You’ve seen them. Those massive, sprawling tents that look more like a small aircraft hangar than a piece of camping gear. Most of the time, they're a total pain to set up. But the North Face Wawona 4 tent is a bit of an outlier in the car camping world. It’s tall. Really tall. Like, "I can stand up and stretch my arms without hitting the ceiling" tall.
If you’re over 5'10", you know the "tent crawl." It's that awkward, hunched-over shuffle you do to get your pants on in the morning while your head scrapes against a damp rainfly. This tent basically kills that problem. It’s a double-wall construction that leans heavily into the "basecamp" aesthetic, which is basically marketing-speak for "we know you aren't carrying this in a backpack."
Honestly, the Wawona 4 is kind of a hybrid. It's not a technical mountaineering shelter, but it’s built way tougher than those $80 bargain bin tents that collapse the second a light breeze rolls through the canyon. It feels substantial.
What’s different about the new North Face Wawona 4 tent?
A few years ago, The North Face actually did a major redesign on this model. The old one was a single-wall design. For the uninitiated, single-wall tents are notorious for condensation. You’d wake up and it would basically be raining inside the tent because your breath had nowhere to go.
The current North Face Wawona 4 tent fixed that. They switched to a double-wall build. Now you have a dedicated tent body and a separate rainfly. It breathes. It handles the humidity of a rainy Appalachian weekend way better than the old version ever did.
The color also changed from that bright "look at me" yellow to a more muted agave teal and asphalt grey. It blends into the woods a bit better. You don't feel like a giant neon sign in the middle of a crowded National Park campground.
The Vestibule: It's basically a porch
Let’s talk about the porch. Most tents have a tiny little flap where you can maybe shove a pair of muddy boots. The Wawona 4 has a massive integrated vestibule. It's huge.
You can fit two camp chairs in there. You can keep your cooler, your muddy bins, and your dog’s bed all under cover without actually bringing the dirt into the sleeping area. It’s the kind of space that makes a rainy day at the campsite actually bearable. Instead of being trapped in your sleeping bag, you can sit in the vestibule, watch the rain, and drink coffee.
The poles are DAC MX. That matters. DAC is basically the gold standard for tent poles—they’re lighter and stronger than the cheap fiberglass stuff that splits after three uses. The color-coding makes it easier to figure out which pole goes where, which is a godsend when you're trying to set up camp as the sun is going down and your kids are already asking when dinner is ready.
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Space, Height, and the Reality of 4-Person Tents
Here is the truth: no "4-person" tent actually fits four adults comfortably. It’s a lie the outdoor industry tells us. If you put four grown men in here, you’re going to be smelling each other's breath all night.
But for a couple with a dog, or a small family with two young kids? It’s perfect.
The peak height is 68 inches. That is five feet, eight inches. Unless you're playing in the NBA, you can probably stand up straight in the middle of this thing. That changes the entire vibe of camping. It stops feeling like you’re "roughing it" and starts feeling like you have a mobile bedroom.
The interior is roughly 58 square feet. It’s a square-ish layout, which makes it easier to arrange sleeping pads. Some tents have these weird tapered feet areas that force you into a specific orientation, but the North Face Wawona 4 tent is pretty democratic with its floor space.
Wind and Weather: The Trade-off
Because it's so tall, it acts like a sail.
Physics is a jerk. If you’re camping in a high-desert windstorm in Moab, this tent is going to rattle. It's just the nature of having high vertical walls. While the poles are strong, the sheer surface area of the tent means you must stake it out properly. Use every guyline. Don't skip them because you're lazy.
It’s rated as a 3-season tent. That means spring, summer, and fall. Don't take this to Everest. Don't take it somewhere where it's going to get two feet of heavy, wet snow dropped on it overnight. The flat-ish top of the vestibule could catch snow and potentially collapse under extreme weight.
But for a thunderstorm? It’s solid. The 1200mm polyester fly with a PU coating keeps the water out. The floor is even tougher—75D polyester with a 1500mm PU coating. It’s rugged.
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Ventilation and "The Breeze"
The large mesh windows and doors are great for airflow. If you’re camping in the humid South, you need this.
One cool feature is the rear door. You have the giant front "garage" door, but there's also a smaller back door. This allows for cross-ventilation. It also means if you’re sleeping in the back, you don’t have to crawl over three people to go pee at 2:00 AM.
The internal storage pockets are also well-placed. There are plenty of places to stash headlamps, car keys, and phones. It’s the little things that make a tent livable over a long four-day weekend.
Is it worth the price?
You’re looking at a price point that usually sits between $300 and $400.
That’s a lot more than a Coleman from a big-box store. But you’re paying for the DAC poles, the better fabric, and the fact that The North Face has a pretty stellar warranty. If a pole snaps or a seam fails prematurely, they usually take care of you.
Cheap tents use heavy, brittle poles and thin fabric that tears if it catches a twig. The North Face Wawona 4 tent uses 75D (denier) fabric, which is thick enough to handle some abuse.
Real-world quirks to watch out for
No gear is perfect.
The vestibule doesn't have a floor. Some people hate this. If the ground is muddy, your "porch" is going to be muddy. You can solve this by buying a cheap piece of outdoor carpet or a footprint, but it's something to keep in mind.
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Also, the packed size is pretty big. It’s about 10 inches by 27 inches. It’s going to take up a significant chunk of your trunk space. Again, this is not a backpacking tent. Don't even try. It weighs about 13 pounds. Your back will hate you.
Setting it up alone is possible, but it’s a bit of a wrestling match because of the height. It’s much easier with two people. One person holds the poles in place while the other clips the tent body on.
Why the Wawona 4 wins over the Wawona 6
Sometimes bigger isn't better. The Wawona 6 is a literal palace, but it’s so big that it doesn't fit on some standard wooden tent pads at state parks. The Wawona 4 has a more reasonable footprint. It fits in tight campsites while still giving you that massive ceiling height.
Actionable Steps for Your First Trip
If you decide to pull the trigger on a North Face Wawona 4 tent, don't just head straight to the woods.
First, do a dry run. Set it up in your backyard or a local park first. The pole configuration for the vestibule is a little different than a standard dome tent, and you don't want to be figuring that out in the dark while it's raining.
Second, buy better stakes. The stakes that come with almost every tent—including this one—are okay, but not great. Pick up a set of MSR Groundhogs or similar Y-beam stakes. They hold much better in loose soil, which is vital for a tall tent like this.
Third, get the footprint. It doesn’t always come included. A footprint protects that 1500mm floor from rocks and roots, ensuring your investment lasts ten years instead of two.
Lastly, manage your expectations on heat. Because the rainfly doesn't go all the way to the ground on the sides (by design, for airflow), it’s not the warmest tent for winter camping. It’s built to breathe. If you’re camping in 30-degree weather, bring a warmer sleeping bag because this tent won't trap much body heat.
This tent is for the person who wants to be comfortable, who values being able to stand up, and who wants gear that won't end up in a landfill after one season. It’s a solid, dependable basecamp for anyone who loves the outdoors but is tired of crawling on their hands and knees.