Places to car camp and suggestions for Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon?

Hello all. We are able to get away for about 10 days during Labor Day this year. This just happened so I want to try and throw a trip together. I want to plan for 2 days at Yosemite and maybe 2 days at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Can probably add a day if needed.

We will be by some friends in Longmont, Colorado already so that will be our starting point. I have been to Yosemite and Kings Canyon during 2020 but I was only able to spend a day in each due to Covid so no expert by any means on what to do or see.

Any suggestions on areas around those parks where we could car camp? We are self sufficient and are able to sleep in the truck so we rarely use a tent.

Any recommendations on hikes or things to see in the area are welcome too.

Thanks!

 

I can't speak for Kings amd Sequoia, but if you're entering Yosemite from the Nevada side, there's lots of dispersed camping around Mono Lake. There's also a number of paid campsites on Tioga Pass. Personally, I'd recommend camping dispersed as close to the pass as possible (or paying for a site, as you'll save 20-30 minutes of driving) and then entering the park as early as possible due to how long the entrance line can get. If possible, book campsites in the park as close to the main valley as you can for a next couple nights - you'll save yourself a ton of gas and driving time.

 

I'll 2nd the advice above. Yosemite is busy on a normal weekend, labor day will be a clusterfuck. Mono lake is also a cool stop if you dont mind the smell.

 

I'm going to look into this later tonight. I also see that Yosemite releases some campsites 2 weeks prior so I might get lucky there.