Carrier / Rating

Location / Comment

Date

Able to make and receive calls. Able to send and receive text messages. Could not complete calls to voice mail. No data service, had to use WiFi at Yosemite Lodge (slow -- 0.3Mbps)

Amazing that cell phone companies have yet to put cell phone antenna's in the valley that provide coverage. I could only make calls using 1X with this phone. Never received any calls. They went to voice mail which I then had to check. Forget data service. You will need to get on a wifi network near the lodging that is available. Golden State Cellular is terrible. I know my phone is old but it has an external antenna that can be used. My wife's iPhone 4 on Verizon did not fare any better.

Verizon works in many areas of the park, through their reciprocal roaming agreement with Golden State Cellular which actually provides the service. I've had coverage throughout Yosemite Valley, and even out in Yosemite West where no other carrier has coverage (Sprint may also roam onto Golden State). Supposedly, data service is now available (without data roaming charges) since a reciprocal data roaming agreement with Golden State Cellular was signed in 2010.

Verizon reception is best of all carriers. Best in the east end of Yosemite Vally, non-existent on the west end except for Tunnel View, where it is weak. Weak at the Yosemite Lodge. Very good at Glacier Point and top of Sentinel Dome. Yosemite West subdivision is spotty, only one spot excellent, at the fork of Hennes Ridge Rd.and Yosemite Parkway. Reception excellent on the Yosemite Falls Trail and Vernal Fall (also known as the Mist) trail. Good at Tuolumne Meadows and on local trails 2 miles north and south. Non at Tioga Pass. Excellent all along 395.

I have been working in Yosemite for about a year now. Reception is generally not a problem. There are some areas where calls cut out a bit but I don't feel like it is any worse than when I lived in San Francisco.

Amazingly I got reception at the base of Nevada Falls on the Mist Trail. I couldn't believe it. Nicely done Verizon.

Upper Pines Campground. 1 bar with Verizon vx6800. 2 Bars with work-issued Blackberry Curve I only turned the phones on in the evening to check for emails / messages. YMMV

I went to Yosemite and right when I got into the valley service was there. It was Extended Network, my txting worked. The service was ok it was Golden State Cellular. It worked ok just at night sometimes if I tried calling someone it would say all circuits are busy it was ok.