How to Visit Yosemite
Welcome to Yosemite!
If you’re a national park geek like me, Yosemite National Park is almost certainly near the top of your list on parks to visit, and for good reason! Yosemite National Park is the crown jewel of the United States National Park System. It’s a powerful feeling to walk through the same granite canyons the likes of John Muir and Ansel Adams used to explore, and fought so hard to protect. Yosemite is so much more than just beautiful views, it is a history book that tells the story of time.
I personally have been to Yosemite over a dozen times, and every single time it feels like I am visiting the park for the first time. The park changes with the seasons and weather. In the spring, raging waterfalls and blooming fields of wild flowers. In the summer, high alpine summits to stay away from the heat. In the fall, spectacular yellow and golden foliage. In the winter, quiet trickling streams and frozen waterfalls. I could spend a life time exploring Yosemite in all its different flavors and emotions.
But I need to come clean with you all… Yosemite has it’s issues, it’s a victim of it’s own beauty. Hidden beneath that beautiful pine forest canopy is a bustling system of roads and gridlocked traffic patterns that will frighten even the most seasoned city dweller.
The first time I visited Yosemite, I was so disappointed with the traffic and crowds and congestion, I had a miserable time. My expectations of tranquility were shattered by obnoxious revving engines, impossible parking, inconsiderate tourists blaring music on trails, and even a Starbucks in the middle of the park!? I was so overwhelmed by all the trails and scenic stops, and if I chose the wrong stop, I’d find myself in a tourist trap and waste precious time stuck in traffic… I swore I was never coming back, and I didn’t come back for over a year.
It took me that long to decide to give Yosemite another chance, but this time I visited prepared. Not prepared to survive the fury of nature, but prepared to take on the crowds and navigate the complex trail system. I have found that enjoying a visit to Yosemite requires careful planning and expectation management. With the right mindset and destinations in mind, you can leave the crowds behind and Yosemite opens up into the beautiful national treasure it is meant to be.
My hope within this blog post is to give you the information you need to successfully visit Yosemite on your first trip and knock out some epic hikes in the process.
Red Tape
Yosemite has some rules and requirements before visiting. You’ll want to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before driving out into the middle of the wilderness.
To get into the park, you will need to pay some kind of entrance fee. If you have never visited a national park before, its 35 dollars for your vehicle. But if you think you might visit any other national parks in the next 12 months, I highly recommend splurging for the $80 “America the Beautiful” parks pass. It pays for itself after just 2 more visits.
You can see their full schedule of fees here: Yosemite Entrance Fees and Passes
Due to COVID-19, the park service has opted to limit crowds be implementing a limit on the number of cars that can enter the park until Sept 21, 2021. You must make a reservation up to a month in advance to enter the park, they’ll turn you away if you don’t have one. It’s a pretty convoluted system, so read more about it here: Yosemite Entrance Reservations. The good news is this limits the crowds and if you can get a reservation, you are in to see Yosemite in a uniquely peaceful state.
Aside from getting into the park, if you plan to camp in Yosemite, you also need to reserve a campsite or hotel room. There are no walk up campsites. You can check out that process here: Yosemite Camping Reservations
If you’re planning to backpacking or summit Half Dome or do anything crazy like get married, you also need a permit for that. Check those out here: Yosemite Permits
TIPS FOR BEFORE YOU LEAVE
I know you’re excited to get into Yosemite, but there are a few things you should do before leaving civilization.
GAS!
There are no gas stations in Yosemite Valley. You will be spending a lot of time idling in traffic and going up/down high elevation mountain roads that guzzle gas. Do not attempt to leave civilization with anything less than 3/4 tank of gas. There are gas stations at El Portal and Crane Flat right before entering Yosemite, but expect to pay a pretty penny. I’d recommend filling up somewhere in Merced or Modesto depending on what direction you are coming from.
FOOD!
There is a fully stocked grocery store in Yosemite Valley with somewhat reasonable prices (considering it’s in the heart of a national park). The grocery store is great if you want to buy meat or other refrigerated goods for cooking at the campsite and don’t have a way to keep things cool, but you can save a lot of time and money by buying all/most of your food or ingredients at a normal grocery store. Maybe plan for a picnic in one of the meadows around the valley! Or if you bring dinner, you can stay later and enjoy the park in twilight after all the crowds have left.
