Your first trip into Yosemite Valley will take your breath away as you stare up at iconic granite mountains with waterfalls roaring over the cliffs. It’s truly one of the most spectacular places in the country 🤩, but can be overwhelming to plan a trip. So, I’ve created this ultimate guide to Yosemite National Park.
This insane landscape was carved by glaciers thousands of years ago, leaving a stunning natural playground behind. People come from all over to hike, rock climb, and get the chance to simply see this amazing park.
Luckily, I have had the opportunity to spend plenty of time in Yosemite while I lived in a van. So, now I want to share everything I’ve learned with you.
I’ve written a lot of different guides on visiting Yosemite, but now I’ve put everything you need to know in one place. That way you can plan your trip with ease. In this guide you’ll find details on where to stay, when to visit, and what to do.
Happy travels!
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Guide to Yosemite National Park
YOSEMITE IN A NUTSHELL
Short on time? Read this quick overview for your trip to Yosemite National Park with everything you need to know!
- Where to Stay: Lodge at the historic Ahwahnee in the park or camp in the valley
- Getting there: Fly into Sacramento, San Francisco, or Fresco and drive to the park
- How to Get Around: There are free shuttle buses in Yosemite Valley or rent a bike
- Best Time to Visit: Spring or Fall
- Things to Do: See the iconic Glacier Point, explore Yosemite Valley, and take in the views at Tunnel View
How to Get to Yosemite
Although Yosemite is a popular park, it takes some effort to get there. The closest airport to Yosemite is the small Fresno airport, which is about 1.5 hours away. While larger airports like San Francisco and Sacramento are about 3.5-4 hours away.
So, once you’ve flown into the area, the best thing to do is rent a car to get to the park itself. I like using Discover Cars to find the best prices.
You can also make this into a larger road trip, which I’ve done a few times and add on Sequoia & Kings Canyon Parks as well. That way you see all these incredible sights at once.
Best Time to Visit Yosemite
Yosemite is truly a gorgeous destination year round, so deciding when to go depends on what you want to see!
🍂 Fall comes with gorgeous colors that change many of the trees within the valley. With an abundance of Maple trees, Dogwoods, and Aspens you can see colors ranging from bright yellow to dark red. The best time to see this is generally the month October.
❄️ Then, winter brings gorgeous snowy scenes, but it also comes with some risks. Roads and trails will get closed due to heavy snow at times. But, Firefall is an incredible event that typically happens in mid-February and draws huge crowds.
🌸 Spring arrives and life fills Yosemite Valley. This is one of my favorite times to visit the park with waterfalls gushing from the winter snowfall and greenery covering the landscape. You can read more about visiting Yosemite in spring here.
☀️ Finally, summer offers tons of trails to take on, gorgeous sunny weather, and the opportunity to drive Tioga Pass. However, they do get afternoon rainstorms at times, and it’s also the most crowded time of year, with people visiting from all over. So, plan accordingly!
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 Yosemite National Park costs $35 for a private vehicle which lasts 7 days for US residents. You can also use annual passes like America the Beautiful Pass for entry. Non-US residents will need to pay $150 per person over 16 or $250 for an Annual Parks Pass.
☀️ Weather changes quickly in Yosemite. One moment the valley can look sunny and the next it’s thundering. So, check the weather and stay at lower elevations if storms are in the forecast.
⛺️ All campgrounds must be reserved in advance. Campgrounds tend to sell out the moment they go on sale. However, in May, some campsites are not available until closer to the dates because of possible flooding. We got our reservation a day in advance!
🐻 Yosemite is bear country, so make sure to stay bear aware. Keep all of your food in bear containers if you’re camping. If you see a bear, keep your distance!
🦮 Pets are not allowed on most trails. However, you can bring them on paved roads, on the Wawona Meadow Trail, and in campgrounds. But, they must remain on 6 foot leashes.
⚠️ Glacier Point Road and Tioga Pass are usually closed from November to late May. You can stay updated by checking the NPS website.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
Getting Around The Park
Because Yosemite is such a popular park, the National Park System has made it wonderfully accessible for visitors. There are plenty of ways to get around and explore!
