When I was told that Yosemite National Park’s High Sierra Camps were a glamping experience, I was a little taken aback. In my naivete, I had thought the word “glamping” suggested an experience you might consider actually “glam,” like staying in an Airstream or relaxing in Adirondack chairs set up around a perfectly arranged campfire ring, kind of like a Restoration Hardware catalogue in the woods.

But after waiting for years to embark on this historic hut-to-hut backcountry trip, this summer I learned the truth: Glamping can also include extremely unglamorous days of complete exhaustion, broken toilets, food shortages, missing signage and sleepless nights with strangers who somehow snore for seven hours straight. 

Yet, while at times a sleepless slog, these were also among the most delightful four days in the backcountry I’ve ever experienced.

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I first became interested in Yosemite’s High Sierra Camps years ago, but being able to go has been another, rather long, story. While they’ve existed for over a century, their recent history has been fragile. 

For the six years before 2024, they weren’t open at all due to massive winter storms and the pandemic. Just three of the camps opened in 2024, but in 2025, all the camps shuttered again based on decisions by the National Park Service and its concessioner, Yosemite Hospitality.

Tent cabins in the morning at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge in Yosemite National Park, Calif.

Two of the camps — Vogelsang and Merced — remain closed this year due to major weather damage and sanitation challenges. And on top of all this, there are those who want the camps permanently closed due to the damage they inflict upon the environment.

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Oh, and you must enter and win a lottery to visit them because they are extremely popular. It’s no secret why: You’re able to explore the Yosemite backcountry while carrying only a rucksack (15 or 20 pounds), sleep in tent cabins and be served two hot meals and a bag lunch each day. For an aging backpacker in mediocre shape — aka myself — this sounded like a dream. So, my wife and I entered the lottery for the summer of 2024. And, we won.

But then our 2024 trip got canceled because of a late opening due to a heavy winter. So we were promised a spot for 2025, but that fell through due to the whole season being canceled. 

So here we were in 2026, finally ready to hit the trail. And it actually happened.

Our trip began at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge in late July. This is a common starting point before heading to the backcountry camps, as it gives people a chance to acclimate since the hiking starts at around 8,300 feet and goes as high as 9,700. It’s also a nice introduction to the High Sierra Camps, where you can see what your $200 per night per person gets you.

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The dining hall at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge in Yosemite National Park, Calif.

We went with another couple, and the four of us stayed in a standard tent cabin big enough for four twin beds, a little wood stove, complimentary firewood and mattresses soft enough to resemble sleeping in a marshmallow.

Here, you eat at the lodge, also a restaurant for the public, where the young servers are all very pleasant as they tell you about the day’s specials, as well as the items they’ve run out of, which can be pretty extensive. So don’t be heartbroken if there are no cinnamon rolls, tomato juice or chilled grapefruit, which happened on our morning there.

Then again, who cares if the supply chain is not on par with your local diner? The food here was tasty, with pancakes as big as your face and bacon that came in heaps. Plus, you hopefully don’t go to Yosemite for an order of chilled grapefruit. If you do, you might try the Denny’s in nearby Oakhurst.

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The next morning, we set out for our first destination, the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp. It’s a meandering moderate hike that begins in Tuolumne Meadows and roughly follows the Tuolumne River to the northwest. The trail is not too busy, but it is very well marked, letting you know you’re still in one of our nation’s most popular national parks. It is also a far cry........

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