Yosemite National Park

Year Established: 1890
Annual Visitors: 3.29 Million
Size: 761,748 Acres
State: California

Best Time to Visit Yosemite National Park

June to October

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks.

Best Experiences in Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite Falls
• Hike Half Dome
• Sunset at Taft Point
• Yosemite Valley

A Brief History

Located in the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite is a truly magnificent site, a vast range with 1,600 kilometers of waterways. Mariposa Grove is home to hundreds of giant sequoias in the park, including the 1,800-year-old Grizzly Giant, which towers over visitors at 209 feet tall. Yosemite Falls, plunging 2,425 feet down, is the fifth-highest waterfall in the world.

Half Dome, a vertical sheered peak formed by earthquakes and weathering, is about a mile high and is even more impressive. Both it and El Capitan, a nearby granite monolith that towers 3,593 feet, are popular destinations for experienced and courageous rock climbers.

A lunar rainbow, visible only during the summer season when a full moon emits enough light to allow the mist of a waterfall to refract its beams, is likewise a rare sight in the United States, and Yosemite is one of the few sites to see one.

You can see endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which have had GPS collars placed on them so researchers can monitor their whereabouts and health, as well as yellow-bellied marmots and 262 species of birds, including the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on Earth, which can dive at speeds of up to 200 meters per second.

About Yosemite National Park

High in the Sierra Nevada, this park is famous for both its geology and its elevation. It’s amazing to know Yosemite’s rocks were shaped by glaciers millions of years ago. Glaciers are like frozen rivers, only they move much more slowly. While on the way, they wreak havoc on the landscape, leaving behind distinctive landforms that will be visible long after the ice has melted.

Yosemite Valley’s distinctive U shape makes it look like a circular tunnel cutting through the mountains. The ice flowed here for thousands of years, carving this this valley. Yosemite Valley was carved out by a glacier 4,000 feet deep, whose immense weight scraped away at the granite. There are still two glaciers present on the park’s mountain peaks, and their yearly melting provides a lifeline of water to the entire ecology throughout the warmer months.

Waterfalls in Yosemite National Park

While there are THOUSANDS of waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, there are a few that I would like to mention as crowd favorites:

• Bridalveil Fall In Yosemite Valley
• Yosemite Falls in Yosemite Valley
• Horsetail Fall In Yosemite Valley
• Ribbon Fall In Yosemite Valley
• Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall In Yosemite Valley
• Chilnualna Falls In Wawona
• Wapama Falls in Hetch Hetchy Valley
• Waterwheel Falls In Tuolumne Meadows

The highest waterfalls in all of continental North America are found in Yosemite. A glacier-carved hanging valleys gush with water in this park. Those who are dead intent on seeing waterfalls should plan their trip for May rather than late August if they want to see these waterfalls in their strongest time. Melted water from glaciers carry with it nutrients that are beneficial to the ecosystem as they make their way down the mountain. Because of this glacier water, at the beginning of summer, the park’s vegetation blooms and becomes a vibrant shade of green.

When fall arrives, the leaves undergo a remarkable change, becoming a vivid golden color. The park sees a much smaller amount of visitors here in October and November, so guests can enjoy the changing leaves in peace if you decide to make your trip then.

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley is one of the most beautiful places along the Sierra Nevada road. It is a sparkling glacial jewel at the top of Yosemite National Park. Even though the valley is only 1% of the National Park, it is a popular place for tourists and people who love nature visits. It is 3,000 to 3,500 feet in depth and 7.5 miles in length.

It’s a home to impressive granite peaks like Half Dome and El Capitan that stand against a backdrop of a beautiful pine forest. Numerous streams and waterfalls help the Merced River carry water out of the valley. As the biggest waterfall in North America, Yosemite Falls is best visited in the springtime, when the water flow is at its highest. Most visitors enter the valley from that direction if they want to see the famous Tunnel View archway.

Access to the park’s many breathtaking views is provided on all sides of the valley via a system of circling trails that remain relatively low and trailheads that ascend to higher elevations. Lake Tahoe’s shoreline spans 72 miles and offers a wide variety of experiences, from the tranquil and prosperous north to the rugged west, the undeveloped east, and the prosperous yet impoverished southern region close to Reno.

