The North Face  Wawona 4 Tent

There is a lot to love about this tent. Large windows, tall peak height, good floor space, and I wanted to make it my forever tent so bad, but it just didn't add up. I bought the tent on memorial day, and took it camping in the Moosehead lake region. We had a groomed campsite with a smooth base and overall, decent conditions for camping. I had purchased the footprint to ensure that the base was properly protected when setting it up and using it, but it just didn't work. On our second night, we had rain and in the morning I noticed a ring where water had been seeping during the night. Now keep in mind, I'm a shoes off in the tent guy. It's easier for cleanliness and it's easier to prolong the life of the tent...I questioned my setup, questioned the site, but in the end realized that maybe I just got a faulty tent. So I brought it back to REI and they were super good about allowing me to get a new one. That brought me to the next time I used it. I was excited to be breaking out this brand new tent, and was looking forward to having a better experience than the first round. I was camping in Rangely while preparing to hike Katahdin. The site was pristine. Well raked soft ground, few if any rocks which were easy to knock out of the way, this was a dream site. So I set the tent up, excited for this fresh start. We got it setup, loaded our mats into the tent, and as I was stepping out of the tent, something caught the corner of my eye...it was a hole in the floor again. Now, I get that QC slips. I get that maybe these things happen, but if I'm dropping $400+ on a tent, it has to be more resilient than a lace dress. I was hoping for more, but in the end it's not the tent for me, and I suggest you keep a close eye on the floors as you break it out because there is a good chance you will find a pinhole waiting to wet your bag in a rainy night of sleep.

Cannot express enough how this tent meets every expectation of what I hoped it was. It is bigger and more spacious than even the pictures allow and is such a good tent for two people- and allows you both to stand and walk around without elbowing another or feeling claustrophobic like most "4 person" tents do for 2 people. Both of us are under 5'9 but really needed a taller tent because most tents reach as tall as we are, haha.The little front area space is amazing for putting your gear/ boots out underneath without the risk of them being rained on. Highly recommend the footprint for this tent, makes your tent floor stronger.

Poor materials. I've only used mine twice and already the poles are bent non-uniformly and the center point where the roof connects to the poles is tearing. Maybe if it were a $150 tent, it would make sense.

Took the North Face Wawona 4 out for camping and overall I’m pretty happy with it. Setup was fairly easy and took around 45 minutes including the footprint. Honestly, I struggled more with the rain fly than the actual tent setup. One thing that would make setup easier is better pole color coding — something like yellow or grey markings on matching poles/sleeves would help a lot, especially during first-time setup. The vestibule is on the smaller side. It’s good enough for keeping shoes covered, but don’t expect it to fit luggage or larger gear comfortably. Overall though, the tent feels spacious and solid once fully set up.

Don't be like me and buy it anyway after reading the reviews about the poles bending and breaking easily. Sure the design is fantastic but the construction is poor. I used this tent once in ideal conditions and the main pole bent. Reached out to northface and they stood firm poles are not under warranty. You'd get better durability from a Walmart tent. Ironically enough I was in line at REI and the person behind the counter was on the phone with another customer referring them to Northface customer service regarding poles on their tent. Northface do better!!

I cannot believe the positive reviews of this tent. It’s a pain to set up, and design is terrible. The rain fly is held on by a plastic ring & pin at the back. The pole tips ends come out easily, which makes me think this thing would buckle with any amount of wind. The height and flimsy poles just add to that assumption. The massive mesh doors meant we were very cold, even with two people and two large dogs. I’m glad we camped in mild weather. I would not trust this tent to make it through any sort of storm with wind. And a $450 tent that doesn’t come with a footprint? Are you kidding me? (It can be purchased separately for an additional $59). This tent is not worth the price tag. The only reason I’m giving 2 stars is because I think it could be ok for car camping in a warmer climate if you don’t expect wind.

The North Face Wawona 4 would be an excellent tent but for its very poor durability. It's a good size and weight for car camping, large enough for two sleeping bags and gear. And I could stand up inside without difficulty (5'10"). Ventilation is good with dedicated vents in the top and fine mesh "windows" on 3 sides plus the entry. The vestibule is adequate, providing a cramped but useable space to remove shoes and store gear keeping everything dry in rain storms and sheltered from the sun. My partner and I could set up and breakdown the tent in 15 minutes - very good. However. The rainfly developed 4 holes within a week or two of use and the floor of the tent began to shed its waterproof coating on the floor within a couple of months. Very disappointing as the design is otherwise quite good. I purchased the tent in late May 2025 and returned it in early September after completing a Canadian cross-country camping trip. Quality control seems poor for such a well respected brand on a $400+ tent.

This tent held up well in a thunderstorm. I hate the storage bag. Why do outdoor companies make the tent sacks so freakishly small? My last tent was Big Agnes Big House and the tent sack made putting away my tent a breeze!

I bought this last year on sale and I’m so happy I did. It can fit 2-3 people comfortably. I think 4 would be pushing it, would probably need to keep your personal things in the car, but would be doable. Pretty easy set up as long as you have another person helping you. Got the green ish color and I think it’s such a cool color. I love all the different compartments too. Definitely something I can see lasting me for years.

Roomy and strudy but a few concerns. The rain fly is not easy to install. Its assymetrical design makes it difficult to orient front from back. Perhaps some labeling or color coding is needed. Poles stay slightly bent after takedown. I hope I don't have breakage issues that other have noted.