Yosemite is the one park on our California routes where visitors from abroad pay $100 per person (16+) on top of the $35 vehicle fee ($235 for two instead of $35), and its Valley campgrounds go on sale in monthly blocks at 7 am Pacific on the 15th, five months ahead. The rest of the bill is the Bay Area: depots in San Leandro and Millbrae, California fuel prices and a 9.25% rental tax.
What does a 7-day fly-in RV trip from San Francisco to Yosemite really cost for two people, once mileage, fuel, campgrounds, fees and the airport transfer are in? Below: every line, for a campervan and a Class C, with a check date and a source. The plan behind the numbers: one night on the way in, three in Yosemite Valley, one at Wawona or Hodgdon Meadow and the last near the depot.
Quick answer
- Campervan, 7 days, 2 people: about $1,400–$4,100 all-in for US residents, $1,600–$4,300 if you live outside the US [A].
- Class C, 7 days, 2 people: about $1,800–$5,200 (US residents) or $2,000–$5,400 (visitors from outside the US) [A]. Ranges are the table totals rounded outward to the nearest $100.
- Biggest swing factor: whether you get Valley campground nights. They go on sale at 7 am Pacific on the 15th, five months ahead, and NPS says they “sell out within minutes”. Without them you sleep in private parks outside the park at roughly $50–150 a night [A] and drive in each day. California fuel is the other big line.
- Not in these totals: flights, food and activities. Groceries for two, cooking mostly in the RV, add roughly $245–$490 [A — our estimate, not checked against a source].
- Prices checked: 2026-10-29.
Cost table (7 days, 2 people)
Low = off-peak, cheapest reasonable choices. High = peak season with every fee — most trips land in between. Ranges are for the whole trip, not per night.
| Item | Campervan | Class C | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle rental (base rate) | $700–$1,700 | $1,000–$2,400 | ≈ $100–240 a night for a campervan, $140–340 for a Class C [A]. National benchmarks; we found no published California price index. Outdoorsy $100–175 / $150–250 a night; Go RV US average March 2026 $252 / $225; RVshare: peak season 30–50% higher; roadsurfer lists its Bay Area station “starting at $115 / night” before fees. Fleet example: 7-night minimum |
| Mileage (~450–650 mi) | $0–$250 | $0–$250 | $0 with unlimited miles (roadsurfer and many marketplace listings); fleets charge by the mile: El Monte $0.38 a mile or $37 per 100 miles, the Cruise America fee sheet $0.39 [A — agent page], so ~650 mi ≈ $250. Our routing: about 335 miles for the depot–Valley round trip, 460 with Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove, 570 with a Tuolumne Meadows day [A] |
| Fuel | $130–$400 | $220–$530 | Campervan 15–20 mpg, Class C 8–12 mpg [A] × route miles × AAA California averages checked 2026-10-29: $5.95 regular, $8.40 diesel; we add 10% at the high end for stations near the parks [A]. That is about a third more than on our Arizona route ($4.50 regular on 2026-10-27) |
| Campgrounds (6 nights) | $250–$560 | $250–$560 | Low: 3 nights in Yosemite Valley (Upper, Lower or North Pines) and 1 at Wawona or Hodgdon Meadow, all $36 (NPS), plus 2 private RV park nights at ~$50–55 [A]. High: 3 Valley nights plus 3 private parks with hookups at ~$150 near the park and in the Bay Area [A]. No hookups anywhere in Yosemite |
| Park entry (US residents) | $35 | $35 | Yosemite charges $35 a private vehicle (7 days); no entrance reservation was needed in 2026. A pass only pays off if you add other fee parks |
| Kits, prep, cleaning, generator | $50–$370 | $50–$370 | Low: a marketplace listing with kits included plus a cleaning fee [A]. High: fleet example — $50 prep, $125 vehicle kit, 2 × $75 personal kits, generator $8/night × 6 [A — agent page] |
| Insurance / protection | $175–$280 | $210–$350 | RVshare's own budgeting guide: about $25–40 a day for a campervan, $30–50 for a Class C. Fleet rates usually include basic cover; upgrades cost extra [A] |
| Taxes and service fees | $60–$360 | $90–$510 | Low: San Francisco rental tax 9.25% on the base rate (fleet fee sheet via an agent page [A]). High: tax plus a 10–12% marketplace service fee (Outdoorsy: 10%) [A]. Not in this line: El Monte's California Vehicle License Fee, $2 a night |
