Housekeeping Camp Yosemite is the ideal place to take your family when staying in Yosemite National Park. You can wake up to the sound of the rushing water of the Merced River, and the cheerful chirping of the birds. The best thing about camping at Housekeeping is that whilst you are camping outdoors, you avoid the hassle of setting up a tent!
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Where is Housekeeping Camp?
The camp is located in an ideal location next to the Merced River in the heart of the Yosemite Valley. It is easily accessible by a normal family car. From Housekeeping Camp you have a large range of major tourist attractions within close proximity.
The best thing about the location is the scenery. You have uninterrupted views of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome. When we visited in May the Yosemite Falls were thunderous directly after the snowmelt.
Facilities at Housekeeping Camp
There are a whopping 266 units in the Housekeeping Camp, which can sleep 6 guests each. The normal layout sleeps 4 people in the 2 bunk beds and a double bed. However, there is room enough for extra bedding in a large tent.
Tents are segregated into standard units and river units. As the name suggests, the river units are next to the Merced River.
Tent Layout
The tents themselves are constructed of 3 sided concrete structures with canvas roofs and privacy curtains. They are also equipped with covered patios, where you will do your dining and chilling out.
Keep in mind that cars can’t be driven up to your tent site unless your site is next to a road. Cars can only be parked roadside. You may have to lug your supplies a short distance, for us, it was about 30m from the car to the tent.
Each unit is well equipped with almost everything you need to be comfortable. You have shelving, food preparation table, picnic table, chairs, mirror, electrical outlets and lights. Everything but the kitchen sink.
That’s right – you need to walk up to one of the central amenities block to wash your dishes or to get water. Also to use the shower and toilet facilities you will need to walk to one of the central amenities blocks.
A campfire ring is provided at each site. You can purchase packets of firewood at the central store. Fires must be extinguished by 10 pm, so rest assured there will be no all-night campfire parties.
Bear Lockers
All campers must use the bear lockers, which are also provided at each site. It is important to learn the bear essentials – that is the food storage rules.
There are hefty fines if you mess this up, not to mention the inconvenience of a bear trashing your belongings. Basically no food or toiletries are permitted to be stored outside of the lockable bear locker. Especially not in your car.
Common Facilities
Shower houses available with restrooms, showers, soap and towels. Other restrooms and shower buildings are scattered throughout Housekeeping Camp.
There is also a well equipped general store. The store has a good variety of camping and hiking supplies, maps and guide books. It also stocks a very good range of souvenirs.
For some, the best thing it sells is to take away food. There is no need to bring any food to Housekeeping Camp because you can purchase delicious hot takeaway food from the store.
Rental Desk
One of the best features of Housekeeping Camp is the Rental Desk. Here you can rent a wide variety of linen, cots, stoves, cribs and general camping supplies for a very modest fee. ‘First in best dressed’ is the rule here. There is no guarantee that they won’t run out of supplies, so I think it is best to bring your own sleeping bags.
An example of the rental fees is chairs, which we rented for $2 each.
Things to do at Housekeeping Camp
- Roasting marshmallows by the campfire was probably our favourite activity – a classic camping favourite.
- You can rent rafts across the road and float down the river past your campsite. Beware, the Merced River is icy cold, which is often fed by melting snow.
- Use the free shuttle bus connecting housekeeping camp with other parts of the Yosemite Valley for your sight-seeing. The buses depart every 20 minutes or so, and the bus stop is just across the road from Housekeeping Camp. Oh, did I mention that they are free!
- There are sandy beaches along the Merced River, which is perfect for taking the family to the beach! It’s a beautiful river, one which you could quite happily sit next to and chill out.
Essential Items to Pack
Here is our suggested packing list of essential items at Housekeeping Camp:
- Sleeping bags
- Pillows
- Large bear-proof container for bear-proofing your food
- Assorted sealable food containers for bear-proofing your food
- Padlock for the bear locker
- Marshmallow pole & marshmallows
- Headlamp/torches
- Picnic plates and utensils
- Drinking water
- Small cooker if you are planning on cooking meals
Book Your Own Tent
To book your very own tent at Housekeeping Camp head on over to the Travel Yosemite site. I strongly suggest you get in very early to avoid disappointment. I’m talking 6-12 months ahead.
These tents get booked out very early, they are very popular. Housekeeping Camp is seasonal, generally open from April to October depending on weather conditions. And it’s not that expensive, we paid $116 for a one-night stay.
I can honestly say that staying at Housekeeping Camp was one of the highlights of our visit to Yosemite. If you have small kids who don’t do a lot of camping, this will be a magical experience. It is many times more memorable than staying in a standard hotel room and will create memories that last a lifetime for you and your family.
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