High Sierra Camps not opening in 2025

Question

I just got the call today that our reservation at Sunrise is canceled—-no potable water. Apparently that is true for all the camps.

https://www.travelyosemite.com/lodging/high-sierra-camps

Answer

I'm very sorry to hear that your High Sierra Camp reservation at Sunrise was canceled. That is indeed the case: all the High Sierra Camps in Yosemite are closed for the 2025 season.

Here are the key details and context:

Yosemite Hospitality (Aramark) and the National Park Service (NPS) announced the closure in collaboration.
The reason given is that the utilities needed to run the camps — potable water and toilets — will not be available.
The five historic High Sierra Camps affected are: Glen Aulin, May Lake, Sunrise, Merced Lake, and Vogelsang.
Guests who already had reservations have been contacted.
Those guests will be offered priority booking for the 2026 High Sierra Camp lottery.

As for why this happened, a few factors are likely contributing:

Staffing shortages: There are considerable staffing challenges at Yosemite’s National Park Service, which may be affecting the ability to maintain and operate utilities.
Resource prioritization: According to reporting, the park says it needs to prioritize limited resources “to serve the broadest group of visitors.”
Operational risk & maintenance: There have been ongoing challenges with keeping the remote camp infrastructure running, especially for water and sanitation.

What this means for you and what you can do:

You should have received a refund (or at least a partial refund, depending on how close to your trip the cancellation was). According to the High Sierra Camps cancellation policy: canceling 14–30 days in advance garners a 70% refund; less than 14 days, refunds depend on resell.
You may be offered alternate lodging within Yosemite — the camp operator indicates that they are working to help impacted guests.
If you're set on doing a wilderness trip in that region, you could apply for a wilderness permit and do the loop on your own (backpacking-style).
For future planning, you can apply for the 2026 High Sierra Camp lottery — the lottery opens November 1, 2025.

One thing to note: closing these camps isn’t entirely new or unprecedented. According to past park communications, maintaining the utilities in these remote high mountain areas is very challenging, especially in years with heavy snowfall or limited staff.

In short: your frustration is very reasonable. The cancellation is due to utility infrastructure issues, not something like a policy change on guests. Yosemite is trying to help by offering refunds, alternate options, and priority for next year's lottery. If you still want a backcountry experience, exploring permits and backpacking options may be a good backup plan.

High Sierra Camps not opening in 2025

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