WATER!
The last thing you want to be in Yosemite is dehydrated. Bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to do a hike or if you’re going in the summer. Yosemite can get quite hot, and you will be at 4000-8000 ft elevation. The fastest way to get altitude sickness is dehydration, so do not skimp on this one! I’d recommend bringing at least a gallon per person, per day.
DATA!
Cell service is very limited in Yosemite. You might get a bar or two occasionally, but the cell towers are usually overloaded and you’ll be lucky if you can get any data at all. Be sure to download any maps or music you might want while in the park!
How to Navigate Yosemite
I think this is worth talking about. A typical adventurer will have a trail picked out, but the logistics of getting to the trail head and parking can be even more strenuous than the hike! And if you don’t know the lay of the land, you will spend half your trip lost trying to find parking.
Yosemite is HUGE! It’s difficult to even fit it all into one map, but I’ll go over the main parts real quick.
First, of course, is Yosemite Valley. This is what most people think when they hear Yosemite. It’s the incredible granite cliffs and waterfalls we all know and love. It is also the busiest part of any national park you can find, maybe rivaled by Yellowstone. DO NOT visit here on a busy holiday weekend. You’ve been warned.
North of Yosemite Valley is a seasonal highway that takes you all the way across the park over Tioga Pass in the high sierras, up to 9,940 ft! This is an absolutely beautiful drive, and if you are trying to get into Nevada from San Francisco, this is definitely the road to take. Just keep in mind it is only open from May-Nov (it gets dozens of feet of snow in the winter) and you will need to enter Yosemite park to take this road, so bring your park pass or be prepared to pay the entry fee.
The third main attraction of Yosemite is surprisingly unknown and has quite the termoutolus history. Hetch Hetchy is the sister valley to Yosemite Valley. Though you wouldn’t know that looking at it now, because it has been dammed and filled with a reservoir for drinking water that ultimately makes its way to San Francisco. There is much controversy around why there is a huge reservoir in the middle of a National Park flooding some of the most beautiful natural wonders in our country… but I won’t get into that here. For now, it is a beautiful lake that manages to escape the crowds of Yosemite Valley, so if you are looking for a bit more of a peaceful trip, give this a shot!
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley has a lot going on in a small space, so it’s worth a bit more explanation on where the views and best parking are.
There are two main roads into Yosemite Valley with two distinct experiences. Hwy 140 (which turns into El Portal Road) is a fun, winding drive along the Merced River. You are basically driving along the banks of the river that made Yosemite valley. This is the road most people coming from the south would take, though currently its got some gnarly traffic from a huge landslide that happened several years ago. I personally enjoy using this road to exit Yosemite valley. It’s fun to pretend you are part of the river snaking your way out of the mountains.
Then there is Hwy 120 (which turns into Big Oak Flat Road). This is my favorite way to enter the park, as it scales down into the valley from the top with a spectacular view of Half Dome on the way in as your “Welcome to Yosemite gift”. It gives you a sense of the scale of the valley you are dropping into… just make sure you have good brakes!
Either road you take, it dumps you off onto the main loop in the valley. This loop can be very confusing if you have never been on it before, and if you made the mistake of coming on a busy holiday…. good luck, I can’t help you. Basically there is one big main loop that is one way traffic only going in a counter clock-wise direction. There are a few bridges to act as turnarounds on the loop, but in general, the best move is to just go with the flow. You can’t get lost, I promise!
Starting the main loop, the first noteworthy thing you’ll see is Bridalveil falls, it’s a huge waterfall on your right, you cant miss it. Resist the temptation to stop there if the park is busy, as this is the first stop EVERYONE makes. You’re in for a long, touristy nightmare if the park is busy, this stop is best reserved for an off week.
Tunnel View and glacier point
If you are up for a bit of a side adventure, turning right toward the bridalveil falls parking area puts you on Wawona Road which will take you to a classic Yosemite viewpoint, “Tunnel View”. It’s definitely worth visiting and is a quick stop.