| Airport ↔ depot transfer (both ways) | $40–$140 | $40–$140 | Taxi or rideshare between SFO and the San Leandro depot of El Monte and Road Bear (14 miles from SFO by El Monte's figure), both ways [A — fares not checked]. roadsurfer's Bay Area station is in Millbrae, next to SFO |
| Total, US residents | $1,440–$4,095 | $1,895–$5,145 | Sum of the lines above [A] |
| Park entry, visitors from outside the US | +$200 | +$200 | Yosemite is one of the 11 parks where visitors from outside the US (16+) pay $100 per person on top of the $35 — $235 for two at the gate, replacing the $35 above (+$200). The $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass costs $15 more but covers other parks for 12 months; the totals use the cheaper gate price, as the calculator does. On the 10-day loop, with three park gates, the pass is the cheaper option |
| Total, visitors from outside the US | $1,640–$4,295 | $2,095–$5,345 | Sum including the non-resident park cost [A] |
| Line | Campervan | Class C |
|---|---|---|
| Rental | $700–$1,700 | $1,000–$2,400 |
| Miles | $0–$250 | $0–$250 |
| Fuel | $130–$400 | $220–$530 |
| Campgrounds | $250–$560 | $250–$560 |
| Park entry | $35 | $35 |
| Kits & fees | $50–$370 | $50–$370 |
| Insurance | $175–$280 | $210–$350 |
| Taxes | $60–$360 | $90–$510 |
| Transfers | $40–$140 | $40–$140 |
Rental, insurance and fee lines are national benchmarks from published price guides and a fleet fee sheet, not a live quote for your dates. Get two or three real quotes before you book [A].
Different trip length, group size, season or one-way? Plug your own numbers into the trip cost calculator. It uses the lines above.
The plan behind the numbers
- Day 1: land at SFO, taxi to the San Leandro depot (El Monte and Road Bear hand over RVs after 1 pm on weekdays), then drive 2–3 hours toward the park and sleep at a private RV park on CA-120 or CA-140 [A]. Depot to Yosemite Valley is about 170 miles, a bit over 4 hours without stops [A: our routing].
- Days 2–4: Yosemite Valley, three nights at Upper, Lower or North Pines ($36). No hookups; generators only 7–9 am, noon–2 pm and 5–7 pm; the dump station is at Upper Pines.
- Day 5: Glacier Point (the road is closed in winter) and Mariposa Grove, then a night at Wawona or Hodgdon Meadow ($36).
- Day 6: back toward the Bay, about 4 hours, and a night at an RV park near the depot [A].
- Day 7: return the RV before 10 am (El Monte), fly home.
Vehicle size: many Valley sites take RVs up to 35 feet, but only 8 take 40 feet (NPS). Most rental Class C models are shorter than 35 feet [A], but check the exact site length when you book.
Tioga Road, chains and seasons
- Valley campgrounds: released at 7 am Pacific on the 15th, five months ahead. Nights from July 15 to August 14, for example, go on sale on March 15 (NPS release table). The booking timeline works out your date.
- Seasons: Lower and North Pines open about April to October; Upper Pines is on reservations all year. Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow need reservations from about April to October and are first-come in winter.
- Tioga Road (CA-120 over Tioga Pass) closes in winter and is usually open from late May or June to November; in 2026 it opened on May 15. This trip doesn't need it; the 10-day loop from Los Angeles does.
- Glacier Point Road is closed in winter too; in 2026 it opened on May 9.
- Winter (about November to March): chain controls can apply and NPS asks you to carry chains in the park. Ask the rental company whether chains are allowed on its RV before you go [A — we found no rental company statement on this].
Flying into Los Angeles instead?
From the El Monte depot in Santa Fe Springs it is about 330 miles to Yosemite Valley each way, against about 170 from San Leandro [A: our routing]. That adds roughly 320 miles: $0–125 in mileage, $100–260 in fuel and a long drive day at each end [A]. In the calculator, keep this route and raise the miles to 770–970. With 10 days, the loop from Los Angeles uses those miles for Joshua Tree and Death Valley as well.
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the totals above
- Vehicle base rate, mileage, fuel, 6 campground nights, park entry, kits/prep/generator, insurance or protection, taxes and service fees, and the transfer between the airport and the depot.
