When we started dating, we had a conversation about all of the amazing places in the world that we wanted to see. Yosemite National Park was near the top of the list for the both of us. Yosemite is a true adventurers dream land, think of it as the Disney World for outdoor enthusiasts. Hiking, camping, canoeing, and rock climbing are what draw millions of people to Yosemite Valley each year. This place is incredible and we can’t wait to share with you the details of our adventure!
How to get to Yosemite
Yosemite National Park is located in the northern portion of California in the United States. To get here, you will need to fly into one of the near-by airports and arrange for a car or public transportation to get you to the Valley itself.
Tip: There are a few regional airports in close proximity to Yosemite however, flights to this airport can be costly!
Airports
We flew into San Francisco Airport. From here, our friend who was living in California at the time, picked us up and we drove together.
Ground transportation
From the major airports there are some different options available to get you to Yosemite Valley!
Greyhound Bus: This bus is an economical option if you are not concerned about the time it takes to get you to Yosemite Valley. You can catch the bus in many major cities and it will take you to the Yosemite Visitor’s Center or Yosemite Valley Lodge! Check out the link here for more information.
Tip: From the city of San Francisco to Yosemite Visitor’s center it ‘s about a 9 hour drive according to the Greyhound bus website!
Rental Car: This is the best option for getting you to Yosemite in the fastest way possible. This also gives you the freedom while you are in the park to visit some of the further away attractions!
Campervan: If you are planning on camping in Yosemite Valley than this gives you the best of both worlds. Campervan’s are easy to book online and offer you a chance to live the vanlife! Check out this link here for more information!
When to visit
Yosemite National Park offers activities year round. The time of year to visit depends on the experience you are looking to have and what activities you plan of doing!
spring
Spring is the best season to see waterfalls as they are the fullest during this season. This also optimal rafting season. Depending on the snow fall, Glacier Point Road may be open and Tioga Road may be open for vehicle access to some of Yosemite’s most sought after attractions. Spring is when tourist season starts to pick up, but has not reached the peak crowds of summer! Getting reservations for camping and accommodations could be a bit easier than planning a trip in the summer months.
Summer
Summer is the most popular time to visit Yosemite. All roads should be accessible so there is ample access to all of what Yosemite has to offer! Summer offers amazing weather and provides some great conditions for camping. Half Dome will be open as hiking conditions are optimal. There are also a lot of Ranger led activities and events held in the Valley during this season. However, by summer most of the waterfalls have dried up or are much smaller and rafting season comes to an end! So keep this in mind if you are heading to Yosemite to see waterfalls or do water based activities!
Fall
Fall offers mild weather and small crowds. The weather is comfortable for hiking and biking around the Valley. There is some opportunities to take in fall foliage also! Near the end of the season there is the possibility of snow so check Yosemite National Park website for notices of road closures! Half Dome cables usually come down in the month of October, pending weather.
Winter
Although the weather is cold, Yosemite is just as beautiful in the winter as it is in the summer months. There are little to no crowds and accommodation prices drop! The Valley will be covered in a blanket of snow and it is so beautiful! Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road will be closed due to snowfall. Also, Tuolumne Meadows will be closed as well. Roads leading into Yosemite may be snow covered and are in a snow chain control area. By the current California law, vehicles are required to carry tire chains in the vehicle even if it is not snowing. Check out this link here for more information on Snow Chain laws in California.
Where to Stay
There a number of options when it comes to places to stay in Yosemite. We are going to focus on where you can stay in Yosemite Valley specifically as this is the main part of the park!
CampGrounds
For us, camping in Yosemite Valley is a bucket-list item. Spending the night under the stars surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world is a once in a lifetime experience. We camped our entire stay and absolutely recommend it!
Upper Pines Campground: this campground is located in the heart of Yosemite Valley. Upper Pines is open all year round, is pet friendly and is the largest of the “Pines” campgrounds. The current nightly rate is $26 and a reservation is required to stay here!
Lower Pines Campground: located next to Upper Pines, this campground is open from April 27th until October 12th. This campground is the smallest of the “Pines” campgrounds and is pet friendly. The current nightly rate is $26 and a reservation is required to stay here!
North Pines Campground: located next to Upper and Lower Pines, this campground is open from April 20th – October 10th. This campground is mid-size, is pet friendly and costs $26 per night. A reservation is required to stay here.