Tunnel View (named because it is the view you get right before a tunnel) gives you a fantastic view right down the middle of the valley above the trees. To the right, you can see Bridalveil Falls from a safe distance away from the tourists. To the left is El Capitan, the famous climbing destination. And all the way at the back is the famous Half Dome. You might recognize Half Dome as the inspiration for the “North Face” logo.
It genuinely feels like you are looking at a scene from the land before time (just try to ignore the tour busses loading and unloading right behind you)
If you keep going on Wawona Road, it’ll take you up to a spectacular view point of Half Dome called “Glacier Point”. It’s a bit more of a drive, about an hour each way from tunnel view, and the drive itself is a bit underwhelming… but if you make it to the top, you are rewarded with one of the best views of Half Dome in the entire park. There is a small concession stand at the top if you want to enjoy some burgers or sandwiches too.
This is also a popular back country skiing and snow shoeing area. The road is closed during the winter at badger pass and you can snow shoe along the road to see glacier point in the snow. Though it is 11 miles each way… so prepare yourself for that.
four mile trail
Length: 9.2 miles (notably NOT 4 miles)
Elevation Gain: 3,612 ft
GPS: All Trails Link
Difficulty: Hard
If you don’t want to drive to glacier point and have a good sense of humor, you’re in luck! If you head back down to the valley floor and continue on the loop a little ways, you will find the trailhead for “Four Mile Trail”. This is an epic and classic Yosemite hike, 100% worth it if you have the time and willpower. It takes you from the valley floor ALLLLLLLL the way up to glacier point, over 3,500 vertical feet. You are literally climbing from the bottom to the top of Yosemite.
Why do you need a sense of humor for this hike? Because its not 4 miles long… its 9.5 miles long :) And there is a paved road all the way to the top that you could drive and you’ll end up at the exact same spot. You crawl up after nearly 5 miles of steep incline, huffing and puffing, pouring in sweat… just to be met with hordes of tourists literally eating hotdogs from the concession stand staring at you…
But we don’t hike for the destination, we hike for the journey. RIGHT?! And you definitely don’t get these views just by going straight to the top.
I’d recommend doing this hike in the spring time. That is when the Yosemite Falls is pumping and you are treated with views of the falls all the way up (and down).
Sentinal Meadow
Let’s say you don’t have the sense of humor to climb up to glacier point on Four Mile Trial, that’s perfectly understandable! If you keep chugging along the loop, you’ll notice a whole line of cars parked to the left hand side of the road and some raised boardwalks going into a meadow with yosemite falls making an epic back drop.
This is Sentinal Meadow. You can actually do a 2.5 mile hike all around this area taking in the views of the valley around you. Basically zero elevation gain. There are dozens of iconic shots from this area. This is a great stop to get out, stretch your legs, and strut your stuff.
Just do please try to stay on the boardwalks. They are there because the hordes of tourists trample the fragile meadow ecosystem and compact the dirt… I know it sort of feels like disneyland when the park is crowded, but remember you are in a very special place.
the mist trail/half dome
Length: 4.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,279 ft
GPS: All Trails Link
Difficulty: Moderate
This is the first waterfall hike I would recommend on the loop. Why is it called the Mist Trail? I guess that’s a ‘mist’-ery you’ll have to go there to fully understand! (hint: you get a free shower if you make it to the waterfall)
The best general parking area for this hike I’ve found is Curry Village, near the furthest in part of the loop. It’s a large gravel parking lot that usually has a spots available. From there, it’s a bit of a walk through some trees and along a river to the trail head. The trail starts out paved and slammed with people. Just trust me, you have to push through the crowds for the first mile or so, but once the “normal” people realize they don’t actually want to go on a 6 mile hike, they bail and the crowds thin out.
After a pretty substantial elevation gain, you will find Vernal Falls (if it’s flowing). The falls flow the most during spring when all the snow is melting, you’ll be lucky to even see a trickle in the fall, so time it right!
You’ll likely feel the mist before you see the falls if it is the spring time. If the falls aren’t pretty enough for you, there is a marginally treacherous path of hundreds of stair steps carved out of the granite you can take up to the top.
If you want to keep going, Nevada falls is another mile or so up the trail. We were pretty exhausted at this point since we had done several other hikes that morning, so we decided to turn around, but if this is your only hike of the day, you can turn this into a full day excursion.
