A trip to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is a large national park, covering an area of
1200 square miles,
in the center of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the
eastern part of California. The park has forests with
huge trees, an alpine landscape and a charming valley
with impressive waterfalls, cliffs and rocks of special
shapes. The origin of the name of the park is
from the word "killer",
by the local Miwok natives who
once lived in the area.
Yosemite was declared a
national park as early as 1890 and since then it is one
of the most famous natural sites in the world. It is
considered the most popular scenic spot in California
and attracts over four million visitors every year, most
of them in the summer months, although it is open to
visitors all year round. The park has
260 miles of roads, over 800
miles of hiking trails and 8
miles of bike trails.
The most traveled and
famous area in the park with a large concentration of
wonderful natural sights is the Yosemite Valley, which
is 7 miles long and
1 mile wide (at its widest part).
For those who spend only one day visiting the park, it
is recommended to only visit Yosemite Valley. The
optimal length of stay for a family in the park is two
days, although many travelers can spend more than a week
among its paths.
The park offers many and varied activities including guided tours by the rangers, horseback riding, cycling, shows in the amphitheater in the valley, fishing and more. Most of the activities involve an additional fee. Details of the various activities can be obtained from the visitor centers. Large parts of the park are closed to car traffic in the winter months (November-May).
Guided Tours to Yosemite park:
Park location and transportation
The park is located in the eastern part of the state of
California, about four and a half hours' drive from San
Francisco and about 6 hours from Los Angeles. The
closest airport to the park is in Fresno,
90 miles from the southern
entrance of the park.
The park can also be reached by
public transport from Merced.
The park has four
entrances from different directions:
The southern
entrance is reached from Highway 41, north of Fresno,
the southwestern entrance, Arch Rock Entrance, is
reached from Highway 140 east of Merced, the
northwestern entrance, Big Oak Flat, which is the most
convenient for those coming from San Francisco, is
reached via Highway 120 east of Manteca.
The eastern entrance,
Tioga Pass Entrance, opens only
in the summer months, coming from
Lee Vinning (which is about 10 miles
from the entrance) via Highway 120 West.
In the winter, the most convenient way to enter Yosemite
Valley is via Mariposa Highway 140, because it
doesn't goes through high
mountains, so chains are usually not needed for driving
in the snow.
Inside the park, roads are convenient
for driving (some are closed in the winter months). Some
of the roads in Yosemite Valley are closed to a private
car driving and
you can travel them by a service bus that
operates free of charge all year round. The bus runs
very frequently and stops near all the interesting sites
in the valley and near the popular hiking trails. In the
summer months, a service bus also travels to the
southern part of the park: to Wawona and the redwood
grove Mariposa Grove. Another line that operates only in
the summer months travels between Tenaya Lake and the
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge Hotel.
Many organized tours
depart from Yosemite Valley all over the park. A tour
lasting about two hours in carriages between the most
impressive sights and the main attractions in the park.
Highly recommended for those who have little time and
want to easily and comfortably see Yosemite Valley.
Details of the organized trips can be obtained at all
visitor centers in the park.
Recommended hotels in Yosemite park area:
It is recommended to book accommodations in Yosemite
well in advance (preferably many months in advance!)
because the demand far exceeds the supply, both inside
the park (where it is advisable to book even a year in
advance) and outside the park.
♦
Best Western Plus Yosemite Way Station
3 star
hotel with breakfast. Pool (in season), internet and
free parking.
♦
Mariposa Hotel Inn
3 star hotel with breakfast.
Internet and free parking.
♦
Yosemite Nights Bed & Breakfast
3 star hotel
with breakfast. Internet and free parking.
♦
5th Street Inn
3 star hotel. Internet and free
parking.
♦Quality Inn Yosemite Valley Gateway
2 star hotel with breakfast. There are also family
suites with a fully equipped kitchen. Pool and jacuzzi
in season. Internet and free parking.
♦
Family vacation cabins and apartments:
Yosemite Gateway Rentals
If you plan to go through the Tioga Pass from the western side of the park to its eastern side through the impressive Sierra Nevada mountains, it is recommended not to travel this long way there and back on the same day, but to stay overnight at Lee Vinning and return only the next day, or continue your trip to the charming travel sites located east of Yosemite such as: Mammoth Lakes, Mono Lake and many others.
Weather
In Yosemite Park, there are significant differences in altitude between the different areas, a fact that causes significant differences in the weather between areas. That is why it is recommended to dress in layers in all seasons. Yosemite Valley has the most comfortable weather. The summer is hot and dry and the winter is quite rainy, but the temperature is usually comfortable. In the highlands it snows a lot and the valley receives much less snow. The months of April and November are the months of transition in which warm and sunny days can suddenly turn rainy and windy.
Where to visit in the park
Yosemite Valley
It is the main attraction and center of activities of Yosemite Park. Its area is only 7 square miles, but it is has rivers, lakes, many waterfalls, visitor centers and museums, observation points, impressive cliffs and many hiking trails. You should devote a whole day for visiting the valley, in order to get the most out of it.
Below is the list of the most recommended sights and trips in the valley:
Valley Visitor Center
Located in the center of the valley in Yosemite Village.
