The best camping near Waterwheel Falls

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Waterwheel Falls adventure.

Discover the cascading beauty of Waterwheel Falls in Yosemite.  

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Community favorites near Waterwheel Falls

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Top-rated campgrounds near Waterwheel Falls

96%
(889)

Diamond Gulch

44 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents824 acres · Groveland, CA
CLOSE TO YOSEMITE! Explore the mines and hang out on our Groveland, California ranch! We are 35 minutes to the main gate of Yosemite National Park. A great place to stay just outside of the park. We have 824 acres on a beautiful cattle ranch with two small ponds. On our property, you'll find frogs, turtles, oak trees, pine trees and stunning views of Yosemite. We have several campsites to choose from including RV camping, tent camping, and a glamping tent. Pets are welcome. Campfires are permitted as long as there is no fire ban. Potable water and toilet are available onsite. There's a golf course less than a mile away. We are also very close to town. In just a few minutes, you can drive to our local grocery store and pizza parlour. We are a 10-minute drive to Pine Mountain Lake. Beautiful Pine Mountain Lake offers golfing, dining, horseback riding, water sports and an airport. When you come to the ranch it feels like you are hundreds of miles away from civilization, but still close to everything you need. It is incredibly peaceful! This is a great place for someone who wants to escape city life and enjoy the tranquillity of nature. Much of the ranch is open wilderness for you to explore, and it's not uncommon to see deer, frogs, turtles, quail, turkeys, or other countless species of birds. Diamond Gulch Camp is the perfect place to relax if you’re a photographer, artist, family or a group of friends looking for a place to camp near Yosemite. A small portion of the property was used as a gold mine years ago, and you may find remnants of old home sites if you go exploring. We're not far from Wards Ferry Road, Groveland, Lake Don Pedro and other interesting places.
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$38
 / night
97%
(577)

Wondernut Farm

4 sites · Lodging37 acres · Big Oak Flat, CA
Wondernut Farm is an upstart, entirely off grid, working farm-stead being built from the ground up. We breed milking goats and sheep, heritage pigs, and are in the process of converting to a grade A dairy and creamery! We use organic practices, management intensive rotational grazing, and dryland pasture management. We sell our animals locally so that others can have their own milking and meat animals. Our 110 year old hay barn and the roof of the former lumber mill were all we had to work with in getting off the ground. Being first and foremost a functional farm, we can't help but offer a somewhat warts-and-all look into everything it takes to be working to our goals. Our hearts are, and always will be, educational and local community focused, and we work closely with farmers and friends alike in better understanding our innovative animal husbandry, power, pasture and water systems. Whenever we have time, we'll afford the same time and opportunities to interested hip-campers. Our location is stunning and historic, and the beauty of the wild, natural landscape is powerful, yet offers easy access to both Yosemite Valley and the San Francisco Bay area. The area features excellent road and mountain biking in the immediate vicinity, vast access to hiking and backpacking trails, a huge variety of rock climbing in the area, the best whitewater rafting in California on the Tuolumne River, with some tasty places to eat or drink coffee in the nearby town of Groveland, just 10 minutes away. Accommodations at the farm are certainly rustic, and private but not secluded, with occasionally heavily project-exploded shared kitchen and living space, showers, and airy flush toilets. Do be advised that animals are pooping, hammers are hammering, sometimes we need to look into a health or animal injury related issue. Sometimes there is blood in an animal birth or slaughter, and our working guardian dogs have been known to be noisy some nights. Water and electricity are both very limited (though we reuse all our water), waste must be carefully sorted into a number of different categories, and there is always evidence of ump-teen projects unfolding at once. The most difficult condition during much of the summer are nuisance flies, which are always gone at night. We have almost no mosquitoes or ticks. Depending on the exact situation and time of year, guests may have the opportunities to snuggle with baby animals and run our herd to or from pasture, and maybe even get their hands dirty picking veggies in the garden.
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$102
 / night
91%
(17)

Wildhaven Yosemite Glamping

39 sites · Lodging36 acres · Mariposa, CA
Wildhaven Yosemite offers glamping tents and cabins on a beautiful property with mountain views in Mariposa, CA, just outside Yosemite National Park. Our glamping experience provides the comfort, cleanliness, and customer service of a hotel while keeping everything you love about a night outdoors in nature. Our extra-large, safari-style tents feature comfortable beds with linens, electricity, heaters, and all the furnishings needed for a memorable night outdoors. Looking for a little more structure in your night outdoors? Our larger glamping cabins provide a kitchenette, bathroom & shower, AC and heating, improved sound insulation, upgraded views, large windows, and a private patio to get you the fresh air you need. Your stay includes more than just a comfortable place to sleep. Guests are treated to hiking trails, communal spaces to socialize, trip planning help, Wi-Fi, and on-site activities such as yoga, wine tasting, and live music (spring through fall). The 36-acre hillside property is the star attraction, providing sweeping views towards the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas, down onto scenic Mariposa, and across miles of rolling hills.
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from 
$119
 / night
99%
(46)

Nolla A-Frames Near Yosemite

5 sites · Lodging45 acres · Colfax Springs, CA
Welcome to our A-Frame Nolla Cabins at the doorstep to Yosemite! Our property is conveniently located off Highway 120 and 15 minutes outside of the entrance to Yosemite National Park. While amenities such as the town of Groveland, restaurants, and gas stations are nearby (15 minutes away), you will truly feel like you are off the beaten path at this campsite. Featuring our A-Frame cabins in partnership with Nolla from Finland, sleep on a comfy mattress on a bed looking out through a floor-to-ceiling window where you may see deer grazing nearby, cedar and pine trees, and big sky with stars at night. Each cabin has a picnic table outside, a Yeti cooler of water, as well as clean composting toilets. The cabin has a solar battery, enough to charge your devices and plug in a fan or light. Hot showers are available across the road at our sister property! Please be sure to check the Yosemite website for details on Park Reservations ahead of time if you plan to go Yosemite!
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$157.50
 / night
97%
(56)

