 516) that is actually roomy and flat. Site 512 and 514 is similarly flat and roomy. I think 514 is the best (we noticed they had shade almost all day). I believe 512 is the biggest. Site 108 and 110 seem the best (flat with shade) in the 100s loop.
2. At least when we were there, the bathrooms were pretty dirty. Camp host never cleaned it seems.
3. A lack of enforcement of the quiet hours. On the first night we were there, there was a group that partied late and was generally a nuisance (we heard smashing of plates and things). It kept us up.

The last point I suppose is about luck. Lousy neighbors = lousy times. Luckily for us, they either left or became more considerate the following nights. We had a great time, but beware the lousy, slopy sites.

We are regular campers in National Parks and State Parks and this was the worst site we had ever pitched our tents on. We spent 4 nights on site #526, which happens to be on a slope. It not only makes it very difficult to pitch your tent but we had to be extra careful to walk between the tent and our car, especially at night. If you cannot move around in your camp that takes the fun away. We saw several other sites on a slope, so inquire before you make a reservation. The site was extremely dusty too - a mini dust cloud was created each time you take a step. There is no light in the restroom and no soap at the sinks - something we have not encountered before in other NP campgrounds. Almost all the sites have very good shade and the 500 loop is very quiet. The location of the campground is nice with quick access to the Tioga road and about a half hour's drive to the valley.