This is also where you would peel off the trail to start ascending Half Dome. This one is still very much on my bucket list, but I haven’t managed to snag a permit yet. Word on the street is it’s a doozy.
Mirror lake
You might see this on the map or hear a friend say it was the only place they visited and “you should totally go there!”
Don’t do it. I’ve done the hike to mirror lake twice on promises from friends that it is the best place to go in Yosemite, and both times I’ve been sorely disappointed. I’ll admit I likely wasn’t going at the right time of day or the right season, but each time I’ve been there the lake has been little more than a mosquito infested pond swarmed by tourists, also expecting some magical view they were promised.
I’ve seen the pictures of what it looks like in prime conditions, but I’m not convinced that, even in perfect conditions, it is worth the slog of a hike to get there. There is so much more to see in Yosemite than Mirror lake, don’t fall for it!
In reality, mirror lake isn’t even a natural lake. It’s a man made pool in Tenaya Creek that collects gravel that the park service dredges up to maintain trails and roads around the park.
I’ve heard it can be a nice swimming hole in the hotter months… but expect something more akin to a miami beach vibe with loud music and beach volleyball and less of a Yosemite nature high.
Just trust me on this one, don’t follow the hype!
Camping
Around this area are all the campsites. Yosemite has several different flavors of camping, from tent site to RV sites to huts to a full blown hotel with a fully stocked grocery store. You can decide how primitive you’d like to be. The grocery store is a nice touch if you realize you forgot a critical ingredient for your 5 star campfire cookout though!
I’ve only camped at these campsites once because they are hard to come by, and campgrounds aren’t really my style (I’d much rather be out in the wilderness away from all the generators and music), but they are nice sites! Just make sure you know what you are doing and know how to protect your food from the bears! (yea, I said bears). Most of the campsites have metal boxes to put your food that the bears can’t get into.
I will say that camping inside the park is a very unique experience. During the day, it is a bustling area, but the majority of the crowds clear out right around sunset to start heading home. This is a magical time in the park, when the animals and rock climbers come out from their holes and start roaming the valley. If you get a chance definitely try to get away from the lights to take in the stars at night.
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls is THE waterfall of Yosemite… Probably why it’s called Yosemite Falls…. ANYWAYS, you can’t miss it. This waterfall is an absolute monster.
It’s actually three waterfalls, Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, and the Middle Cascades in between. The Middle Cascades isn’t even visible from the ground, you have to do a fairly strenuous hike just to get a glimpse of them. They are also known as “Middle Earth”, and canyoneers will explore the rarely visited middle falls when in the late summer/early fall when the water isn’t an absolute death trap. You can see the start of Middle Earth at the base of Upper Yosemite falls in that right picture above.
Lower Yosemite falls, in that middle picture above, is a solid waterfall in its own right at nearly 320 ft. That’s nearly DOUBLE the height of Niagara Falls!
That on it’s own is enough for some mad respect, but then take a few steps back and look straight up and you can take in the vertigo inducing TWO THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED, TWENTY FIVE FOOT monster that is Upper Yosemite Falls.
Have you ever wondered what a high flowing river would look like if it feel off a 2000+ ft cliff into emptiness? This is what happens. The water fall turns into a torrential downpour by the time it hits the bottom… if it hits the bottom at all.
Upper Yosemite Falls is actually the highest waterfall in North America. And if you’re crazy enough, you can hike all the way to the top. Which we did… because we are crazy. :)
Upper yosemite falls trail
Length: 7.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,323 ft
GPS: All Trails Link
Difficulty: Hard
We all know the Empire State Building in New York City, yea? Imagine having to take the stairs all the way up to the top. 1,576 steps.
Now imagine doing that TWICE… at 5000 ft elevation. BOTH WAYS!! And that is what the hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls is like. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is certainly a bucket list hike.
This isn’t so much a hike as it is an endless series of switchbacks. 135 switch backs to be exact. Each way…
The reward for the torture is the opportunity to see Upper Yosemite Falls up close and personal. What looks like a graceful cascade of water from afar turns into a roaring monster up close. One second the water is 1000 ft away, the next second the winds change and suddenly you are experiencing the edge of the plum getting absolutely soaked. The wind from the water beats the trees like a hurricane. And that’s just the EDGE of the plum… imagine getting the full force of yosemite falls on top of you. No Thanks.