The only island in the lake that requires a boat to reach is Fannette Island, which is situated near the lake’s geographic center on the western side. Over the years, the people have given the island many other names, including Coquette, Fanette, Baranoff, Dead Man’s, Hermit’s, and Emerald Isle.

El Capitan in Yosemite National Park

It’s no secret that Yosemite is a popular spot for rock climbers from all over. Some of the park’s more steep inclines, formed by ancient rivers of ice, require immense skill to to tackle.

El Capitan is a vertical rock wall that soars 3,000 feet into the air, and climbers prepare for it by putting in countless hours of hard work over the course of many years.

Two American climbers currently hold the record for the fastest ascent of the granite rock. One hour and 58 minutes was all it took to reach the summit. Spectators of climbing competitions can find free entertainment at well-known crags any time of the year.

Sequoias in Yosemite National Park

Mariposa Grove, located near the park’s southern entrance, is home to more than 500 Sequoia trees. The enormous redwoods, as they are commonly referred as, are among the world’s oldest trees.

The oldest tree ever found was 3,266 years old and it was located only 75 miles from Yosemite National Park’s borders. Trees in the grove have the potential to reach heights of 311 feet, and visitors can stroll among them to take in their grand size.

Their thick, fibrous bark keeps the tree safe from lightning and flames. Ancient giant sequoias once covered seven California counties, dispersing 400,000 seeds yearly. Though their distribution was altered by logging in the past, visitors to Yosemite National Park can still admire the majestic trees at their leisure.

Yosemite RV Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Yosemite National Park or in California, consider checking out our other post:

• Best RV Parks in California
• Best RV Resorts in California

Visitor Information

Camping to luxury apartments, there are options for every traveler. Tourists have the option of going rafting, horseback riding, or kayaking. Enjoy a round of golf or a thrilling ride on a zip-line while outside amongst the beautiful scenery. Truly, Yosemite offers a little something for everyone.

Fees

Weekly Park Passes

$20.00 per person/cyclist

$30.00 per motocycle

$35.00 per vehicle (with fewer than 15 passengers)

• If your van is carrying 15 or more passengers than you will be charged $20 per person.

The entrance fee is good for 7 days, starting with the day it was bought. People who are 15 years old or younger can get in for free.

Annual Park Passes

Yosemite Annual Pass – $70.00

Contacting Yosemite National Park

Phone Number

209-372-0200

Visitor Centers

Yosemite Valley Visitor Center

The Valley Visitor Center is staffed with knowledgeable people who are happy to answer any questions you may have about the area and its natural history exhibits, as well as its audiovisual presentations, which are available throughout the year. They also sell books and maps. The recently refurbished West Auditorium Theater, located behind the Valley Visitor Center, regularly screens the 23-minute state-of-the-art wide-screen video The Spirit of Yosemite, which provides an overview of Yosemite National Park.

Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center

Only during the summer months can you visit the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center. The geology, flora, ecology, bears, and other wildlife, human history, and proper conduct in the wilderness are all covered in the exhibits in the Visitor Center.

Wawona Visitor Center

Wawona was not included in Yosemite National Park until 1932, although its enormous mid-elevation basin has been used for human activities for generations. Wawona was settled by Europeans in the late 19th century, but it had been occupied by American Indians for thousands of years prior. 

Big Oak Flat Information Station

At the Big Oak Flat Information Station on Big Oak Flat Road, you’ll find friendly National Park Service Rangers and Yosemite Association employees ready to answer any questions you may have. You can also purchase literature, topographical maps, and wilderness permits. It’s seasonal, so summer is the only time it’s open and the hours change.

Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center

There is a one-stop shop for backpackers in Yosemite National Park’s Wilderness Area: the Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center, located in Yosemite Village. They rent bear-resistant canisters, sell maps and guidebooks, and issue wilderness permits, all of which are necessary for overnight trips into the park’s wilderness. As a rule, visitors can enjoy this establishment from late spring until early fall.