Sign up for Weekly Recap

Don't worry, we only send once a week. We know you need space.

Yosemite National Park: All You Need to Know (Concise Guide)
Outdoors

Yosemite National Park: All You Need to Know (Concise Guide)

Considered by many to be the grandest of all of America’s National Parks, Yosemite National Park is truly a place you do not want to miss in your lifetime.

Know before you go:

  • Driving there: The drive from Oakhurst to Yosemite can take close to 2 hours on windy mountain roads with elevation gain. Motion sickness medication can really help.
  • Busy Season: During summer, try to be in the park by 8 AM to beat the traffic getting into the park.
  • Driving in the valley: Driving around Yosemite Valley is a loop road that is mostly one way and can take time to drive around, especially with traffic.
  • Bears: If staying inside the park, you will have to bring in all food and brown bags from your car at night as bears associate brown bags with food and have been known to break into cars to investigate. 

Getting to Yosemite 

Closest Airports: Fresno-Yosemite International, Modestor, and Merced airports. These airports are a 3 hour drive to Yosemite Valley.

Other Airport options: Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, and Reno-Tahoe Airports are 4-5 hours to the Valley.

Getting Around

A bicycle is the preferred way to get around Yosemite by visitors since the road around Yosemite Valley is a one-way loop road where parking can be difficult during the busy season. There is also a free shuttle you can take if you do not want to drive with the shuttle arriving every 10-15 minutes. This shuttle is especially helpful for getting to the Mist Trail as cars are not allowed to drive to the entrance of the trailhead during busier times.

Bike Rental Locations
  1. Yosemite Valley Lodge: next to the pool area
  2. Yosemite Village: next to the Village Store
  3. Curry Village: next to Curry Village Front Office

Price: $40 full day/$30 half day. 

Reservations for bike rentals are not available. Wheelchair, stroller, and mobility scooter rentals are also available for rent. 

Where to stay

Inside the park
Hotels 

There are only 2 hotels inside Yosemite valley,Yosemite Valley Lodge and The Ahwahnee, offering scenic views and close proximity to sights.  

Yosemite Valley Lodge

Yosemite Valley Lodge is a typical national park lodge with no amenities and just the bare minimum. For example, there is no air conditioning. The Lodge has “Basecamp Eatery,” a small food court, that closes later than most restaurants in the valley. It also has a steakhouse restaurant for a more upscale dining experience. Looking to stay next to Yosemite Falls? This lodge is across the street. 

Cheapest Rates: Fall ~$150/ Summer ~$300

The Ahwahnee

The Ahwahnee is the complete opposite being a very expensive and historic hotel where Queen Elizabeth II and former Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Obama have all stayed. The Ahwahnee has a bar, sweet shop, upscale restaurant, outdoor seating area with firepits, and an indoor lounge area with a fireplace and pianist. The Ahwahnee is worth visiting, even if you are not staying, as it offers a great view of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls while also boosting its own forest area with lesser trodden paths. They only use valet, so you have to park in the area outside the gate and walk in. 

Cheapest Rates: Fall ~$550/ Summer ~$700

Camping:

There is no shortage of campgrounds with thirteen spread around the park. They have options for tent camping or RV/camper parking. Reservations are made on recreation.gov. 

Outside the park

Oakhurst is a gateway town to Yosemite offering the greatest selection of hotel and restaurant options. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Oakhurst and this location in particular is brand new, so it was much nicer and more modern than your typical Hampton Inn. It was also very clean.

*Also check out the Mexican restaurant “El Cid” in Oakhurst.

Best Spots

  • Tunnel View (lookout)
  • Bridalveil Falls (walk/viewpoint)
  • El Capitan (viewpoint) watch rock climbers in the nearby meadow
  • Swinging Bridge (walk/viewpoint): To the right of the bridge and public restrooms, there is a beautiful view of the falls and if you continue through the redwoods you will come to a meadow with a path leading to another beautiful lookout with the falls reflection in the water.
  • Yosemite Falls (walk/viewpoint)
  • Mirror Lake (hike)
  • Glacier Point (drive to viewpoint)
  • Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (hike)

Hikes

Easy
  • Lower Yosemite Falls: 1 mile/1.6 km (roundtrip)
  • Bridal Veil Falls: 0.5m/0.8km (roundtrip)
  • Mirror Lake: 2 mile/3.2km (lake and back), flat
  • Inspiration Point: 2.6 miles/4 km (roundtrip), 990 ft/300 meters elevation gain
  • Taft Point: 2.2 miles/3.5 km (roundtrip), 200ft/60 meters elevation change
  • Mariposa Grove 
    • Big Trees Loop Trail. An easy .3 mile walk to the Fallen Monarch tree in the forest of Giant Sequoias
    • Grizzly Giant Loop Trail: 2 miles/3.2 km, 1.5-2 hours. A moderately easy trail through the Bachelor and Three Graces, Grizzly Giant, and California Tunnel tree.
Moderate

 Although it is Yosemite’s most popular hike, it is not an easy hike with it being an uphill and steep climb with elevation gain. 

Distance to the points of interest:

  • Vernal Falls Footbridge: 1.6 mile/2.6 km (roundtrip), 1-2 hours, 400 ft elevation gain
  • Top of Vernal Falls: 3 miles/4.8km roundtrip, 3-4 hours, 1000 foot elevation gain
  • Top of Nevada Falls: 5 miles/8km roundtrip, 5-6 hours, 1900 foot elevation gain
Hard

Wildlife

Black bears, Bighorn sheep, Mule deer, Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Coyotes can be spotted in the park. Bird watching is especially great as Yosemite is home to 262 different species of birds. Steller Jay’s and American robins are very common. A great place to see Steller Jay’s is Mirror Lake. 

Additional Things to do 

 1. Sugar Pine Railroad

Take a ride through the Sierra National Forest in a historic steam engine train from the early 1900’s. 

Cost: 35$ for a 1 hour ride.

2. Wawona

Wawona is a town close to Mariposa Grove near the southern entrance to Yosemite. It was originally a resting point for Native Americans and early settlers as they made their way to the park. It has a swimming hole, horseback riding, and golf. For hiking, check out the Wawona Meadow Loop Trail. Looking to stay in Wawona? Check out the Wawona Hotel.

3. Sequoia National Park

Want to see some of the oldest trees on earth dating back 2,000 years? Sequoia National Park is dedicated to giant sequoia trees and is most known for the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world, standing at 275 ft/83 meters tall and 36 ft/11 meters in diameter. Sequoia is a 4 drive from Yosemite. 

Looking for a Yosemite itinerary? Check out our quick read Yosemite itinerary here.

Comment down below any questions, tips, or recommendations on Yosemite.

 

Leave a reply