When it comes to national parks, no other country in the world can boast the sheer number of world-famous parks as the United States does. With behemoths such as Yellowstone, the unforgettable Grand Canyon, Sequoia, and the Hawaii Volcanoes, all of which top every list of best parks in the world, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring natural wonders.
Yosemite National Park is arguably one of the most famous parks in the US and the entire North American continent, which is a lot to say.
Situated in the Californian Sierra Nevada and with an area of 750,000 acres, the park offers mountains, lakes, forests, and rivers, allowing all outdoor activities imaginable. Whether it be rock climbing or hiking, water sports or fishing, bird and wilderness watching, winter sports, stargazing, camping, or just cruising through the valleys surrounded by granite rock formations or walking inside giant sequoia forests, Yosemite has something for everyone.
What to expect
- Awe-inspiring views of the huge granite rock formations.
- Beautiful scenic roads.
- Poor size control leads to heavy traffic and too many visitors.
- Pristine Natural Reserve inhabited by small wildlife.
- Centuries-old sequoia trees and silent giant forests.
- Incredible camping and hiking spots, one more inspiring than the next.
- All sorts of outdoor activities, water and winter sports, camping, hiking, and more.
Tips & Impressions
- Having lived for many years in Switzerland, I am no stranger to forests, mountains, and hikes in the Alps. However, much like my road trip in Canada, the sheer scale of Yosemite is awe-inspiring.
- If you plan to enter by car and have a drive around, you will find perfectly preserved roads, but this comes with frequent road works and prolonged stops to manage the two-way traffic. This provides ample opportunities to just step out of the car and enjoy the beautiful scenery. However, this also creates bottlenecks that accumulate cars and when the traffic starts to flow again, it creates caravans of cars, taking away from the experience of driving around the tortuous mountain roads.
The Park
When you enter, you will be given a map with the most up-to-date information regarding road closures depending on the season, highlights, and attractions. This guide is a small pamphlet but it opens up, much like the park itself, into a huge map and guide with detailed information on the area.
Depending on the season or day of the week, it may be mandatory to pre-purchase a ticket. In any case, it is best to reserve it to ensure entry. Reservations can be found on the recreation.gov website here and the following passes can be purchased:
| Individual (on foot, horseback, or bus) | 7 Days, Yosemite National Park | $15 |
| Motorcycle | 7 Days, Yosemite National Park | $30 |
| Automobile | 7 Days, Yosemite National Park | $35 |
| Yosemite Pass (automobile) | 1 Year, Yosemite National Park | $70 |
Country Info
- Language: English is the official language and most commonly spoken.
- Population: 328+ million (2019)
- Ethnic Make-up: White American (72.4%), African American (12.6%), Native American (0.9%), Asian American (4.8%) (2010 Census)
- Religion: 70-78% Christian
- Political System: Constitution-based federal republic
- Currency: US Dollar (USD)
- Credit Cards: Almost anything can be paid with credit cards and ATMs are extremely common.
- Electricity: Socket Type A and B (“US” style..doh), 120±6 volt / 60 hertz.
Check the USA page for more country-general information
Safety
- Safety:
- As with any mountainous region, expect sudden changes in the weather.
- When it comes to wildlife, the park does not pose many risks. Mountain lions are known. As always, wildlife must not be disturbed and despite there not being grizzly bears, the potential encounter with a black bear can pose a threat.
- Even if you are not camping or doing prolonged hikes, it is important to carry plenty of water, as even the small trails or mandatory short stops can become a long excursion.
- In the case of hikes, it is always better to pack a paper map because of the probable lack of connectivity.
- Emergencies number: 911
Getting there
- The park can be reached from the north, with the closest town being Lee Vining from Highway 120. From the south, from Fresno on Route 41, or southwest with the closest town being El Portal on Route 140, or west from San Francisco on Highway 120.
- Once inside the park, all roads are scenic, the most famous one being along the Tioga Road from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass, but the are many others. Notable points of interest with their respective driving distance are:
- Wawona/Mariposa Grove: about an hour
- Glacier Point: about an hour
- Crane Flat: 30 minutes
- Hodgdon Meadow/Big Oak Flat Entrance: 45 minutes
- Hetch Hetchy: 1.5 hours
- Tuolumne Meadows: 1.5 hours
- Tioga Pass: 1.75 hours
Weather
Yosemite has a Mediterranean climate therefore concentrating most precipitation falls during the winter. The summers are hot and dry with temperatures that can reach 40° C.
