National Park Trailer Length Limits

[mikextr]

Greetings AS friends

I just read this link from the NPS: RV Camping - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

I have a 26ft '67 Overlander. Do you think my trailer is actually too big to maneuver and park at a site that says 24ft trailer length max? It's just 2 feet, right? The park service says they don't actively enforce the trailer size limits at the campground but, if your rig doesn't fit and it is longer than the site rating, they will not help you get another camp site. Being able to squeeze into a 24ft spot would sure increase the number of camp site choices. Has anyone been in this situation? How did it work out? I'm anxious to hear your experiences.

[RickDavis]

Unfortunately you about have to see the site as the length given are frequently incorrect. My general experience in western national parks is that I will probably have to unhook the TV to keep it out of the road. I have NO experience in Yosemite however.
The older parks tend to have small sites and often take a lot of levelling.
If you are making reservations the dork who takes them probably does not have a clue that you have the length of the trailer and TV to contend with..

The National forests frequently list 22 ft max but it doesn't mean much. If using one I usually will walk it first.

I have always been able to squeeze in somehow but then we travel without reservations so we can look at everything available

[subfan1]

Yosemite is an older park and the sites are small. That is one of the reasons we bought a 20 foot. I have seen a 25 that just fit however there are few sites that long. Some paths to drive to your site have large trees on both sides of the road in the middle of a turn as well.
I'm volunteering in Aug this year for the month and we have been there a few times.

[Silver Otter]

mikextr - We pull a 30. When visiting National and some State parks with 24-25 ft. maximums we pull out our Allstays Camp and RV app to find a nice place near the park. We've never been too far away to enjoy a good day in the park and then escape to the quiet of our nice big campsite. There is almost always a convenient option, with the possible exception of Big Bend.

[kscherzi]

I've camped in Yosemite, Upper Pines, a couple of times. Like all Yosemite campgrounds, this campground is heavily used and all the sites are very close to one another though it's location is excellent. You can fit your trailer into many of the sites in that campground. I very strongly recommend making an advance reservation for one of the longer sites as most of the park has campsites too small for your trailer and tow vehicle.

When making reservations for a campsite in Yosemite, please understand this park is a hyper-competitive location for getting campsite reservations. This means when reservation.gov releases a month's worth of campsites, they will all fill within seconds. Read the rules for making online reservations carefully. Select a couple of campsites in advance of the date/time/second of being made available for reservation, go through the online booking process for the campsite, and with a stopwatch in hand click the "Book Now" button for several. If lucky you'll get one.

Outside the Memorial Day/Labor Day period things slow down a little. I like camping there in September or October. Not as busy overall but the campground still gets full. Lots of international travelers.

[robert claus]

They say it can't be done, but we saw a 34' Airstream wedged into a site across from us in Yellowstone's Grant Village Campground two years ago.

[mikextr]

Thank you everyone for you input. I really appreciate it.
Will definitely take kscherzi's advice when I start planning my trip.

[JimAspinwall]

This input, and a couple of the access road challenges are making me think we'll just have to camp outside the park and drive in. That would be a bummer because even in winter staying in a tent cabin - there is NOTHING like dozing off and waking up IN the park! Magical. Though this site offers some 'hope': RV Camping - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) My wife will NOT allow me to go Priest Grade in the Volvo much less the TV and 30' Classic. I am not real sure about the El Portal route and the 'temporary' bridges and tight turns along the Merced, which essentially leaves Hwy 41 via Wawona, which is not bad. I have a fairly significant official contact in the Park but it's too soon to try to take advantage of that unless he wants to put me to work (please, please, please!!)

[Len n Jeanne]

You might also encounter the problem that the trailer technically fits, but not the trailer plus tow vehicle plus hitch. We had this happen once in a state park, and wound up delaying 5 vehicles on the one-way CG loop while we unhitched the Bambi, with the truck blocking the road. The drivers were nice about it, but still..... Then the overflow parking for the truck was a bit of a hike from our campsite. It worked out, all in all, but it was kind of a nuisance.

[Yanopah]

Let me start with long time listener, first time caller.

This morning is a rush of excitement I was alerted that a spot opened up in Yosemite upper pines site 77. I didn’t pause more than a second to confirm the dates and my password. Afterwards I realized the space says max trailer limit is 18’. Should I be concerned?

[BikeCamper]

Originally Posted by Yanopah

Let me start with long time listener, first time caller.

This morning is a rush of excitement I was alerted that a spot opened up in Yosemite upper pines site 77. I didn’t pause more than a second to confirm the dates and my password. Afterwards I realized the space says max trailer limit is 18’. Should I be concerned?

Reading over their rules/regs, it doesn’t sound like they have an active enforcement protocol at park admission. They simply say that if you can’t fit in the site you reserved, you’re on your own - - they are not going to find a new spot for you (ie, you’re out of luck.)

If there is space for an 18’ trailer and tow vehicle, there is certainly enough space for a 20’ trailer alone. But this assumes there is an alternate location where you could park your TV. And assumes you don’t need your TV handy at the campsite.

Another variable is tow-vehicle length. They must be using some sort of general average length for TVs when designating each site’s max trailer length. So there may be some wiggle room if your TV is a short wheel-base 5-passenger SUV, as opposed to something like a Suburban or crew cab pick-up with 6’ bed that could be 2-3 feet longer than an average vehicle.

So if you have a smaller TV or are comfortable separating your TV from the trailer, I would chance it.

[field & stream]

This uncertainty is an unavoidable problem, best to book a larger campsite whenever possible. It is one of the reasons we downsized. If you can’t, at least don’t book a tiny site for a huge trailer. When you get there, here are a few tips that might make a tight fit work:

— if possible, leave the wheels on the developed site and overhang the rear of the trailer
— you can always kick the tongue towards the side and back the tv in farther
— sometimes you can park the tv across the entrance to the site and still be off the road