Yosemite Pines RV Resort

Today we leave Pacifica in southern San Francisco and head further south on Highway 101 to Half Moon Bay where we head east on Route 92 across the San Fran Bay. We travel north to pick up Interstate 880 until connecting with 580 east. We cross Interstate 5 and follow 205 until we pick up Route 120 in Manteca.

Highway 120 takes us to Groveland where we arrive at Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Family Lodging.

This place is a hoot and a half… Quirky and awesome.

Below is a picture of the cluster fuck of tents behind us. Quiet hours are between 10 PM and 7 AM but for the 3 nights we stayed here this friendly group gathered, drank, ate, drank, talked, drank, sang, and drank until the wee hours! Each night new friends and more tents joined them.

Cabins, yurts and a few vintage RVs are available to rent.

There’s even a place to wash dogs and pan for gold!

According to the campground map below there is a nature trail with exercise stations. The trail is marked in light brown around the perimeter.

Apparently the trail is not popular because it is not well marked. I had to ask an employee where the trailhead began. (Not at all where the map indicated!)

Right away I get lost because there is no obvious trail to follow. So, I retrace my steps and take a different unmarked turn. I stumble across an exercise station. Only to get lost again.

What? I’m back at the corral where I see no horses.

Once again I re-trek and find a trail until it goes nowhere. I climb up and slide down again and then I spy some pink flags which I follow into another exercise station that leads nowhere.

Frustrated, I meander my way out through tented areas not on the map. I pretend I am a car and proceed back to a spot on the map I can identify.

Eventually I recognize where I am at within the campground. I turn to Plan B, the other entrance/exit to this so called Nature Trail behind the pool. (Oh, did I forget to mention the swimming pool?)

I start anew and the trail is well marked until it is not. I pass an exercise station and then get lost. My sense of direction tells me that forward is north and right is east, leading back to the RV sites. I turn right and make my way like Big Foot until I reach a campground road. Disappointed and feeling stupid, I return to Jeff and the dogs frustrated and exhausted.