Blissful Retreat

2 sites · Lodging4 acres · Oakhurst, CA
You deserve to have an adventure, and pamper yourself at the same time. We have an authentic Vintage/Retro Travel Trailer nestled on a wooded property. Prepare yourself for a unique experience, filled with wildlife and amazing views. Luxurious amenities like, Hot indoor shower, private toilets. Outdoor is in her cast-iron bathtubs amongst a beautiful view. Trails to hike and walk along, dozens of desirable seating areas throughout the property to enjoy a conversation, or to find your own personal reset button. In the summer months, it could be quite warm in the Sierras. There is no cooling system available, just like camping in a tent or an isolated cabin. Be prepared for hot days. As the months grow colder, it is important to be prepared for low temperatures. There is no electricity in the trailers. No source of heat. There are extra blankets available. But just as you would be camping in a tent or isolated cabin there is no source of heat, we suggest you come prepared with warm pajamas, even a beanie for your head. In the Glamping Central area and bathroom facilities there is always hot water and coffee with toaster oven and cooking area.
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$135
 / night
98%
(838)

Yosemite Colfax Spring

11 sites · RVs, Tents20 acres · Groveland, CA
Welcome to Yosemite Colfax Spring! Home to a basecamp for river rafting trips during the summertime, we are located 15 minutes driving distance to the entrance to Yosemite National Park. If you are staying with us between May - September and want to come rafting, ask us about our river trips! Our camp sits on a ridge with views down into the Tuolumne River Canyon. The Tuolumne River begins at 13,000 feet of elevation in the High Country of Tuolumne Meadows and provides drinking water for over 2.7 million people in San Francisco. With cedar and pine trees, manzanita bushes, and wildflowers in the spring, enjoy the Sierras' flora and fauna. Our family has been operating our river rafting company for over 50 years, the last 11 of those years being here at Colfax Spring. Conveniently located off Highway 120, we are in close proximity to swimming holes, hikes, and more. Enjoy the privacy of our campsite and getting world-class views to yourself, with all of the amenities (flushing toilets, wi-fi, showers.) Make sure to check the Yosemite National Park website for information about reservations to visit the park!
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$81
 / night
86%
(21)

Potato Hill Group

3 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents100 acres · Mariposa, CA
Located in the historic Whitlock Mining district north of the town of Mariposa. The district is east of the Mother Lode gold belt and includes the Colorado, Sherlock Creek, and Whiskey Flat areas. The area was placer-mined soon after the beginning of the gold rush, and lode mining began shortly afterward. A number of mines were active here during the 1930s, and a few, such as the Diltz and Schroeder mines, have been intermittently prospected in recent years. Placer and Lode mining began in 1849. 49er's Lafayette Bunnell, Champlin Spencer, Thomas Whitlock and John Sherlock and a monte dealer from Quartzburg have all been credited with being the sole discoverer of the rich gold deposits. Over 70 lode mines such as the Buffalo Champion 2, Colorado, Diltz, Geary, Golden Key, King Solomon, Landrum, Nutmeg, Our Chance, Permit, Schroeder, Spread Eagle and Whitlock have been recorded in the district since the 1850's. With several of them operating stamp mills, including a 20 stamp battery at the Whitlock Mine, post offices opened in the towns of Colorado in 1858 and Whitlock in 1899. It is reported up to 5,000 settlers occupied the area, including Potato Hill. The name derived from the potato crops planted on it's slopes. It is, however, rumored the name came from gold nuggets the size of a potato. The mining towns of Whitlock, Colorado, and Sherlock no longer exists. Learn more about this land: Under the stars next to Oaks, Pines, Manzanita, and Willows in Gold Country. Take a trip to the Merced River, Yosemite National Park or just relax away from the lights and sounds of the city. You may encounter deer, wild turkey, hawks, woodpeckers and possibly spy a bear or bobcat.  We are off the beaten path and offer a tranquil and peaceful experience on private land. The creeks run pretty full in the wet season and dry up mid-summer.  There are several sites to choose from and all offer space. The roads are unpaved and rocky mountainous terrain can be difficult in the winter. AWD or 4WD vehicles are recommended during the wet and snow seasons. Low profile vehicles are not advisable. Minutes from the Merced River Recreation Area,  34 miles (53 minutes) to Yosemite and 12 miles to the Historic town of Mariposa.
Pets
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from 
$35
 / night

The best camping near Waterwheel Falls guide

Overview

About

Dubbed one of the most unusual waterfalls in the Yosemite Valley, Waterwheel Falls is one of the few waterfalls in the world where we measure how high up water goes instead of how far down. A "waterwheel" formation is a small groove that water falls into shooting it back up into the air making for a mind-puzzling spectacle. The hike to Waterwheel Falls is not to be underestimated. One of the more strenuous trails, Waterwheel Falls will test your abilities but the reward is ultimately a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

When to go

The ideal time to visit Waterwheel Falls is from late May or early June through October or November, coinciding with the opening of Tioga Road. Summer months offer warm weather perfect for hiking, while autumn brings a palette of vibrant colors. Avoid winter and spring when the road is closed due to snow.

Know before you go

  • Trail access is available only when Tioga Road is open, typically from late May or early June until October or November.
  • Pack out all trash and remember, feeding or approaching wildlife is prohibited and dangerous.
  • For overnight hikes, secure a wilderness permit and bear canister for food storage.
  • Always be prepared for sudden weather changes and carry sufficient water to prevent dehydration.
  • The first quarter mile of the trail is flat but not fully accessible, with small paved sections.

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