First, the park offers a free shuttle bus system within Yosemite Valley. So, you can simply park at one of the large parking lots in the central area and then take the shuttles to get from place to place. I have used the shuttles on every single one of my trips and they run really well!
Another fun way to get around the Valley is to bike around it! You can bring your own bike or rent one for the day at Curry Village and Yosemite Valley Lodge. I absolutely LOVE biking around the valley and it’s something that you should not miss!
Finally, you can drive to get between different areas of Yosemite. Cars are really helpful to have if you want to see Hetch Hetchy or Tioga Pass.
Where to Stay on Your Trip
The best place to stay in Yosemite is anywhere within Yosemite Valley whether that’s a lodge or a campground. However, these get booked up months in advance, so you’ll want to plan ahead to secure a spot!
I’ll give a brief guide on where to stay in the park below, but you can read my entire guide on where to stay in Yosemite here for more details!
Campgrounds
There are an incredible 13 campgrounds within Yosemite National Park, with four in the Valley. Those are: Upper Pines, North Pines, Lower Pines, and Camp 4. 🏕️
Reservations are required at most of the campgrounds and usually come out on recreation.gov in early January. In order to snag a site, you will want to be online as they go on sale. My friends and I all tried for a spot and only one of us was able to get anything. It was very stressful!
lodges in the park
Yosemite has a number of great lodges in the park, but the best two are: The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Valley Lodge.
These two lodges are in Yosemite Valley and so they’re right in the action of everything. Rooms in these hotels sell out months in advance. So, if you want a chance to stay you’ll want to plan far in advance.
outside the park
If you miss out on lodging/camping within the park there are wonderful areas to stay around Yosemite. Some of the best towns to base yourself are El Porta, Mariposa, Groveland and Oakhurst. There are a number of great hotels, inns, and RV parks in these areas!
Packing Guide for Yosemite
Your packing list will depend on the time of year you’re going to visit Yosemite. However, in general you will want to bring waterproof items and layers, especially if you plan on getting into the mountains.
Weather often comes in quickly at peaks or along the trails. It’s best to always be prepared!
Essential packing items for yosemite
- Comfortable Hiking Boots
- Small Pack
- First Aid Kit
- Rain Jacket
- Sunscreen
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Hat to Block the Sun
- Hiking Poles
- Satellite Phone
- Parks Pass
Things to Do in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is a huge park, so it can be really hard to figure out what to do! I’ve been to Yosemite many times now and I’ve fallen more in love with it each time. That’s why I’ve created this Yosemite National Park guide with a comprehensive list of the best things to see within the park.
Go on a Hike or Backpacking Trip
Lace up your hiking boots and hit the trails! Because there are over 800 miles of hiking trails to explore within Yosemite National Park.
There are so many trails, that it may be hard for you to decide where to start. But, below I’ll list some of my all time favorites and the hikes that I think are the very best. They range from easy half day hikes to insanely challenging journeys. Take your pick!
For those who want to get into the backcountry, there are a number of great trails. You simply need to apply for a wilderness permit 24 weeks in advance to secure your spot!
Yosemite’s Best day Hikes:
- Half Dome (17-19 miles, 5000 ft, challenging, permit required)- Half Dome is not for beginner hikers, but if you’re ready for a challenge then this is the best hike in the park. I have a complete guide on this trail that you can read.
- The Mist Trail (6.6 miles, 2150 ft, hard)- If you only have time for one hike in the park, then this is a great choice! It takes you to 2 stunning waterfalls that will blow you away.
- Lower Yosemite Falls (1 mile, 60 ft, easy)– This is a family friendly trail that takes you right up to this beautiful waterfall. It’s great to add to any trip!
- Yosemite Point (9 miles, 3700 ft, hard)- Climb to Upper Yosemite Falls and get above Yosemite Valley and take it all in on this wonderful trail! I did it on my last visit and now I want to go back and do it all again.
Rock Climb on Iconic Routes
Yosemite is not just one of the best places to climb in the country, but it’s also one of the best places to climb in the WORLD! Climbers visit here from all over to try out challenging routes and of course take on iconic rock faces like El Capitan.
Personally, I’m not a climber, but I enjoy observing the various adventurers making their way up the granite mountains.
