Yosemite, established in 1864, is a superstar of the National Park System for good reason. A visit, whether you stay in well-connected Yosemite Valley or head out into the vast wilderness, is a humbling experience.
Despite its fame and infrastructure (areas have been developed to allow for an estimated 4 million visitors per year), it is still surprisingly easy to find solitude and dazzling nature – including charging waterfalls, soaring granite domes, deep valleys, emerald green forests and giant sequoia trees.
Hikers and adventurers return year after year to explore Yosemite’s 760,000 acres and conquer its legendary hikes (including sections of the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail), which have reached almost mythical status across the globe. They have made household names out of outdoorsy people that tackled them in style, including climber Alex Honnold and hiker Cheryl Strayed.
This raw nature is begging to be discovered and is accessible to all if you plan ahead – recent rule changes may leave spontaneous adventurers disappointed. And those who ignore proper park etiquette could ruin this protected space for generations to come. Here are some essential tips you should know before visiting Yosemite National Park.
The park entrance fee ($20/35 on foot/in a car) is good for seven days, while the Yosemite Pass ($70) and the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass ($80 for a full car) are valid for a year.
How long you spend in the park really depends on what you want to do. A day is enough to do a couple of hikes and get a sense of the awe of the place, but three days will allow you to see all the main sights, plus some hidden beauties. Those who want to go into the wilderness can spend weeks or months in the park, depending on how long they want their adventure to last.
Winter in Yosemite is spectacular – the park turns into a frosty wonderland, with snow-tipped peaks and frozen lakes – and you’ll likely have the trails to yourself. But be prepared for temperatures below freezing and for some areas of the park to be closed (including the roads through the High Sierras). Spring is the time to visit if you want to see rushing waterfalls, as the snow melts from the mountains and flows into the rivers around the park. Be aware that river levels may be too high to cross on some trails, forcing you to U-turn.
Summer is the most popular time of year, with traffic jams, packed trails and shuttles, but early summer provides the chance to take an outdoor swim in Yosemite’s designated spots. It is also immensely busy in early fall when the landscape begins to pop with fiery reds and golds. It’s a truly magical time of year, but it seems the whole of the world knows it –
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