Yosemite National Park Guide

Picture of Yosemite National Park
Picture of 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 »

Yosemite National Park Highlights

  • 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.

By Travel Expert: Ann Marie Brown

  • 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.
  • For advanced rock climbers, Snake Dike is the easiest technical climbing route to the top of the famous Half Dome. The summit of Half Dome rises 5,000 feet above the Yosemite Valley floor and provides amazing views of Yosemite and the High Sierra.
  • Though ice climbing can be found in Yosemite, it's a good idea to always check with local climbers and review current weather conditions. The valley is too low to maintain reliable conditions, so often climbs are only in good condition for a week.

By Travel Expert: Karen Kefauver
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