This is all just at the base of the falls. You’ve already had to climb nearly 1000 vertical feet just to get here. If you manage to survive the lashing from the falls, you get rewarded with EVEN MORE switchbacks!
You’ve just gotta put your head down and keep going. When you think you’re almost there, you definitely aren’t. Just keep pushing.
You’ll know you made it to the top when you realize you can’t feel your legs anymore.
Then push a little further :)
So is it worth it? Definitely.
Well, maybe save the push all the way to the top of the real wackos. If you’re looking for some honest opinions, I’d say you can confidently do the first half of the hike to the base of Upper Yosemite Falls and be just as content as if you hiked all the way to the top.
The view from the top is fantastic, but it’s about the same view you’d get from Glacier Point. You don’t even get that great of a view of the water fall from the top. I had to stretch my camera out as far as I could over the edge on my arms to get the shot above. It’s really just for bragging rights to go all the way to the top. But DEFINITELY don’t do the hike if the falls aren’t flowing, then it’s certainly not worth it, Glacier Point or 4 mile trial is probably the better choice if the falls aren’t flowing.
El capitan
“El Cap” as they call it, is probably a famous feature of Yosemite you have heard about, likely from the recent movie “Free Solo” where legendary rock climber Alex Honnold climbed up the 3,600 vertical feet of El Cap without a rope or any safety equipment. Remember Yosemite Falls? 2,425 ft? Add another 1000+ feet to that, and then instead of nicely carved steeps all the way up, you are CLIMBING. Nothing above or below you but air.
The average climber takes between 4 and 6 days to climb El Cap. Think about that, 4-6 days. That means these climbers are sleeping, eating, (pooping)… for nearly a week, ON A GIANT CLIFF. If you look carefully at night, you can sometimes see the headlamps of climbers as they sit on their ledges at night, like in the picture below.
El Capitan is definitely worth a quick stop to take in as you make your way out of Yosemite Valley. It’s sheer size and height coupled with the knowledge that people actually climb this thing is vertigo inducing.
That being said, unless you plan to climb up El Cap, there isn’t too much to do around there other than enjoy a picnic or take in the valley one last time. The crowds do seems to wane out here, most people are ready to start heading home by the time they get to this point.
Hetch Hetchy
So we’ve gone over Yosemite Valley… but that only covers ONE percent of the entire national park land area! There is still so much to see and explore in the park. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), most of the park is designated wilderness, meaning the only way to see it is on your own two feet and overnight backpacking.
There is, however, one other lesser know developed area in the park you can visit, and it has quite the story behind it.
You can forgive yourself if you’ve never heard of Hetch Hetchy. The first time I heard about it was from a friend on a totally unrelated trip. She mentioned it when the group was talking about Yosemite, something along the lines of “did you know there was a second Yosemite Valley?”
A claim like that warranted a little more research.
Sure enough, just north of Yosemite Valley lies a remarkably similar valley of granite carved out by glaciers, just like Yosemite Valley. 1000+ foot waterfalls and a flourishing valley floor with a meandering river. A unique alpine valley ecosystem every bit as beautiful and diverse as Yosemite Valley’s. The summer home for the Miwok and Paiute Native American tribes for over 6000 years.
Why hadn’t I heard of this yet?! Well… because it looks like this now:
Hetch Hetchy Valley was clearcut of all trees and dammed in 1923, flooding the entire valley in over 300 ft of water. Utterly decimating the entire ecosystem.
Depending on who you ask, Hetch Hetchy is a marvel of human ingenuity and a testament to the power of man to control nature. Others use it as a cautionary tale about what can happen when human development goes unchecked.
Most find their opinions on this somewhere in the middle, if they have an opinion on it at all.
The Hetch Hetchy project was spawned out of a desperate need for fresh water in growing San Francisco. Most of California is actually quite dry, especially on the coasts between LA and SF. Salt water is obviously abundant, but there isn’t nearly enough fresh water to support even a moderately sized city population.
In 1906, an earthquake and subsequent fire burned down the majority of San Francisco. The fire would have been manageable… if there was enough water.