All of the “Pines” Campgrounds allow RV’s and Trailers up to a certain size. Check out the link here for more information on these 3 campgrounds!
Camp 4
This campground operates differently than the “Pines” campgrounds. From Mid May until September there is a lottery system one day prior for reservations. To enter the lottery there is a $10 mandatory fee, and if a campsite is acquired it is $6 per person, per night. From the end of September through to the beginning of May, this campground operates on a first come first serve basis. This campground is for tenting only and does not allow pets! Check out this link for more information on Camp 4!
Tip: These campgrounds have washrooms, but do not have shower facilities. You can access shower facilities for a small fee in The Housekeeping Camp or at Curry Village. The shower fees include soap and towels!
Back Country Camping
Back-Country Camping: For those who are not familiar, back country camping requires hiking into remote locations in the wilderness! This type of camping is our absolute favorite and we highly recommend it!
Yosemite has multiple different designated back country camping areas throughout the various hiking trails. Back Country camping requires a wilderness permit. Permits can be acquired in two different ways. 1) In a lottery 24 weeks ahead of the date you plan on camping. 2) They also release same day, first come first serve permits at 11 AM the day prior to your hike.
The best plan of action is to determine which trail-head you would need to access to reach your desired back country campsite. You can check out the trail-head map here! Once you have decided this, you can check the trail-head report here to see if there is availability on the day you choose! Once you have decided this, try to make a reservation 24 weeks before your desired date. Information on reservations as well as the application can be found here! Don’t be discouraged if there is no availability online, as you can always try and get a first come first serve permit once you are at the park.
Tip: Have a backup plan! Look at the trail-head map and assess which trails lead to the desired location you wish to camp in! That way, if permits for one trail-head are sold out, you have another option in mind!
If this type of camping interests you, check out the link here for more information!
Lodging
For those of you who are not interested in setting up a tent, there are plenty of lodging options in Yosemite Valley. From canvas cabins, to luxury hotels there are options for everyone!
Curry Village
Curry Village is located within Yosemite Valley and offers standard hotel rooms, wood cabins and canvas tent cabin accommodations! During the winter months they do offer heated canvas tent cabins as well. Curry Village has daily housekeeping, shower facilities and dining options on site. For more information and to make reservations check out the link here!
Tip: This used to be called Half Dome Village!
The Housekeeping Camp
The housekeeping camp offers guests three sided concrete structures with a canvas roof and door! Each unit has a patio, electrical outlets, a table with chairs and a double bed with bunk beds. Units can be within the main campground or along the river side! The Housekeeping camp offers guests rentals of pillows, blankets, sheets, and portable stoves! There are shower facilities on site, as well as laundry facilities. Check out the link here for more information and to make reservations!
Yosemite Valley Lodge
This iconic lodge is located at the base of Yosemite Falls and offers some amazing accommodations for your stay in the Valley. They offer traditional hotel rooms as well as family style rooms which offer a king bed, and a set of bunk beds. They also have a seasonal outdoor pool and free wifi! For more information and to make reservations check out the link here!
The Ahwahnee Hotel
This is the luxury hotel in Yosemite Valley. This hotel is open all year and offers world class accommodations! The Ahwahnee has various room styles from the standard hotel room , to junior suites all the way to hotel cottages. They have wifi available as well as one of the best restaurants in the Valley! For more information on this hotel, to make reservations or to make dinner reservations check out the link here!
Tip: This used to be called the Majestic Yosemite Hotel
Getting Around in the Park
Yosemite Valley is huge! Parking is sparse as there are many day trip visitors that take up the vast majority of the public parking. If you do have a vehicle, our best advice is to leave it parked at your campsite or hotel and take the free shuttle bus instead!
The free shuttle bus service runs through the main areas of Yosemite Valley and will take you to various trail-heads, hotels and campgrounds, as well as the visitors center and store! This is how we got around the majority of our stay and it was so convenient!
Where to Eat
Yosemite National Park is quite the ways away from any grocery stores or department stores. So it is important to either plan and shop ahead, or take advantage of the grocery store and restaurants in the park!
The Village Store
The Village store located at the center of the park offers a great selection of groceries and essentials. This store is packed with fresh vegetable and fruit, various meat products, a frozen food section, pantry items as well as alcohol. The store also is packed with souvenirs, blankets, towels and firewood!
