Yosemite National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

Yosemite National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

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Aerial view of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California (Weststock)

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Yosemite National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Tips

  • Yosemite Valley is the centerpiece of the park. Sprayed by thousand-foot waterfalls and framed by monumental granite spires—including Half Dome, which is to the High Sierra what the swoosh is to Nike—it's perhaps the most famous glacially carved landscape in the world.
  • And of course there's lots more to this marquee national park than just the valley. From the peak-ringed and wildflower-studded Tuolumne Meadows to the Mariposa Grove's gargantuan sequoias, from the rushing waters of the Merced River to the huge views from Glacier Point, you'll find cause for wonder in every corner of Yosemite.
  • At 10,087 feet, Saddlebag Lake is the highest lake to which you can drive in California. Set in a stark landscape high above treeline, the lake and its neighboring 20-site campground are only five miles from the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. A boat taxi shuttles hikers and anglers across the lake to the 20 Lakes Basin in the Hoover Wilderness.
  • If you seek the seclusion of a grove of aspen trees or the convenience of a fish-filled stream just a few feet from your tent, you'll love Boulder and Aspen Campgrounds in Lee Vining Canyon, just east of Tioga Pass. Camp here in autumn for an unforgettable fall color show.


Yosemite National Park

In 1851, in an attempt to subdue a group of Indian people, the state-sanctioned Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley. They became the first group of non-Indians to record their entry into the Valley, but their descriptions of it ensured they would not be the last. One man later wrote, "None but those who have visited this most wonderful valley can even imagine... the awe with which I beheld it. ... As I looked, a peculiar exalted sensation seemed to fill my whole being, and I found my eyes in tears with emotion." Read More

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3 Questions | 3 Answers
  • Is March a good time to visit the Yosemite National Park? We are interested in rock climbing, hiking and visiting the highest peak there.
    Read 1 answer or Answer this question
  • Taking my S.O. to Yosemite for the first time. We are staying at Yosemite lodge. His heart is set on hiking Taft Point and we only have one full day. Glacier Point is 4 hours round trip from the Lodge. How can we combine Taft and maybe Navada Falls via Panorama? Any combo hike as an alternative combinations that take it all in? We have 7 to 8 hours. "Strenuous" is ok. Thanks!
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  • I want to hike some of the trails in Yosemite this winter, Jan.Feb. or March. What is the weather at that time of the year?
    Read 1 answer or Answer this question

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Hotels

from: $469

Ahwahnee Hotel

1 Ahwahnee Road
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389 Map

Distance: 6.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
4.0
3.0

Blackberry Inn Bed & Breakfast

7567 Hamilton Station Loop
Buck Meadows/Groveland, CA 95321 Map

Distance: 28.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0

Minaret Falls Campground

Devils Postpile National Monument
Mammoth Lakes, CA

Distance: 29.2 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0

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Attractions

Mono Lake

expert favorite attraction
13 miles east of Yosemite National Park
Highway 395
Lee Vining, California

Distance: 28.4 mi. (from destination center)

Description: One of the oldest lakes in the western hemisphere, Mono Lake is hauntingly beautiful, reflecting... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
5_0

Glacier Point

expert favorite attraction
above Yosemite Valley at the end of Glacier Point Road


Distance: 7.7 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Often referred to as "the grandest view in all the West," Glacier Point is a 7,214-foot overlook... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Taft Point

expert favorite attraction
The trail head begins at the same point as the hike to Sentinel Dome. At the fork, head left
Yosemite, California

Distance: 10.4 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

The walk to Taft Point is not demanding, and it crosses a broad meadow dotted by wildflowers in... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Airports

Major Airports near Yosemite National Park

Distance (mi.)
Reno/Tahoe International Airport 115.5 map
Sacramento International Airport 127.5 map
San Jose International Airport 134.6 map

Other Smaller Airports near Yosemite National Park

Distance (mi.)
Merced Municipal Airport 65.9 map
Fresno Airterminal Airport 74.8 map
Modesto Municipal Airport 79.3 map

Flight Deals to Yosemite National Park

Originating From
Las Vegas (LAS) to Reno (RNO) $147
Phoenix (PHX) to Reno (RNO) $227
Minneapolis/St Paul (MSP) to Reno (RNO) $250
Detroit (DTT) to Reno (RNO) $257
Boston (BOS) to Reno (RNO) $257

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