Having an elevation ranging from 600 to almost 4000mt, the weather can get very cold, especially in winter. Independently of the season, it is wise to dress in layers, as the altitude excursion can be significant when visiting the area.
Flora & Fauna
- The dense forests in Yosemite host pines, oaks, and giant sequoias.
- When it comes to wildlife, there are mostly small mammals and reptiles, namely marmots, rabbits, and squirrels. Black-tailed deer as well as black bears are common within the park. There are dozens of species of butterflies and birds and the songbirds accompany walks within the forest with their wonderful chirps.
- On the potentially dangerous side, the tall granite mountains do host mountain lions, and while there are 13 different species of snakes they are all harmless except for rattlesnakes which can potentially be found during hikes.
Deals for Yosemite National Park
Stay Overview
I approached the park from the northeastern entrance, from the nearby small town of Lee Vining, where I stayed at the Lake View Lodge. After having visited the nearby Mono Lake I arrived the next morning at the park and drove through Tioga Road.
After having traversed the park, I stopped in El Portal and stayed at Yosemite View Lodge, right beside the southwestern entrance of the park, near the Merced River. Spending time on the balcony with the sound of the flowing river, or in the outdoor pools, was the perfect refreshment and recharge after a long day of hiking and walking within the forests.
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
About
Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park area but is the most famous destination attracting the large majority of visitors.
The valley is surrounded by high granite summits, some world-renowned such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and a dense pine forest.
Glacier Point and Tunnel View are also famous lookout viewpoints above Yosemite Valley offering a wide and stunning view of the valley below.
Impressions
As mentioned above in the Tips & Impressions section, driving the scenic roads in Yosemite does have its downsides given the high number of visitors and the caravans situations that ensue.
Approaching the Valley on Route 41 opens up to the stunning view of El Capitan with its daunting vertical face towering over the road. However, at the base of this majestic rock, there were several parking spots and the whole road was swarming with buses and cars. People would simply stop on the side of the road, jump out traverse the road, take the mandatory pictures, and hop back in. I did the same but I realized then and there that the park needs a more stringent size control at the entrance. This was even more clear when I later reached the central part of the valley on my way to the Yosemite Falls. The area surrounding the forest is a giant parking lot, with the chaotic situations that it brings.
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls
About
Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America at over 700 mt. Located within the valley it is one of the most highly visited sites of the park and in spring, when the water flow is at its peak, offers a stunning view to its visitors.
Impressions
Yosemite Falls is located in the center of the park, and as mentioned earlier the nearby car park is a chaotic mess of shuttle buses and visitors. As such the trail leading to the base of the waterfall was swarming with people.
I enjoyed much more the walk within the nearby forest, occasionally turning towards the monolithic falling stream of water and admiring its beauty.
Mariposa Grove
Mariposa Grove
About
Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias is home to more than 500 mature sequoias, two of which are among the largest trees in the world.
Among the most notable and recognizable trees are the famous Grizzly Giant – the oldest tree in the grove at around 2000 years, the Fallen Monarch – a giant sequoia that fell more than 300 years ago, and the Bachelor and Three Graces.
Impressions
Reaching the grove requires one to stop at the nearby car park and take the shuttle which means that visitors arrive in groups, or rather hordes. I sped during the first part of the trail to enjoy the central and final part with fewer people and then returned to the beginning of the trail.
The famous Grizzly Giant is the highlight of the grove but the whole forest is wonderful with an ancient feel to it oozing from all the sequoias.
The grove feels like an actual museum in the sense of having this stillness quality to it. The giant sequoias tower over the forest ground with a regal presence and even the birds seem to have deference to them.
Closing thoughts
The world is filled to the brim with natural wonders and Yosemite is a testament to this.
Easily considered one of the best parks in the world on par with the likes of Serengeti in Tanzania or Banff in Canada, and several parks in the United States.
I spent only two days there while driving through during my California road trip (see more here), but the little time spent visiting this natural wonder was enough to reconnect with nature and disconnect from the hectic daily lives that we all have, despite the high traffic and visitor hordes which swarm the major points of interest of the park.
