El Captain’s View 4X4 ONLY Yosemite

75%

10 reviews

· El Portal, Mariposa, California · 80 acres

Hosted by Freya P.

RV/tent site

· 40 guests max

Nomadic camping

Best for self-contained campers. There are no toilets, showers, or potable water at this Hipcamp.

Off-leash friendly

Pets can be off-leash at this Hipcamp.

80 majestic acres of mountain top with a bird's eye view of El Capitan in Yosemite! No frills, no extras, just you and nature. 4x4 access only. Surrounded by over 500,000 acres of land owned by the U.S. Forest Service, there are no houses or stores (45 Minute drive). Far below in elevation is the Merced River and its many swimming and fishing holes (45 Minute drive). Look to the west to see the coastal mountains. Gaze across the Yosemite Valley to the East at iconic El Capitan in the distance. Take a drive into the Yosemite National Park (1 hour drive). Escape the hustle and bustle and federal laws of Yosemite at night (420 friendly). Inclusive. Views in every direction. Breathtaking sunsets. Incredible wildlife. Freedom. America the Beautiful!This campsite is on top of the ridge with beautiful forest views all the way to El Capitan in the distance. It is just off the main dirt road, on a connected firebreak dirt road. The road is not often traveled, is very rough and rugged and should be accessed with 4 Wheel Drive. This is recommended for experienced off road drivers only who can navigate without cell service or street signs. Campers can park the RV in the camp spot or pitch a tent and enjoy the far off view of El Capitan in the distance. There is a fire pit for use in the winter only (due to CA fire conditions). Cars, trucks and off road vehicles can be parked just below the campsite, between the fire break and the main road. Nearby Native Americans used to trade and some stone formations exist. Every star in the sky (and some maybe not stars?) are easy to see with no light pollution for miles.

RV details

Caravans, Fifth wheels, Trailer tents, Motorhome, Campervan, Class C (larger motorhome with overcab space), Campervans, and Cars allowed

Vehicles under 9 meters allowed

Pull in or back in, but campers cannot pull through the site.

Pull-in unit

Pull in or back in, but campers cannot pull through the site.

Accommodates slideouts

Pull in or back in, but campers cannot pull through the site.

Surface type: Loose gravel

The site is not perfectly level so we recommend RVs to have leveling capacity. Has been used for tents without a problem.

Surface levelness: Requires levelling

The site is not perfectly level so we recommend RVs to have leveling capacity. Has been used for tents without a problem.

No Toy haulers

Generators allowed

No electrical hookup

No water hookup

No sewage hookup

No TV hookup

What to expect

RV/tent site

You'll have this Hipcamp all to yourself.

40 guests max

Campfires allowed

Firepit, private. Firedwood is not provided. Site has a designated fire pit. Summers are very dry so PLEASE BE CAREFUL. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE FIRE IS COMPLETELY OUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE.

Pets allowed

Off leash. A ton of space for pets to roam freely. There is a lot of wildlife. Please keep your pets under your command.

No toilet; campers must bring camp toilets

No drinking water

Bring your own water

No showers

Pack it out

There are occassionally bears on the ridge so we do not keep trash cans.

Cooking equipment absent

Picnic table absent

No wifi

Laundry absent

There is a laundromat in the town of Mariposa.

Hot Tub absent

No playground

Things to know

Getting there

Check in: After 1:00 PM

Check out: Before 12:00 PM

On arrival: Head straight to site

Cancellation policy: Moderate

Minimum nights: 1 night

Accepts bookings: 9 months out

Park at listing

No wheelchair access

Max 8 vehicles

4WD required

During your trip

Leave it better

Inclusion policyWe have a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination at Hipcamp. We are committed to helping our Host and Hipcamper communities be inclusive.

Reviews

75% Recommend12 ratings · 10 reviews

Ryan J.

3 reviews

Recommends

· October 2024

Tent

Great drive. Fun location. Had a blast driveling around the mountain roads.

Matt T.

8 years on Hipcamp

Not recommend

· October 2024

Not private, terrible commute

4 m travel trailer

With a lot of travel under my belt in my 4Runner, I didn’t have high expectations but the driving involved made this annoying. Wasn’t much to book in area, but would still avoid. I’m an experienced off-road driver who has been camping in national parks, forests and BLM land for 10years - this listing caught my attention because it was noting how short of a drive it was to the park. With a friend coming into town I figured I could still have the best of both worlds and Camp while he stayed at the Yosemite view Lodge. Not a great option to commute to Yosemite. The fact that you can see the top of EL CAP is nice - but it’s usually 95-115min of driving both ways, every time. That’s without traffic. The road you take out to the tiny parking space they’ve got listed - has a speed limit of 55mph posted, and will tell you it’s 1hr and 15min to Yosemite. That’s incorrect - you’ll never drive faster than 15min in the last 7miles. It takes an 1hr 30min to 1hr 45min to normally to get from this location to the gate of the national park - never mind going anywhere else. Just a tiny hay-covered parking spot at the end of a long off-road excursion (6-7miles of rough dirt road). This “spot” feels weird, as it’s on National Forest land. There are no signs noting private property and plenty of people journey to the end of the ridge. The fire road that continues to Ferguson Ridge - highly suggest this or any of the other possible spots along this road but not this.

Malgorzata G.

5 reviews

Recommends

· September 2024

Great views

6 m campervan · With pets

We really enjoyed the place, especially for its incredible views. The only downside was some leftover toilet paper and trash left by previous guests in the camping slot, but that’s not the host's fault. It would be great if people were more responsible and took their trash with them instead of leaving it behind. We didn’t have any problems with the road, but we are experienced off-road drivers, and as others have noted, the road is quite challenging. Overall, we would definitely consider staying here again.

Myles D.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2024

Tent · Group trip

amazing view and fun drive up! it also isnt far from yosemite either. the host was very responsive and helpful with directions

Kevin C.

10 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2024

5 m car

Of true middle of nowhere experience with unbelievable views. The road getting up and down was easy to manage. Highly recommend!

Corey P.

10 months on Hipcamp

Not recommend

· June 2024

Paying to camp on public land???

5 m car

With the remote location, with no mobile data (only call and text). So, a couple hours prior to arrival, I texted the temporary Hipcamp number provided, which sends the hostess a message in her Hipcamp app. I provided my number and asked the hostess to directly contact me via phone instead. Upon leaving the paved road, we followed the written directions previously provided by the hostess. They were very detailed, but told us to turn down certain road names...which turned out to be unmarked. We texted again for help, and the hostess again neglected our requests. The anticipated 45 minute dirt road trip, turned into 2 hours of almost non-stop driving around lost. Some Good Samaritans on an ATV were our heroes. They helped us find a different camp site only a few minutes away, and notified us that Ferguson (aka "Fergie") Ridge (where our directions were taking us) was public land, along with the new camp site. According to them, camping at both locations is free to anyone, and NO ONE SHOULD BE CHARGING ANYONE TO STAY THERE. Days later, when I had mobile data, I verified the public ownership on Mariposa County's tax GIS mapping website. In summary, the hostess did give us a refund, but only after sending us on a wild goose chase, not responding to our cries for help in real time, did respond hours later via the app chat (which was unhelpful because of lack of data), and did so under the (evidently) false pretenses that she owned the place and has the right to rent it to campers.

Location

El Portal, Mariposa, California, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Me-Wuk (Southern Sierra Miwok) and Miwok First Nations according to

Native Land Digital.

To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking