When looking at U.S. National Parks, Yosemite National Park is in the top 20 when it comes to sheer size, and top 10 for annual visitors. So it’s probably no surprise that there is A LOT that you can do in one of the most popular National Parks in the U.S. So much so, that unless you plan on spending a month there, you’ll likely have to pick and choose your activities. We’d like to help simplify the list, and make it easier for you to determine what you might want to do. So here’s your guide to everything Yosemite National Park!
WHERE IS YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK LOCATED?
Yosemite National Park is located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Central California. While geographically it is pretty central in the state, it is not exactly super accessible or close to any of the major cities. Depending on where you’re coming from, you’re likely looking at a 4-6 hour drive to just get in to the park.
DRIVE FROM:
- SAN FRANCISCO: 4 hours
- SAN JOSE: 4 hours
- SACRAMENTO: 4 hours
- OAKLAND: 3.5 hours
- LAKE TAHOE: 6 hours
- LOS ANGELES: 6 hours
- SAN DIEGO: 8 hours
MAP OF YOSEMITE
If you plan on visiting Yosemite National Park, our recommendation would be to either stay in the park, or stay in a neighboring city like Merced, Groveland, or Mariposa. There are 5 entrances in to the park, which gives you a fair amount of flexibility in determining where you want to stay. Big Oak Flat is one of the most popular, as it has the main Yosemite National Park sign, is one of the more central entrances, and is located on one of the larger highways. But that means it can get really congested. We’d recommend using any of the other entrances if you aren’t too worried about getting a picture with the sign.
ENTRY TO YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Yosemite is 1 of 5 National Parks in the U.S. that requires reservations just to enter the park during their peak season. In 2022, this means May 20 through September 30. And this applies even if you have the America The Beautiful Annual National Park Pass, or the Yosemite National Park Annual Pass. These reservations are there to restrict or limit the amount of people who enter the park each day. And while this can be quite annoying and frustrating, trust us when we say it is needed. Even with these reservations, the park gets VERY VERY crowded by mid-day. And some of the trails become quite unsafe due to the amount of people on them.
If you aren’t 100% sure when you plan to visit, or want to have flexibility, there are still options. One is to enter the park before 6:00am, or after 4:00pm. Doing this, will save you from needing reservations. The second is to book a reservation at a campground inside the park. Either of these will allow you entry.
You can make reservations at Recreation.gov. During peak seasons, you’ll likely need to reserve 2-3 weeks in advance depending on the days and times you want to enter.
WHERE TO STAY IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
As we mentioned above, there are quite a few different options of places to stay in or around the National Park. For those looking to stay inside the park, there are 10+ different campgrounds inside the park with over 900 sites. That being said, they fill up QUICKLY. And not all sites are alike. Some are tent only, some will fit RVs and campers, but DO NOT have any electric or water hookups. And they have restrictions for generator use, so make sure to check the campgrounds page for the park for up to date info.
In addition to the campgrounds, you’ll also find a number of lodging options like Yosemite Village Lodge, Wawona Hotel, and more. But these also fill up quickly. If you’d rather stay outside the park, there are a TON of options. You’ll find a number of different lodging accommodations outside many of the entrances. You will pay a premium for most of these. Since we don’t mind driving a little bit, we have opted to stay in places like Merced or Groveland which have hotels, Airbnbs and more.
One of our favorite places is El Capitan Hotel by Hyatt in Merced. This is easily one of the coolest hotels we’ve ever stayed at, and they are incredibly dog friendly! And we’ve stayed at some incredible hotels like Ventana Big Sur, Alila Napa Valley, Alila Marea. Check out our GUIDE TO BOOKING TRAVEL WITH POINTS & MILES for more on staying at epic hotels for cheap.
For vanlifers, finding overnight parking won’t be easy. There are a few places that fall in to that grey area where overnight parking isn’t necessarily prohibited, but it also isn’t exactly allowed. For this reason, we will avoid noting any of these places as regulations may change.
Did we miss anything here? Let us know below!
THINGS TO DO IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
There is a TON to do in Yosemite National Park. No matter your age, or activity level, there’s something for everyone. The activities we have listed below will cover most of the spectrum, and we hope that there is at something here that you’ll find enjoyable and memorable. We’ve done almost all of them ourselves, and can confidently say they are all memorable!
TUNNEL VIEW
One of the easiest things to do and see in Yosemite, is Tunnel View. This is one of the most iconic and popular spots in the park. And it’s easy to see why. On the left you have El Capitan, and far off in the distance on the right, you have Half Dome. The two most iconic monolith rock formations in the park. This is one of the few places where there is a parking lot right next to the viewing point. Unfortunately, this also means that it can get VERY crowded, VERY quickly. So if you want to not only see this incredible view, but also enjoy it, you’ll want to either visit very early in the morning, or much later in the evening when the crowds have left.
- DIFFICULTY – Easy
- LENGTH – 0.0mi / 0.0km
- PET FRIENDLY – Yes!
BRIDALVEIL FALL
If you’re coming from Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall will be the next stop as you head towards Yosemite Village. The hike to this beautiful waterfall is relatively short (0.8mi / 1.3km out and back) and easy, making it perfect for any type of adventurer. Much of the hike is paved or at least well maintained. But the view from below is beautiful!
Sadly when we visited, Yosemite was on fire. Which seems to be becoming a yearly norm. We’ll talk more about that below.
- DIFFICULTY – Easy
- LENGTH – 0.8mi / 1.3km
- PET FRIENDLY – No
LOWER YOSEMITE FALLS
As you continue on to Yosemite Village, it’ll be hard to miss seeing Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Facing the north in the park, is one of the best views! Upper Yosemite Falls has a separate trail of its own, but for first time visitors or those trying to keep it on the easier side, we wouldn’t recommend doing Upper Yosemite Falls. Lower Yosemite Falls on the other hand, has a much more reasonable hiking trail. This trail is a 1.2mi / 1.9km looped trail, very flat and well maintained. It is also dog friendly! Depending the time of year you visit, one or both of these falls may be dried up and no longer flowing. So if you want to see them, you’re best bet would be winter or spring.
- DIFFICULTY – Easy
- LENGTH – 1.2mi / 1.9km
- PET FRIENDLY – Yes!
COOKS MEADOW
We love Cooks Meadow! This mostly boardwalk trail is in the heart of the valley between Northside Drive and Sentinel Crossover. From here you’ll have views of both Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls, and Sentinel Rock. There is a ton of streetside parking on both streets noted above, but they do fill up by mid-day. So much like everything else in the park, the earlier you visit, the better!
The looped trail is 2.0mi / 3.2km, however you can easily do sections of this individually and do not need to do the entire loop if you do not want to. We preferred staying in the boardwalk section in between the two roads as this provided the best views in the valley. But you’re also very exposed to the sun, so plan accordingly!
- DIFFICULTY – Easy
- LENGTH – 2.0mi / 3.2km
- PET FRIENDLY – Yes!
MIRROR LAKE
Continuing on our journey through the valley, Mirror Lake is next! Just beyond Curry Village, one of the main camping and lodging sites, is the trailhead for Mirror Lake. If you aren’t staying in the park, there is a parking lot on the right side of Southside Drive just passed Curry Village which is a perfect location to park to walk to the trailhead. The parking lot is small though, so if you plan to do this trail and hike, we’d recommend trying to park before 8:00am, otherwise you may be looking elsewhere to park, which would drastically increase your walking distance and time.
The trail is a little over 2.1mi / 3.4km out and back, and is a mostly maintained dirt trail. There are minor elevation changes, so this hike is great for all types of activity levels. Unfortunately, the area that this trail is in, is considered mountain lion territory, so pets are not allowed.
- DIFFICULTY – Moderate
- LENGTH – 2.1mi / 3.4km
- PET FRIENDLY – No
VERNAL FALL
This hike is NOT for the faint of heart. The trail that leads to this waterfall is called the Mist Trail, and for good reason. You will get wet on the way up to this fall. There is an elevation gain of over 1,200ft / 365m, and much of that elevation is going up and down 600+ granite stairs. Much of which are wet and slippery. So if you are up to it, plan ahead, and go early because just like everything else we’ve mentioned thus far, the trail gets VERY busy, very quickly. And the more people on the steps, the more unsafe it gets. We literally saw full families with kids, parents with children on their backs, all hiking up this trail. It was BONKERS. Trust us, go early, and get out early.
The trail is technically a loop, should you get to the top and want more, you can keep going and you’ll eventually get to Nevada Fall. This adds on another 1.5mi / 2.4km to the hike.
- DIFFICULTY – Strenuous
- LENGTH – 4.0mi / 6.4km
- PET FRIENDLY -No
GLACIER POINT
Hands down one of THE BEST VIEWS in the park. But getting to it requires planning. Glacier Point Road which leads you to this view, is a long windy road that is nowhere near Yosemite Village or Valley. It is best accessed from the South Entrance near Fish Camp. Unfortunately as of this moment while writing this (summer of 2022), Glacier Point Road which takes you to this spot, is closed for road work. There is good news though, the roadwork is expected to complete sometime in 2023.
If you are reading this and the road is still closed, there is some good news. There is still an option for visiting this epic spot. The bad news, it is VERY STRENUOUS. The option is Four Mile Trail which is a 9mi / 14.5km looped hike that has elevations of over 3,000ft / 900m. Not exactly ideal. But doable.
If you are reading this after the reopening of Glacier Point Road, then you are free to visit as you please! Given the epicness of this view, it can get rather crowded. We’d recommend going to this VERY early in the morning for sunrise, or later in the evening for or after sunset. These will be your best options for avoiding the crowds. We went to this spot first thing in the morning for sunrise, and nearly had it to ourselves.
You can check the NPS website up to date status of this road closure.
- DIFFICULTY – Easy (unless you go via The Four Mile Trail, then it is strenuous)
- LENGTH – 0.0mi / 0.0km
- PET FRIENDLY -Yes!
TAFT POINT
Of everything on the list thus far, this is 1 of 2 that we have yet to do. With each visit to the park, we have checked off something new. And this hike along with the next one, are our next items to check off. That being said, we’d be dumb not to include this in the things to do, as it has one of THE MOST EPIC views in the park.
Sadly this hike is also one of the few that requires driving on Glacier Point Road. So as of writing this, getting to this trail is tricky since Glacier Point Road is closed. It is also VERY STRENUOUS. You must first hike to Glacier Point, which as we noted above is 4 miles / 6.44km, from there it is another 1.5mi / 2.4km to Sentinel Dome, and then another 1mi / 1.6km on to Taft Point. Then you have to hike ALL of that back, making the total hike almost 14mi / 22.5km with elevation gains over 5,000ft / 1,500m. Yikes! No thank you.
Once Glacier Point Road is open again, the trailhead is just before you reach Glacier Point, and the trail is 2.3mi / 3.7km out and back. You do have the option of taking the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop Trail if you want more views which ends up being a 5.1mi / 8.2km hike. So many options! Take your pick.
Based on photos and videos we’ve seen from friends, we’d recommend going at sunrise or sunset to get the best views! We’ll update here once we’ve made our visit to confirm.
- DIFFICULTY – Moderate (unless you go via any of the other options, then it is strenuous)
- LENGTH – 2.3mi / 3.7km
- PET FRIENDLY – No
HALF DOME
Visiting Half Dome is the second of the 2 activities that we have yet to do, but are very eager to do it! This hike is quite strenuous much like the previous 2, but WELL WORTH it from what we can tell. The hike to Half Dome via the John Muir Trail, is 15.0mi / 24.1km out and back. Part of the trail requires climbing a cliffside via steel cables. Because how intense and strenuous this hike is, a permit is required to do the hike. Should you be feeling adventurous, and want to apply for a permit via a lottery, which you can do so HERE.
- DIFFICULTY – Strenuous
- LENGTH – 15.0mi / 24.1km
- PET FRIENDLY – No
MARIPOSA GROVE
The last thing on our list is visiting Mariposa Grove. This grove of giant sequoias borders Yosemite National Park, but is still a must-do activity! There is a 6.2mi / 10km looped trail that runs throughout the grove, much of which is flat and well-maintained. The good news, is that there a number of intersecting trails within the loop, making it very much a choose your own adventure depending on how much you want to hike.
The highlights of this trail in our minds are: Bachelor and Three Graces, Grizzly Giant, California Tunnel Tree, and The Fallen Monarch.
- DIFFICULTY – Easy to Moderate
- LENGTH – 6.2mi / 10km
- PET FRIENDLY – No
BEST TIME TO VISIT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
We’ll preface this with the usual disclaimer that this really depends on your personal preferences and interests. However, there are a few things to keep in mind which may sway you one way or the other.
SEASONS
The temperatures in California can range from scorching hot, to very chilly depending on the time of year. And as someone who grew up in the midwest, it took some time to really learn and understand that California has microclimates all over the place. Meaning you could be in one place and it could be 60ºF / 15ºC and drive 30 minutes and it could be 90ºF / 32ºC. Yosemite National Park is no different.
Given that so much of the activities are outdoors, we’d personally recommend going during one of the more milder to warmer months. Peak season is summer, so spring and fall would be ideal. These are also some of the better seasons for viewing waterfalls. We’d also recommend checking the park website for current conditions before visiting.
SPRING
- Avg Low temps: 40ºF / 4ºC
- Avg High temps: 65ºF / 18ºC
SUMMER
- Avg Low temps: 55ºF / 13ºC
- Avg High temps: 85ºF / 29ºC
FALL
- Avg Low temps: 50ºF / 10ºC
- Avg High temps: 80ºF / 27ºC
WINTER
- Avg Low temps: 30ºF / -1ºC
- Avg High temps: 50ºF / 10ºC
HOW MUCH TIME IS NEEDED
How much time you need to plan for in a place, is one of the most important questions to answer when planning a trip. Given the sheer size of Yosemite, we’d venture a guess that unless you live in California or are planning a long trip just to conquer Yosemite National Park, you’re likely not going to be able to do everything on this list. Additionally, how much you do depends on how much you’re willing to do in one day. We prefer to do activities between 6:00am and 11:00am as these are the best hours to avoid crowds. So for us, we would need multiple days to do a lot of this. But if you’re willing to rough the crowds, you could easily do much of this in 1-2 days. If you’re more like us, then we’d recommend 3-5 days.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
PARKING
The main thing to keep in mind is vehicle parking. If you aren’t camping inside the park, parking can be sparse. Especially as the day goes on. So when planning your visit, try to concentrate your activities to a certain area, and park somewhere central so you don’t have to constantly move your vehicle. There are buses and shuttles throughout the park, so getting around is not impossible. But wait times can be obnoxious.
FIRE SEASON
As sad as it is, fire season has become a norm for Yosemite. Between the months of June and September, fires are a very real possibility which can impact your visit greatly. These are also primetime peak months as well. So our recommendation, avoid if you can, visiting during these months unless you have absolutely no other choice. We’d suggest April-June or September-November. Temperatures will be moderate, crowds won’t be as bad, reservations won’t be an issue, and the waterfalls are more likely to be flowing.
Did we miss anything? Wish we had more info, let us know below in the comments!
OTHER NATIONAL PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Yosemite is 1 of 9 National Parks in California. If you aren’t familiar with all of them, here they are:
NORTH TO SOUTH
- Redwoods State and National Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Channel Islands National Park
- Death Valley National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
So if nothing tickled your fancy here with Yosemite, there are a TON of other options for you! And they are spread out all over the state. Here are a few other articles we have touching on some of these:
- REDWOOD NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS: HOW TO PLAN YOUR VISIT
- 5 MUST-DO ACTIVITIES IN REDWOOD NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS
- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK: HOW TO PLAN YOUR VISIT
- 5 MUST-DO ACTIVITIES IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
- 10 NATIONAL PARKS IN THE U.S. YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW EXISTED
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