In the center you can get information, maps and
explanations from the Rangers, and in addition there is
an exhibition of the nature and history of the park and
films about the park are shown there. Before you
continue your visit, pick up a copy of the Yosemite Park
newspaper, Yosemite Guide, which contains up-to-date
information on all activities in the park in addition to
describing the fauna, flora, recommended hikes and
weather in Yosemite. Adjacent to the visitor center is
the Yosemite Museum with displays on the culture of the
Indians and the natives who lived in the area in the
past.
Additional visitor centers are located in
several other areas of the park: Wawona, Big Oak Flat
and Tuolumne Meadows, but they are much smaller and
certainly it is enough to visit the large visitor center in
the valley.
View of Yosemite Valley
Two excellent observation points from which a
spectacular view of the river, the waterfalls and the
giant cliffs can be seen are the Valley View Turnout and
the Tunnel View. Don't miss any of them! They are not
far from each other on roads 41 and 140 on the roads
leading to the valley from the south and west entrances.
The view from the "tunnel view" is especially
spectacular at sunset.
In the Yosemite Valley there
are large and impressive cliffs, each of which has been
given a name: the Three Brothers, El Capitan, the
Cathedral Spires, the North Dome and the Half Dome.
Yosemite Falls
Do not miss a visit to at least some of the waterfalls in the park. The highest flow of the waterfalls is in spring and early summer. Starting in mid-July, the currents weakened and the waterfalls are less impressive. One of the most popular is Yosemite Fall, which is the highest waterfall in North America and the fifth highest in the entire world. The waterfall is divided into two: the upper Yosemite waterfall and the lower Yosemite waterfall and its total height is over 2600 feet.
A short and comfortable path leads to the bottom of the waterfall, located near the bus station. A hiking trail leads to the top of the lower waterfall and continues to the top of the upper waterfall as well. For an average family, the easy and impressive hiking trail to the lower waterfall will definitely be enough. The climb to the upper waterfall is quite difficult (a steep climb) and is only suitable for those with high physical fitness.
Bridalveil Fall
An easy hiking trail of 0.5 mile (about 20 minutes round trip). It is the second highest waterfall in Yosemite. Access to the waterfall is easy and the view is impressive.
Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls
The Mist Trail is a very popular hiking route in Yosemite that starts at the "Happy Isles" and passes by the two impressive Wernell and Nevada waterfalls. The trail is not easy, as a large part of it is uphill, but you will get to see beautiful arches near the falls. The length of the route is about 1.4 mile. It is not recommended for families with small children.
"Happy Isles"
Two tiny islands which the Merced River flows around them powerfully. The islands are a short walk from the bus station. Wooden culverts connect the islands. A lovely place for a walk and a picnic in the great outdoors. Near the islands is the Nature Center at Happy Isles (open from May to October) with nice displays of the animals, plants and natural phenomena unique to the Yosemite area. Especially suitable for children!
Mirror Lake
An easy walking path about 1 mile long leads from the bus station to a small lake that dries up at the end of summer.
In the spring, the impressive cliffs of the Yosemite Valley, especially the "Split Dome", are reflected in the waters of the lake and create an admirable picture. The walking path to the lake runs along a dirt road and is not particularly exciting.
Giant sequoia trees:
Glacier Point
This is the best observation point of the entire Yosemite Valley, from a height of about 3300 feet. is about 30 miles from the Yosemite Valley. The road to this point is open for passage in the months of May - September (if the weather conditions allow it). In winter the road is blocked by the snow.
Mariposa Grove
In Yosemite Park there are three groves of giant sequoia
trees. The largest of them is the Mariposa Grove near
the southern entrance to the park. It is forbidden to
drive inside the grove, so it is possible to tour it by
walking among the trees or by traveling in special
carriages for a modest fee. The largest tree in the
grove is the Grizzly Giant: it is 210 feet tall and the
diameter of its trunk at the base is about 36 feet. The
California Tree has a tunnel through which travelers can
pass. Among the trees you can meet many wild animals
such as deer and squirrels. Those of you combining a
trip to Yosemite with a trip to Sequoia Park can skip
this area of Yosemite, Because it's basically the same
thing.
On the way from Mariposa Grove towards
Yosemite Valley, you should stop at Wawona, and visit a
historic pioneer village.
Tioga Pass (Route No. 120)
This is the only entrance to Yosemite Park from the
east, passing at high altitude and enchanting views of
subalpine plains, canyons, wild mountains and lakes. The
road is dotted with observation points, from which you
can comfortably look at the landscape from the best
angles. The most beautiful areas where the road passes
are: Toulimne Meadows and Tenaya Lake. Tioga Pass, which
is about 11000 feet above sea level, is the highest
vehicular pass in all of California. The road is usually
open from the end of May to the end of October.
Many
hiking trails (most of them for the best of the best)
start near the road.
Hetch Hetchy
It is a large reservoir created as a result of the
construction of a dam on the Tuolumne River. Before the
construction of the dam in 1920, the area was very
similar to Yosemite Valley. Today the floor of the water
reservoir is under 330 feet of water. The dam is about
a 30-minute drive from the northwest entrance of the
park: Big Oak Flat.
It is recommended to keep
up to date with the roads condition, fires, etc. on
the
Yosemite Park website.
More National Parks:
Travel to The Grand Canyon
Death Valley National Park
Lake Powell and
Antelope Canyon
Zion National Park
Everglades National Park