Climbers who plan on taking any of the big walls must get wilderness permits for camping out overnight.
Go for a Bike Ride
I don’t think I can see this enough times, if there’s one thing you should do on your visit to Yosemite, it’s to bike through Yosemite Valley.
You can bring your own bike or rent one for the day from the Curry Village or Yosemite Valley Lodge area. I spent hours convincing my friends that it was worth it, and once we got on our bikes we seriously felt giddy! Cruising through the lush valley with waterfalls gushing off the mountains all around us and wind whipping through our hair felt so freeing.
Once you get on the bikes, there’s a clear bike path through the valley that you can loop around as many times as you want or stop and enjoy a hike. It’s simply a must.
Go Swimming
Are you visiting in the summer and need to cool off? There are tons of great little swimming holes in Yosemite to take advantage.
Yosemite Swimming holes:
- The Merced River– It runs through the valley and is a fantastic spot to go for a dip or grab an inner tube and float through the river! Some specific beaches include Sandy Beach, Cathedral Beach, or Swinging Bridge.
- Tenaya Lake– A large lake up on Tioga Pass that is a fantastic spot to spend the day!
- Cathedral Lakes– This is a 7 mile hike, but it takes you to two fantastic lakes to take a refreshing dip.
Visit the Different Areas
Although most of this guide covers Yosemite Valley (because it’s the iconic section) there are actually four other areas within the park! These areas are Mariposa Grove, Tioga Road, Hetch Hetchy, and Glacier Point.
Each of these areas is incredibly distinct and offers different things to explore and see. Here’s a summary of them below with the highlights that you don’t want to miss!
Yosemite Valley
When people talk about visiting Yosemite, they are most often referring to this area of the park. It’s an iconic valley with tall granite peaks and gorgeous gushing waterfalls, but it’s actually only 7 miles long.
Take your time biking through the valley, going on a hike, or simply driving through. Some of the iconic sights here include: Half Dome, El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Lower & Upper Yosemite Falls, Nevada Falls, and Vernal Falls.
Glacier Point
Glacier Point does not in fact contain any glaciers. It got it’s name because this is the area where the two valleys that were carved by glaciers meet: Tenaya Creek and Merced River.
It actually sits 3300 feet above Yosemite Valley, so you can either get there by driving 30 miles (about 1 hour by car) or hike up the inaptly named 4 Mile Trail (4.7 miles one way). From there, you will get sweeping views over these stunning glacially carved valleys and fantastic views of Half Dome.
Tioga Pass/Tuolumne Meadows
Explore the high-alpine country that sits along the iconic Tioga Road. Tuolumne Meadows sits much higher at about 8,000-10,00 feet above sea level. Because of this, the road/area is typically only open in the summer when it melts.
But, it’s a great area to escape the summer heat. There are a bunch of wonderful trails to take through this area or you can simply sit and relax by Tenaya Lake.
Mariposa Grove
Mariposa Grove is home to some of the tallest trees in the world, here you’ll find a Sequoia grove with over 400 trees. It’s about an hour from Yosemite Valley, but it’s a sight to behold.
If you’ve never seen these trees up close, then this is truly a must visit. There’s nothing that will make you feel so small and in awe of the world around us!
Hetch Hetchy
Hetch Hetchy is one of the least visited areas of the park, but honestly it was one of my favorites. This is the twin valley to Yosemite and John Muir even said that it was his favorite of the two. However, since then the area has been dammed and the reservoir now provides drinking water to San Francisco.
At over 1.5 hours from Yosemite Valley, it’s one of the most remote areas of the park. But, it’s really peaceful to visit and walk along the reservoir to see Wapama Falls. If you have extra time, I’d definitely add a visit!
Final Tips for Visiting Yosemite National Park
I hope you enjoyed this comprehensive guide of Yosemite National Park. It’s truly one of the most remarkable places in the entire country. Even if you visited it 100 times, there would still be new places to explore.
So, my biggest tips are to plan far in advance of your trip, book your lodging early, and give yourself plenty of time to explore the gems within its bounds. I’ve been many times and I would go many more just to continue uncovering the beauty there.
Let me know if you found this guide helpful in the comments!
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