Yosemite National Park Travel Guide

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Half Dome at dusk in Yosemite National Park, California
Half Dome at dusk in Yosemite National Park, California (Don Smith/Photodisc/Getty)
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Yosemite National Park Travel Tips

  • Start early in the morning to set out for the approximately 12-hour hike to the magnificent Half Dome. The final climb to the top requires using cables to ascend.
  • A short walk up a paved trail to the bottom of Lower Yosemite Fall provides great views of all of Yosemite Falls, plus a close-up of the lower fall. Note that this waterfall is often dry from August through October.
  • See El Capitan, the largest single granite rock in the world.
  • 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.
  • Bridalveil Creek Campground is a perfect base camp for exploring Glacier Point Road's many day-hiking trails, and it boasts unexpected luxury in the form of flush toilets. Stay as long as you like for sunset at Glacier Point and enjoy a blissfully short drive "home."

Yosemite Travel Guide

California's Sierra Nevada imposes rugged features on a state that many associate with sandy beaches and palm trees. It's a mountain range of great beauty, hidden amid harsh wilderness, and nowhere is the terrain more dramatic than in Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Both combine mountains with meadows, waterfalls with wildflowers, and spectacular geology with awe-inspiring vistas that span, in some cases, nearly the breadth of the state. Together, these parks cover 1.6 million acres (roughly 2,520 sq. miles). They host approximately 6 million visitors a year and are home to thousands of species of plants and animals. 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!
    Read 1 answer or Answer this question
  • 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

Best Resorts & Lodges
1 Ahwahnee Road
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389 Map

Distance: 6.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
5.0
4.0
3.0
from: $79

Wawona Hotel

Best Resorts & Lodges
8308 Wawona Road
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389 Map

Distance: 18.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0
4.0
from: $81

Wuksachi Village & Lodge

Best Resorts & Lodges
64740 Wuksachi Way
Sequoia National Park, CA 93262 Map

Distance: 95.5 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
4.0
3.0
All Yosemite National Park Hotels »
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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

Top of Half Dome Hike

(Yosemite Valley)
Happy Isles Shuttle Stop #16
Yosemite National Park, California 95389

Distance: 9.6 mi. (from destination center)
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
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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

Feature Articles

  • Dream Destinations for Families
    The Ahwahnee Hotel (Yosemite National Park, California) and Riviera Maya (Mexico)
  • Aces High
    outside
    THE IDEA: Make one of the world's greatest Everest guides face his fear of heights. THE PLAN: Send him 3,000 feet up El Capitan with Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Ivo Ninov. THE RESULT: Panic attacks, cold sweats, and one order of Depends.
  • Yosemite
    outside
  • Climb El Cap
    outside
  • Yosemite National Park
    outside
    Hike to Sweet Solitude in the Sierra
See All Feature Articles on Yosemite National Park »

Trip Ideas

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Yosemite National Park Travel Guides

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