Degnan’s Kitchen
This is a quick grab and go style of restaurant. They are open from 7AM to 6PM and offer breakfast and lunch sandwiches as well as a variety of snacks. They also have a cafe portion that makes a variety of coffee’s and pastries! There is casual seating located in this restaurant where they offer wifi and have ample plug ins if you need to get some work done.
The Loft at Degnan’s
Located above Degnan’s Kitchen, The Loft is 1PM to 8PM. This restaurant is casual and serves up some amazing bar style food like chicken wings and pizza! They also have a variety of wines and beers on tap.
Curry Village Dining
With indoor and outdoor seating available, there are a variety of dining options located in Curry Village! From the Coffee Corner, the Pizza Patio, Meadow’s Grill and the Curry Village Pavilion there are options for just about everyone!
The Ahwahnee Dining Room
This restaurant is located in the Ahwahnee Hotel and offers fine dining surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world! They are open from 9 AM to 8 PM. This restaurant has a dress code and generally requires reservations as it is highly sought after! Check out this link for information on reservations and the dress code!
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What To Do
Yosemite Valley has some of the most incredible viewpoints in the world. There is no shortage of things to do here. That being said, we are going to give you the breakdown of some of the most popular spots to see and some of our favorite places!
Tunnel View
This is one of the most iconic viewpoints of Yosemite National Park and was made famous by Ansel Adams. From here you can see El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridal Veil Falls. This spot can get incredibly busy so make sure to arrive here early in the day! This view point is one of the furthest on this list of places to see in the Valley. Tunnel View will require a car to reach. To reach Tunnel View, you will take State Highway 41 and it will be just on the other side of Wawona Tunnel!
Glacier Point
This was one of our favorite places that we visited during our time in Yosemite! This viewpoint overlooks Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Valley and Yosemite High Country. This is one of the most spectacular views in the entire park. This is a must do.
There are a few different ways to reach it. Four Mile Trail is a hiking trail that starts in the Valley and is 4 miles from start to finish. The trail-head ends at Glacier Point! The Panorama Trail is another very popular hiking trial, and is 8.5 miles from the Valley floor to Glacier Point. We will go more into these hiking trails below! You can also drive up to Glacier Point from the Valley is you have a car! You will take State Highway 41 and merge onto Wawona Road. Wawona Road will then turn into Glacier Point Road. The total drive time is approximately 1 hour from the Valley floor. Lastly, there are guided tours that leave from Yosemite Lodge twice a day. Check out the link here for more information!
Tip: The road to reach Glacier Point is only used in late spring to early fall as the road can be very dangerous in the winter! In the winter, if the road is open, vehicles generally require snow-chains for their tires. Check out the Yosemite National Park website for alerts on road closures and conditions before heading up there!
Taft Point
Wow. You absolutely must go here. Taft Point offers some amazing views, and generally is not as crowded as Glacier Point. Might this be one of our favorite place sin Yosemite? The answer is absolutely.
To reach Taft Point you must reach Glacier Point first. To do this, you can either take the 4 Mile Trail, The Panorama Trail or drive up to Glacier Point. From Glacier Point road, you will find the trail-head to Taft point and Sentinal Dome. It is a relatively short and easy hike to Taft Point, about 2.2 miles roundtrip! For more information on the exact trail-head location, check out the link here!
Tip: Be very careful here, there are guard rails up for a reason around some of the lookout points. Be cautious and safe as people have fallen from this point.
4 Mile Trail
This 4.8 mile trail (one way) offers incredible views of Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome! This trail begins in Yosemite Valley and ends at Glacier Point and you will gain approximately 3200 feet of elevation. This trail may be strenuous but is worth the hike! We hiked this trail a few times during our trip to Yosemite because we loved it so much!
The Mist Trail
If you are looking to see some of Yosemite’s waterfalls up close and personal than this is the trail for you! Be prepared to get wet, it is called the Mist Trail for a reason! This trail is 3 miles rountrip to Vernal Falls, and 7 miles round trip to Nevada Falls and you will gain approximately 4000 feet of elevation total! You will find the trail-head to The Mist Trail at the shuttle stop #16 on the Valley floor. This trail will also cross paths with the infamous John Muir Trail! This trail will also link into the Panorama Trail which will take you up to Glacier Point.
