Yosemite: Recs
ABOUT
I backpacked in Yosemite in 2011, a second time in fall 2017 and a third time in spring 2018. I also spent a day in the park with my girlfriends in fall 2018 while on the way to Mammoth.
Late spring and early fall are the best months to visit Yosemite. The summer months are too crowded and the winter snow makes half the park inaccessible. Still at the top of my bucket list for Yosemite:
Half-dome hike and cables (enter permit lottery here)
John Muir Trail through-hike (for flexible dates enter rolling lottery here, for exact dates apply for wilderness permit here)
Bike the 12 miles of paved paths in the park, including Mirror Lake. Rentals at Curry Village Bike Rental or Yosemite Valley Lodge Bike Stand if needed, info here.
PARK INFO
West Entrances (if coming from San Francisco)
- Arch Rock Entrance, Mariposa CA
- Big Oak Flat Entrance, Groveland CA
East Entrance (if coming from Reno)
- Tioga Pass Entrance, Lee Vining CA
South Entrance (if coming from LA)
- South Entrance, Oakhurst CA
SIGHTS
Olmsted Point: You will pass this pullout on the way to Tuolumne meadows, you see half dome from the back.
Tunnel View: One of the best views of the valley, you can see El Capitan with Half Dome in the background.
Glacier Point: Probably the most famous view of Half dome
Tenaya Lake: If I’m driving to Tuolumne meadows I always stop here, there are a lot of great spots to hang on the water. I even put up my hammock (pictured below).
WALKS
Sentinel/ Cook’s Meadow Loop: In the heart of Yosemite Valley best place to view Yosemite falls. If you only have time to do one thing in Yosemite, do this.
El Capitan Meadow: Best view of El Capitan, located along Northside Drive can pull over on the side of the road and walk into the meadow.
Sentinel Bridge: Great view of Half Dome reflected in the Merced River.
Lower Yosemite Falls: .5 mile trail, short walk for a closer view of Yosemite falls.
Bridalveil Falls: 1.2-mile round-trip trail, Bridalveil Fall is the first parking area past Tunnel View.
Tuolumne Meadows: 1.5 miles out and back. Park at Lembert Dome parking area and walk along gravel road to Glen Aulin and Soda Springs trail. Hike out into Tuolumne Meadows and hike back.
Horsetail Falls: This a small waterfall, but Feb 12-28 at around 5:30pm the sun hits the falls at an angle that makes it look like its on fire (images here). You don’t need a permit but it’s v popular so the park implemented new restrictions- you must now park at Yosemite Falls parking and walk 1.5 miles (each way) to the viewing area near El Capitan Picnic Area.
HIKES
Yosemite Falls Trail: 7.2 miles round trip 2,700-foot elevation gain. Close-up views of the falls, and views of Yosemite Valley. Do this in the spring when the falls are larger.
Mist Trail to Nevada Falls: 5.5 miles out and back, 2,000 feet of elevation gain. follows the river goes past Vernal falls and continues to Nevada falls (bring a raincoat) for the mist from Vernal falls.
Cathedral Lakes: 8 mile round-trip hike, can do as a day hike but we camped at lower cathedral lakes for the night. From lower cathedral lake its about 1.5 miles to upper cathedral lake. Total elevation gain is 1,361 ft. The trail begins from Tuolumne Meadows and is part of the John Muir Trail.
Glen Aulin: 11 miles out and back, 800-foot elevation gain. Did this in 2017 and stayed the night at Waterwheel Falls (18 miles round trip). You follow the Tuolumne River through beautiful meadows and see multiple gorgeous waterfalls.
Lyell Canyon via JMT: 8 miles round trip, 200 foot elevation gain.Park at Dog Lake parking area and cross the road to the trailhead. The trail passes through Lyell Canyon, along the Tuolumne River.
CAMPING IN THE PARK
Backcountry Camping
You can get a wilderness permit up to 24 weeks in advance of your trip. Matrix for when to reserve your permit according to your trip date(s) here.
The park sets aside several walk-up permits that are issued the day before, but its safer to reserve ahead of time.
Steps to reserve a wilderness permit can be found on the park’s site here.
Car/RV Camping
Yosemite has 13 campgrounds, 7 can be reserved and 6 are first come first serve (but typically fill up by noon). All are listed here.
You can reserve a campground up to 5 months in advance. Matrix for when reservations open according to your trip date(s) here.
Campgrounds become available in blocks of 1 month on the 15th of each month at 7am PT. They sell out within minutes.
Reservations can be made here.
Lodges
There are 9 lodging options ranging from luxury rooms to tent cabins. Again, lodging inside the park is in high demand so you can/should reserve up to 366 days in advance.
All lodging options, and options to book can be found here.
aCCOMMODATION OUTSIDE THE PARK
If you don’t secure a wilderness permit, campground or lodge there are still some options outside the park. However its a 1-1.5 hr drive to get into the park:
Yosemite Cedar Lodge (closest we found to park, stayed one night here)
Also check out Airbnb’s in Mariposa or Groveland there are a lot of options!
HOT SPRINGS OUTSIDE THE PARK
If you have more time, there are some awesome hot-springs in the towns east of Yosemite
Travertine Hot Springs: 5 small-medium pools. Easy to reach and quite popular, recommend going early so you can claim a pool.
Buckeye Hot Spring: Less popular than Travertine, but still busy. Next to a Buckeye Creek so you can hop back and forth between the cold creek and the hot springs.
Wild Willy's Hot Springs: Incredible backdrop of mountains, has 3-4 pools and easily accessible via boardwalk from the car park. Quite popular so try to go early/late during the week.
Whitmore Hot Springs: Located in the Long Valley Caldera, 6 or 7 hot spring tubs over a course of few miles.
Hot Creek: Geological site with super hot springs, go for sunrise when steam is rising. Can’t swim here but looks beautiful.
GENERAL TIPS
Driving: Most of the park is accessible by private vehicle. However Tioga pass closes once it snows, so Tuolumne meadows (the most beautiful area imo) is only accessible in the late spring/summer/early fall.
- If you don’t want to drive you can also take the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS). More info here.
If day hiking: You historically did not need a permit for Yosemite day use, however during COVID-19 park entrance became limited, and visitors needed to reserve day passes ahead of time to enter the park.
If backpacking: Reserve wilderness permit 24 weeks in advance. There is a limited number of people allowed to depart on each trailhead each day, plan accordingly. You will need a bear canister to store your food in, you can rent them when you go to pick up your wilderness permit.
If staying in the park: Lodging in the park can be fully booked up to 1 year in advance, plan ahead accordingly.
