Yosemite National Park Travel Guide.
Yosemite National Park
Located in Central California among Sierra Nevada mountains and around a 4-hour drive from San Francisco the park occupies an area of around 1200 square miles. Over 4 million tourists from all over the world visit the park each year, but most of the people who visit the park spend their entire trip staying within the 7 square miles of the Yosemite Valley. It’s internationationaly known for its spectacular waterfalls, amazing views, huge monoliths of El Capital and Half Dome.
0:00 General Information and Location
0:46 When to visit.
1:31 Where to stay
2:06 Transportation
2:33 Trails of the park
3:33 Waterfalls
When to visit.
Yosemite's peak season is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Also Fall, winter and spring are all great times to visit Yosemite. If you visit outside the summer months you will most likely avoid crowds.
The best months to visit are May and September to avoid crowds and road closures due to snow during winter. If you want to see the full flow of the waterfalls you should visit the park in May or June when snowmelt occurs, In later months the flow will begin to slow and some falls can stop running completely by the end of summer depending on the weather.
The park has an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet and contains five major vegetation zones, so even if you visit in summertime make sure to have a jacket just in case, because it can be chilly at the top of the mountain.
Where to stay
Yosemite Village located in Yosemite Valley has shops, restaurants, lodging, and the Yosemite Museum. You can stay right in the park and there are few lodging options available, however, be ready to pay a premium for convenience and make sure to book ahead of time, because the park is a very popular place and there is a limited number of accommodations in the park.
You can also save some money and stay outside of the park, but you will have to spend time driving in and out of the park every day.
Transportation
There are few options for how you can explore the Yosemite Valley. You can get around the park in the car or you ride a bike - either bring your own or rent it there.
There is also a free shuttle bus ( which operates from 7 am to 10 pm) that can take you around the park, so you don't need to worry about finding parking spots around the park and can just enjoy the park and during busy months it can be hard to find parking.
How many days do you need?
If you are planning to do a few hikes and drive around the park to see views, we would recommend spending 3 days.
Trails.
There is no better way to experience Yosemite than taking a hike. The Park offers over 750 miles of hiking trails for anyone ranging from easy to hard.
There are hundreds of trails.
The most popular path in the park is Mist Trail. It’s Yosemite's signature hike. It offers spectacular up-close views to two large waterfalls: 317-foot tall Vernal Fall and 594-foot tall Nevada Fall.You can hike 3 miles round trip to the top of Vernal Fall, going to Nevada Fall adds another 4 more miles to the round trip. We would recommend starting early to avoid crowds. Be prepared for slippery steps and getting wet, because of a shower like waterfall mist ( hence the name of the trail ).
Yosemite Falls Trail.
The trail leads to North America’s tallest waterfall and is one of the oldest trails in the park. The distance to the Upper Yosemite Fall is 7.2 miles round trip with a 2700 feet change in elevation. The trail is steep and rocky, but it’s well worth the amazing views you will be rewarded with at the top.
Here is a list of other popular trails in Yosemite Valley you might want to explore:
Bridalveil Fall Trail - Easy - 0.5 mi (0.8 km) (round trip)
Lower Yosemite Fall Trail - Easy - 1 mi (1.6 km)
Cook's Meadow Loop - Easy - 1 mi (1.6 km)
Mirror Lake Loop - Easy to Moderate -5 mi(8 km)(entire loop)
Four Mile Trail - Strenuous - 4.8 mi (7.7 km) (one way)
Snow Creek Trail - Strenuous - 9.4 mi (15.1 km) (round trip)
Half Dome Trail - Strenuous - 14 mi-16.4 mi (22.4 km-26.2 km)
Waterfalls
The park is home to many waterfalls. The best time to see waterfalls is during Spring when snow melts.
Yosemite Falls with a total of 2,425 feet from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall, is the tallest in the park and one of the tallest waterfalls in North America.
It’s actually made up of three separate falls: Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 feet), the middle cascades (675 feet), and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 feet).
You can hike to the top of this waterfall with an all-day and steep hike.
Bridal veil Fall (620 feet)
It’s around 620 feet tall. Often that’s the first waterfall visitors see when entering the park through the tunnel. It flows all year with peak flow in May.
Nevada Fall (594 feet)