Panorama Trail
This trail is arguably one of the most scenic trails in Yosemite Valley. This trail will offer you incredible views of Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls. This 8.5 mile hike one way leads you from the Valley floor to Glacier Point! The trail head is within The Mist Trail!
Tip: If you do not feel like hiking this trail round trip, you can either hike this with the 4 Mile Trail, or take the Glacier Point Tour bus or a car up to Glacier Point and hike down this trail to the Valley!
Half Dome Hike
This is one of the most famous hikes in Yosemite National Park! This 17 mile round trip hike will take you up to one of the most famous rock formations in the world! This hike is the only day trip hike in the park that requires a permit. The permits are given out via a lottery system. You can apply for a permit here! If your bid is successful, you will receive notification in early April! There are also very limited amounts of first come, first serve permits.
The Half Dome cables are put up when all of the snow has melted and there are adequate climbing conditions. This is typically around Mid-May to October! This is not a year round hike!
Tip: This hike is long and strenuous. Make sure you are prepared with lots of water and snacks! Also make sure you have adequate equipment to complete this hike.
Lower Yosemite Falls Hike
This 1 mile loop trail is very easy and very rewarding. This hiking trail offers a closer glimpse of the magnificent Yosemite falls! To access this trail, you will get off a bus stop #6 and follow the signage to the trail-head where you will begin your climb.
Upper Yosemite Falls Hike
This is a 7 mile round-trip hike that will take you to the very top of Yosemite Falls, offering amazing views of half-dome! You will begin at the Lower Yosemite Falls trail-head! This hike is considered moderate and you will gain approximately 2600 feet of elevation. Once you reach the top of this trail, you can continue for another 0.75 miles to Yosemite Point which offers a more birds-eye view of the valley below!
Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake is an easy trail located on the Valley floor! To reach the trail-head you will take the shuttle to stop #17. From here, it is a 2.2 mile loop trail that will take you around the lake! This lake is so beautiful and offers excellent views of the massive granite rock faces that surround the Valley!
Horsetail falls
Also known as the infamous “firefall”. This waterfall is seasonal and only flows in the winter and spring months. During the month of Feburary, if the sun sets in the right spot, this waterfall will capture the light and look like it is on fire. This natural phenomenon is a bucketlist item! Check out this link for information on how to view this waterfall!
Sentinel Meadow and Cook’s Meadow Loop
This loop trail is 2.25 miles long and will take you through the valley floor. You will have some amazing views of Yosemite Falls, El Cap and Half Dome from below! This hike is very easy, and is almost completely flat. This trail can be crowded due to its proximity to the lodges, store and main parking areas, however it is worth a visit!
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Mariposa Grove
If you are looking to see some famous Giant Sequoias, than this grove is a must visit! Roughly about an hour and a half drive from Yosemite Valley, this is well worth the trip. These trees are unbelievable to see in person. To get here, you will need to drive to the Mariposa Welcome Plaza where there is a free shuttle to the Grove! For more information on this magical place, check out the link here!
Rock Climbing
Many of the world’s famous climbing enthusiasts flock to Yosemite to climb one of the massive granite rock faces! (If you haven’t watched Free Solo on Netflix.. go do that now). Whether you are a beginner or a pro there are a lot of options for climbing. Yosemite National Park offers the Yosemite Mountaineering School & Guide Service. This service provides rock climbing lessons for those who are new to the sport! Check out the link here!
If you are not into rock climbing, you might find it just as interesting to spectate. You can watch climbers make their ascent up the most sought after rock face, El Capitan, from the meadow below. It is even more interesting at night time, as you can see some of the more experienced climbers setting up their suspended tents on the rock face!
Rafting
Whether you are looking to raft down a leaisurly river, or try your hand at white water rafting, there are many different options for you in Yosemite! This is a seasonal activity, running only in the spring to late summer. As the season progresses, the water becomes calmer providing a more relaxed adventure. Check out the link here for all of the rafting services provided by the park!
Final Thoughts
How do we begin to summarize Yosemite? Yosemite is so much more than just a place to visit. It is a chance to reconnect with yourself and nature. A place to allow yourself to be free and act like a kid again. Yosemite brings out the adventurer in everyone! From hiking to camping to rock climbing, there is no shortage of things to do here.
We hope that you found this guide helpful! Let us know in the comments below if you have been and what your favorite places in Yosemite are!
Happy Travels! – The Globe Wanderers 🙂
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