Jackass Meadows Interpretive Site (minor)
Campground · Yosemite corridor
Jackass Meadows Interpretive Site sits at 7,028 feet in the Yosemite corridor's high Sierra. A modest campground meadow base, it offers shelter and access to the region's quieter backcountry.
Wind runs steady at 8 mph on average but can spike to 19 mph in afternoon gusts. Mornings are calmer and warmer relative to exposed ridges nearby. Spring transitions are sharp; expect snow patches into late May and rapidly warming afternoons by early June.
Over the past 30 days, the average wind here is 8 mph with conditions scoring 16.0 on the NoGo scale. Temperature averaged 36 degrees Fahrenheit with crowding at 12 people on typical days. The week ahead shows typical spring volatility; monitor afternoon wind spikes and rapid warming cycles.
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About Jackass Meadows Interpretive Site (minor)
Jackass Meadows Interpretive Site (minor) is a small high-Sierra campground at 7,028 feet in California's Yosemite corridor. Access is via Highway 120 from the west (from Mather or Yosemite Village) or from Lee Vining on the east side of the Sierra crest. The site sits in a meadow drainage between the main Highway 120 corridor and quieter backcountry routes leading to high passes. Drive times from Yosemite Valley run 60 to 90 minutes depending on seasonal road conditions; Highway 120 opens fully after late spring snowmelt.
Conditions at Jackass Meadows are governed by elevation and spring-to-early-fall seasonality. The rolling 30-day average wind is 8 mph, with maximum gusts reaching 19 mph typically in afternoon hours. Temperature averages 36 degrees Fahrenheit over the same window; frost persists through May mornings and snow patches remain into late May. By late June, daytime highs climb into the 50s. Crowding remains light at an average of 12 people per day, reflecting the site's minor status and distance from valley trailheads. Wind and temperature volatility peak in spring; conditions stabilize and warm considerably by late July.
Jackass Meadows suits backpackers using the site as a staging point or resupply base, and car campers seeking quiet meadow access away from main valley bottlenecks. Visitors should expect unpaved or rough access roads in early season, lingering snow patches blocking higher passes until mid-June, and afternoon wind that rises by 2 to 3 p.m. Park rangers staff the interpretive site seasonally; check current hours before arrival. Water sources are reliable from snowmelt and meadow runoff through summer. Parking is first-come, first-served and fills only during holiday weekends or after Highway 120 fully opens in late spring.
Nearby alternatives include Tenaya Lake Campground (lower elevation, busier) to the southwest, and the less-developed camping areas around Tioga Lake on the eastern approach. For visitors seeking similar high-meadow character with slightly lower wind exposure, the lakes and passes west of Highway 120 provide varied options. The interpretive site's modest size and remote meadow setting make it a transition point rather than a destination in itself; most visitors use it as a base for day hikes or overnight passes into the high country beyond.