YOSEMITE FACELIFT AND CAMPING FAQS
Welcome to the page for all things Facelift! If this is your first time visiting Yosemite or even just your first time joining Facelift, you can find useful information here. Even if you are a Facelift veteran, check out the FAQs and brush up on Facelift camping etiquette.
Remember: Be Bear Aware!
One of, if not the most important things about camping in Yosemite is to be bear aware. What does that mean? The main idea is that in order to protect black bears and other wildlife in the park, all food and anything with a scent, including toiletries, trash, and even empty coolers, must be stored in bear lockers (provided at all campsites and most parking lots) unless you are actively using it. Click here for more information.
EVENT OVERVIEW
General Schedule:
Last Tuesday in September: Evening program to kick off Yosemite Facelift!
Wednesday - Saturday:
Volunteer registration from 8am - 4pm on the Mall near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.
5pm: Raffle
7pm: Evening Program
Sunday:
Volunteer registration from 8am - 2pm on the Mall near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.
3pm: Raffle
6:30pm: Thank You Dinner
Additional:
Thursday, 2:30pm: Stewardship Panel
Special projects announced during Facelift, in partnership with the National Park Service
Opportunities to interact with sponsor athletes
TRANSPORTATION
We strongly encourage people to walk, use the shuttle, bicycle, or if absolutely necessary carpool, after they’ve arrived. Especially on weekends! Link to public transit to Yosemite and the in-park FREE shuttle bus system.
CAMPING
We begin accepting requests for camping on May 1st at 9am PDT. Use the form at Facelift Camping 2020.
Parking
All sites for Facelift are shared (a great way to meet new friends!), which means you are not guaranteed a parking spot at or near your site.
In Upper Pines and Crane Flat, there is a limit of two cars per site.
Camp 4 is a walk-in campground.
Yellow Pines has group sites.
Overflow parking is available and your campground host can help you when you check in if needed (see check-in information below). You may need an overnight parking permit to avoid a ticket or being towed; check with your campground host when you check in. (Note that there are no hosts in Crane Flat; please proceed to your assigned campsite and self register if necessary.)
Camping Cancellations/Changes
If you received a confirmed spot and need to make a change or cancellation, please mail camping@yosemiteclimbing.org ASAP so that we can make them available to other volunteers from the waitlist. The YCA pays for the majority of the sites for Facelift and we want to make sure they are filled.
Campground Information
The National Park Service (NPS) has reserved sites for us in four campgrounds in the park: Upper Pines, Camp 4, Yellow Pines, and Crane Flat. Tuolumne is not available this year.
Upper Pines
Upper Pines Campground is located in the heart of Yosemite Valley in the shadow of Glacier Point. Each campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and access to restroom facilities with running water. The nearest showers, food, and supplies are located at Half Dome/Curry Village, a short walk away. There is also a bus stop and bike/walking path at the campground entrance for easy transportation around the Valley. Want to know where our campsites are? See the park map below.
The hosts (Keith/Cara) for Upper Pines for Facelift is in site 53. Please find them within a day of arrival to check in.
Camp 4
Camp 4 is Yosemite Valley’s walk-in campground, very popular among climbers with lots of boulders around the camp to practice and have fun on. Each campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and access to restroom facilities with running water. The nearest showers are located at Half Dome/Curry Village, accessible via the Yosemite bus system, biking, walking (a bit of a walk), or driving. There is a bus stop across the street and supplies and food, including a cafeteria, can be purchased at the nearby Yosemite Valley Lodge. Please note: there is a large parking lot, but you will not be able to park right next to your site.
The hosts (Anders and co.) for Camp 4 are in site 36. Please find them within a day of arrival to check in.
Yellow Pines
Yellow Pines is Yosemite’s volunteer campground, a place the public normally does not have access to. It is a bit further away from the Valley’s main destinations, but a wonderful group camping experience with picnic tables and a fire pit. There is no running water here (there are potable water tanks), but port-a-potties are available.
The hosts (Eric/Vicky) for Yellow Pines are in Site D. Please find them within a day of arrival to check in. There are also seasonal hosts who work for the Park near the entrance to the campground. They will be checking names.
Crane Flat
Crane Flat is located above Yosemite Valley. Each campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and access to restroom facilities with running water. The nearest food and supplies are located in a small store, but larger stores are available in the Valley, about a 30-minute drive away. The nearest showers are in the Valley at Half Dome/Curry Village.
There are no hosts in Crane Flat; proceed to your assigned campsite upon arrival.
FAQs
What are the dates for Facelift 2020? Tuesday, 9/22 - Sunday, 9/27
How is camping assigned? Camping is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis with priority given to sponsors and core volunteers who help the event run. We also look at dates and number of people in a party, filling in empty spots in the sites we have reserved.
Who pays for camping? The YCA pays for all campsites at Upper Pines, Camp 4, and Crane Flat. Yellow Pines, the NPS's official volunteer group camp, is the exception.
Can I bring my camper? No, unless you’re willing to park it in overflow parking. We can’t guarantee parking at your site. Also, please abide by out-of-bound camping rules (i.e., don’t camp anywhere other than your allocated camping site).
Camping Check-in/Hosts: You may access your campsite after 11am on the day your reservation begins. Please plan to leave your site by 10am. Once you have found your site, locate the hosts for your campground (Keith/Cara in site 53 for Upper Pines, Eric/Vicky in site D for Yellow Pines, and Anders in site 36 for Camp 4) within a day of arrival to check in. (Note that there are no hosts in Crane Flat; please proceed to your assigned campsite and self register if necessary.)
Do I need to camp with Facelift to volunteer? No, come join us by registering the morning you’d like to volunteer! We’d love to have you!
Where is registration for volunteering? Registration opens everyday, Wednesday through Sunday, at around 8am on the Mall near the Visitor Center.
How long do I have to volunteer? Do I have to volunteer for the whole time? Come and volunteer for an hour or everyday; we appreciate any time you can spend volunteering (there are no requirements). In 2018, there were 11,700 volunteer hours logged; this would take one person working full time more than 5.5 years! Consider volunteering for the number of hours that you think is appropriate (especially in exchange for free camping).
Evening Programs: The schedule for evening programs sometimes doesn’t come out until a week before the event. Rest assured, evening programs are scheduled for every evening at 7pm, in the auditorium near the Visitor Center. There may be a designated-driver shuttle. Please don’t drink and drive.
Are there special projects? Yes, the Yosemite Climbing Association partners with the NPS and other land managers every year to host special projects. The list of special projects is not available until the week of Facelift.
I can’t make it this year, but how can I help? Make a donation (see the link below). Tell your friends. Be a good steward and clean up the land you love.