YosemitePark has just made a really interesting post about one of the unique camps in Yosemite. From the “A Short History of the Oddly-Named Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite” post:
Located on the Merced River in Yosemite Valley with an unusual name, Housekeeping Camp straddles the line between camping and hotel accommodations and inspires fierce loyalty among park visitors. With amenities not usually found in campsites such as three walls, a canvas roof, beds, electrical lights and outlets, as well as standard amenities of picnic table and campfire ring, Housekeeping Camp is perennially popular with visiting families. Many of these families return year after year to the same units for easy access to the Merced River’s sandy beaches and activities like rafting and swimming. By examining the origin of Housekeeping Camp and its odd configuration and designation, it is apparent that this particular type of Yosemite accommodation has had great influence on the evolution of national park campgrounds as we know them today.
In the 1860s, after the signing of the Yosemite Grant by President Abraham Lincoln, the State of California administered Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove as precursor to the establishment of Yosemite National Park. The state instituted the designation of numbered camps in Yosemite Valley to indicate where visitors were setting up camp during their visit. By 1878, the idea of a public campground had taken hold and The Harris Camp Ground located near the present-day hotel, The Ahwahnee, was the forerunner of the current configuration of a national park campground. By 1918, a map of Yosemite Valley indicates Camp 19 as the first Housekeeping Camp and by 1920, the park concession was charging a fee for supplies to be provided to campers who needed equipment. Visitors who brought their own went to the free campgrounds, and visitors who rented supplies stayed in a “Housekeeping Camp” – meaning you kept your own house with no maid service.
You can read the whole post HERE.
Housekeeping Camp is located beside the Merced River, right in the middle Yosemite Valley. If you like to camp outdoors but don’t care for that whole “set up camp” thing, then this is a great option for you – and it’s one of the only lodging options that include a campfire ring for outdoor cooking under the beautiful nighttime skies. The camp features beaches for swimming and sunbathing and awesome views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls.
Lodging options are available HERE, and details about guest services are available HERE.