Camp 4 in Yosemite National Park/Photo by David Iliff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0 via Wikipedia

Camp 4, the historic Yosemite Valley campground long claimed by climbers, will move to a reservation system under a pilot program running through the summer.

Located near Yosemite Fall on the north side of the valley, the campground has been the testing grounds for many climbers, including Yvon Chouinard, who would make climbing gear in the parking lot and sell it. That simple start launched his Patagonia company. The walk-in campground even is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the nomination to the National Register, Camp 4's eligibility for listing is at the national level under Criterion A in the area of Recreation/Entertainment for its significant association with the growth and development of rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley during the "golden years" of pioneer mountaineering.

During the period 1947 to 1970, the Yosemite Valley region was an exceptionally important center of rock climbing activity. Activities and technological advancements and skills developed here made significant contributions at the regional, national and international level within the sport. World-renowned climbers such as Tom Frost, Royal Robbins, and Yvon Chouinard, were among the pioneers of this sport who developed equipment, techniques, and forged new routes in Yosemite, considered a mecca for rock climbers. They used Camp 4 as a base camp. -- National Park Service

The lottery system for campsites in the campground is to take effect on Tuesday, May 21. This daily lottery system will be operated through Recreation.gov and is intended to help improve the visitor experience at Camp 4 Campground.

In announcing this program, the Park Service said "(V)isitor demands for a camping space at Camp 4 have been increasing over the past decade and the current registration system no longer serves the public and meets the needs of current campers. Under the current system, campers have to line up and wait for a first-come, first-served camping space to open. In order to wait for one of the available spaces to open up, campers line up all day, and sometime the night before, with the hopes of getting a camping space. This system is inefficient and has contributed to wildlife issues due to improper food storage, out of bounds camping, and conflicts between campers."

The lottery is scheduled to open at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time the day before your intended arrival date. The lottery is open until 4 p.m. Pacific time. The lottery automatically matches applicants with the number of open camping spaces. All people who enter the daily lottery will be notified by email on the results of their lottery application.      

This new pilot program is to run through the busy summer season and will be evaluated this fall. For more information on Camp 4 Campground, visit this site.