Not included
- Flights, food and groceries (see the quick answer), activities and tours, hotel nights before pickup or after drop-off, refundable security deposits (El Monte: $1,500), one-way fees, California vehicle licence fees some fleets add, and late-return or damage charges.
Sources and how we checked
All figures checked 2026-10-29 unless the line says otherwise. Prices change; confirm with the provider before you book.
- NPS — Entrance passes (America the Beautiful: $80 US residents, $250 non-residents) — www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS — Nonresident fees (updated July 15, 2026: $100 per person 16+ at 11 parks, Yosemite among them; Joshua Tree and Death Valley not on the list) — www.nps.gov/aboutus/nonresident-fees.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Fees ($35 private vehicle, 7 days) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Entrance reservations (none required in 2026) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/reservations.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Campgrounds (no hookups; dump station at Upper Pines all year; generator hours 7–9 am, noon–2 pm, 5–7 pm; RVs up to 40 ft at only 8 Valley sites, up to 35 ft at many more) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Camping reservations (released at 7 am Pacific on the 15th, five months ahead, “sell out within minutes”; Tuolumne Meadows half two months ahead, half 14 days; Crane Flat 14 days; release table, page updated September 11, 2026) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Upper, Lower and North Pines ($36 a night) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/pinescampgrounds.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Tioga Road (closed in winter; usually open from late May or June to November; 2026 opening May 15) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Current conditions (Glacier Point Road opened May 9, 2026) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- NPS Yosemite — Tire chains (chain controls possible any time from about November to March; carry chains in the park in that season) — www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tirechains.htm (checked 2026-10-29)
- AAA — California gas prices (state average October 29, 2026: regular $5.948, diesel $8.403; Los Angeles $6.020 / $8.431; San Francisco $6.003 / $8.806) — gasprices.aaa.com/?state=CA (checked 2026-10-29)
- El Monte RV — FAQs (Death Valley not permitted June 1 – September 30; California Vehicle License Fee $2 a night; deposit $1,500; one-way fees $200–750; mileage $0.38 a mile or $37 per 100 miles) — www.elmonterv.com/faqs (checked 2026-10-29)
- El Monte RV — San Leandro (420 San Leandro Blvd; 14.0 miles from SFO; pickup after 1 pm on weekdays, drop-off before 10 am; closed Sundays) — www.elmonterv.com/rv-rental-locations/san-leandro-california (checked 2026-10-29)
- Road Bear RV — San Francisco (San Leandro; hours by season) — www.roadbearrv.com/rv-rental-locations/san-francisco-california (checked 2026-10-29)
- roadsurfer — San Francisco Bay Area station (200 El Camino Real, Millbrae; unlimited miles; “starting at $115 / night”) — roadsurfer.com/rv-rental/usa/california/san-francisco (checked 2026-10-29)
- Go RV Rentals 2026 RV Rental Price Index via RV PRO (US average March 2026: Class C $225/night, Class B campervan $252/night) — rv-pro.com/news/go-rv-rentals-releases-2026-rv-rental-price-index (checked 2026-10-27)
- Outdoorsy — RV rental costs broken down (Class B $100–175/night, Class C $150–250/night) — www.outdoorsy.com/blog/rv-rental-costs-broken-down-nightly-rates-fees-and-what-to-budget (checked 2026-10-27)
- RVshare — RV rental prices by type (updated Aug 19, 2026; peak season 30–50% more; insurance $25–40/day Class B, $30–50/day Class C) — rvshare.com/blog/rv-rental-prices (checked 2026-10-27)
- Outdoorsy Help Center — fees (guest service fee 10% of booking total) — support.outdoorsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/37981867822747-What-fees-should-I-be-aware-of (checked 2026-10-27)
- [A] Cruise America 2026 summer terms via agent page usandcanadatravel.com (miles $0.39 each; prep fee $50; vehicle kit $125; personal kit $75/person; generator $8/night; 7-night minimum; local taxes by depot: Los Angeles 9.50%, San Francisco 9.25%) — www.usandcanadatravel.com/motorhome_hire/cruise_america/rv_rentals_rates_4.shtml (checked 2026-10-29)
- [A] Distances: our own routing with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (route file in our build notes), rounded; drive times without stops.
- Private RV park rates, airport transfer fares and the season windows marked [A]: our estimates, not checked against a specific source.
Next step
Arrival check: can you pick up the day you land?San Leandro depot hours by season, and what a late landing means
← All cost pages, route by route
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