I hear that Yosemite books a year in advance. That's the one thing I would check into. My MIL used to live in CA (bay area) and I always wanted to go to Yosemite when we were out there! Somehow we never made it!

summers are pretty crazy in yosemite. you're going to need to book early to get a camping spot. camp 4 is on first come first serve, but it gets filled quickly by all the rock climbers. since you're planning on camping near the end of july , the first day to make reservations is march 15 (tomorrow). be sure to make the reservations as early as possible, because some years it fills up within a few hours. since you're car camping, maybe tent cabins in curry village are another option. not as nice as your own camping spot but at least you're in the valley. if you're in the tent cabins, don't bring too much food since you're required to empty your car of all food. i've seen families have to lug around huge coolers back & forth from their car to the bear lockers every night. there are restaurants & a grocery store in curry village so food is never a problem. bears are a problem for cars. they play some pretty funny video in the yosemite lodge lounge of bears tearing off car doors & busting windows because people leave fast food bags in their cars. one shows a bear ripping off a car door because the teenagers dropped a french frie between the seats of their rental car. but don't worry about the bears. they usually try to get into the trash dumpsters and generally stay away from campsites.

if you can't get a campsite, there's a number of lodges in the park. make sure they are in the valley floor such as the yosemite lodge & the ahwahnee. others like the wawona are nice, but you are near the park's entrance & about 50 miles away from the valley. that's a winding & uphill road usually packed with slow moving campers so don't think you can just take a quick drive over.

you really shouldn't miss yosemite. it is a gorgeous place to visit. you'll quickly see why it is usually listed among the top 10 most beautiful national parks in the country.

Here is a link that might be useful: yosemite website

We lived in the Merced area for 3 years 1957 to 1960 and went to the park every week end that we could. We walked the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal and Nevada falls with my 3 year old son riding on his daddy's shoulders. We walked the trail back down. They had the FireFalls back then and the tree on Sentinel Dome was still alive. And the road to another exit, sorry I have forgotten the name, Tioga Pass maybe??? was a narrow single lane, you often had to back up to a wide spot in the road to let another car through. I have traveled to Africa twice and Peru twice, but Yosemite is still the most wonderous site I have seen. So much in such a small area.

Thousand Trails' Yosemite Lakes is only a few miles outside the west gate and has none of the drawbacks of the Park campgrounds. You can rent a Yurt (river cabin) or go tenting. Yes, they have sites available to non-members. The park is alongside the South Fork of the Tuolumne River and offers lure trout fishing. Enjoy!

This may be too late, but still maybe able to get a site. Family and myself have camped in Yosemite too many times to count. DH and I were even married in Valley floor at the little church there. DO NOT LEAVE CA with out at least a day trip into Yosemite. If possable drive in from the south and go out the north side. You are only seeing a fraction of Yosemite if you just drive to valley floor and nothing else! Glacier Point is also a MUST! Take plenty of film you will need it.

As far as camping we always liked Wawona camp ground, and it is NOT 50 miles from the valley floor. I don't remember exactly how far but it's not that far! It is a windy road and speed limit is 45 mph. It takes a good half hour drive to the valley floor but Glacier Point is on the way. A short side trip but well worth it! Staying in the Valley was never our favorite thing to do as there was always lot's of people, but nice camp grounds all around. As far as bears and breaking into your car, very true. They can smell even chapstick so leave nothing of the sort in your vehicle. DO NOT even leave an empty Ice Chest as they know what goes in there and they will check and see if theres any thing yummy for them. Not only will you have to repair a broken windshield but there is also a fine from the DNR.

If you can't get a camp site in Yosemite there is a wealth of great campgrounds to the east down the 120 (Tioga Pass) road and north or south on hwy 395. This might be an option.

We stayed in Bridalveil Creek and it was lovely, but much colder than we expected at the end of August (below freezing at night). I'd stay there again, especially at the end of July. Very convenient to Glacier Point and Sentinel dome (a must do hike) and not as crowded or hot as the it is in the valley. Don't be afraid to camp - even if you have to buy an air mattress, tent, and a couple sleeping bags you'll save money over a hotel. You don't have to do the whole cooking thing, just consider your tent a rustic lodge :-)