This was the event that kicked municipalities into action to begin developing the water infrastructure needed to sustain growth in the cities. Hetch Hetchy was the crown of that project.
You might be scratching your head wondering “well, Yosemite National Park was established in 1890, how did they possibly get approval to build a dam like that in a national park?”
Our national park system was established to “preserve our country's greatest collection of natural, historic, and cultural treasures.” Not to purposefully drown them under water. Your confusion is justified, and is also what spawned one of the largest and earliest environmental debates in American history.
In the end, it is clear who won the debate, though I personally don’t believe there is a real “winner”. You can’t have cities without infrastructure, like water, and that water needs to come from somewhere. Unfortunately in this case, that water came from somewhere incredibly sacred.
We wouldn’t have San Francisco as we know it without the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. I live in San Francisco, so my home depends on this water, but after learning this story, I think twice about wasting water in the bay area.
I’ll let you decide if the trade was worth it.
ANYWAYS! WapAma falls in hetch hetchy
Length: 4.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 954 ft
GPS: All Trails Link
Difficulty: Easy
Looking on the bright side, Hetch Hetchy is hardly known by the masses, meaning it is rarely crowded. It is also very much developed, so there is a paved road going all the way to the dam with flush toilets and ample parking. If you find yourself feeling claustrophobic in the crowds of Yosemite Valley, give Hetch Hetchy a shot.
The main trail in Hetch Hetchy is Wapama Falls. It starts at the dam and you walk all the way across the dam and through a really cool tunnel that was used in building the dam.
From there, it’s a fairly easy and level hike on the cliffs along the lake until you find Wapama Falls, trust me, you can’t miss it.
I was genuinely blown away by these waterfalls. Raging is an understatement. These falls were on the order of Yosemite Falls in terms of sheer power.
To make these falls even more exciting, there is a walk way right across it! Er, through it… They probably could have built the walk way a few feet higher!
This is probably the coolest experience I’ve had in Yosemite. To stand directly in front of such a powerful waterfall, literally being blasted by waves of water splashing off the rocks.
If there is a waterfall hike to recommend in Yosemite, it is this hidden gem. Not only is it rarely crowded, it is also the easiest waterfall hike I’ve come across in Yosemite. Hardly any elevation gain, about 6 miles round trip.
Wildlife in yosemite
This is one of the hardest parts of Yosemite to experience. You can go to Yosemite Valley and see Half Dome and El Cap, they aren’t going anywhere! But there is no guarantee you will see wildlife. Though if you go in the right season and know where to look, you’ll definitely come across some.
I’ve found that it’s pretty rare to come across a large animal in Yosemite. You might find some deer wandering around the campgrounds at twilight, and we have seen a bear in the meadow once, but other than that, it’s mostly small mammals and birds.
You probably won’t see them at the popular spots as they tend to keep their distance from the crowds, but once you are a few miles into a hike, they start coming out. They clearly have been fed by humans before, as they are very good at looking cute and begging.
BUT DO NOT FEED THEM. I know they are adorable, but feeding them human food does not help them at all. It might seem harmless, but you are training them to ask for cheetos from kids instead of foraging for nuts like they should be. In a worst case, this could escalate to a large mammal becoming aggressive to humans that don’t give them their food, leading to the park service having to kill the animal if it acts too aggressively to humans.
A fed animal is a dead animal.
But man are they cute.
Are you ready?
I’ve given you the high level overview of Yosemite: how to get there, where to stop, where to not stop, what to expect.
Visiting Yosemite is a big investment in time and energy. There is so much to see and experience, you can’t possibly do it all in one day or even one trip. This is by no means an exhaustive list of what Yosemite has to offer, but it gives you a foundation to have a great first visit so you don’t feel lost or stressed in the park.
So what’s stopping you?
Let me know what you think about this blog post! Was it useful? If you are going to Yosemite and have specific questions, feel free to ask me! You can message me on instagram or email me at sam@nomadicbliss.photography.
I am also available to take you or your significant other on a trip to Yosemite! Imagine sending your family photos of you overlooking Half Dome or getting engaged on top of a waterfall. I know how to time our trip so we get to your desired location in the best light for your shoot, and enjoy taking unique perspectives and telling the story of your visit.
Check out my packages to learn more about what I offer or contact me to tell me about your project!
