Should i travel to yosemite

Given its size, it really does take nearly a full week to get a glimpse at the entirety of the park. If you only have a day or a weekend, the most popular area of the park is the Yosemite Valley.

You can take a shuttle around the valley or walk or bike parts of it, though the shuttle is not running during coronavirus restrictions. Some of the highlights in the Yosemite Valley include:. Even though Glacier Point is only a few miles from the Yosemite Valley, the drive itself takes 45 minutes to an hour from Yosemite Village due to the elevation change. Glacier Point has a short, easy trail from the parking area to a variety of lookout points.

Parking can be a major challenge at Glacier Point, so when shuttles and tours are running again, shared transportation is the preferred way to see it. Taking a shuttle to the top is also the best option for hikers who want to take one of the many trails down into the valley. In particular, the Panorama Trail 8. Some more ambitious hikers will take one of those trails up and the other down!

There are other hikes available on the road to Glacier Point as well. In particular, the trailhead about a mile from the top of Glacier Point is an excellent choice for the moderately adventurous, with 2. Note that the road to Glacier Point will be closed all of to make improvements.

The giant sequoias located at Mariposa Grove are excellent specimens. The famed Grizzly Giant and California Tunnel Tree that visitors can walk through are just two of trees protected within this area of the park. There are a variety of trails that originate here, including the easy Big Tree Loop a third of a mile or the moderate 2-mile Grizzly Giant Loop Trail. During COVID restrictions, however, your only option is to hike 2 miles each way from the parking area to the arrival area, making hikes here a much longer time investment.

Visitors looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Yosemite Valley often head for Tuolumne Meadows. Located past the Big Oak Flat entrance to the park on Highway along Tioga Road, this high elevation alpine meadow area is accessible only in the summer and early fall. There are a number of moderate and strenuous hikes along Tioga Road as well as plenty of car pullouts with magnificent views. Of course, camping is a popular choice for many travelers in Yosemite. Check availability before your trip.

Wilderness permits are also available for backcountry hikers camping overnight. For guests who prefer four walls and a bed during their overnight stay, there are two hotels in the Yosemite Valley: the Ahwahnee and Yosemite Village Lodge. The Ahwahnee is an iconic national park lodge that exudes old-world charm. That said, my family thought it was worth the splurge for the historic experience and central location on our most recent trip.

Also in the valley is Curry Village, which offers lodging mostly in tented cabins. The experience is somewhere in between car camping and a motel. The private cabins have concrete floors and basic beds with frames, but they also have tent walls and bathrooms are communal. To the south, the other in-park hotel is the charming Victorian-era Wawona Hotel. There are also some private cabins in the Wawona area available for rent as well.

To be sure, points-friendly hotels are few and far between in the area. Most lodging is independently owned, motel-style and budget-friendly. Two of the newer and higher-end properties for travelers seeking extra creature comforts are Tenaya Lodge, near the south entrance, and Rush Creek Lodge near the Big Oak Flat entrance on Highway Coming soon is an upscale glamping camp from Under Canvas.

Related: Exploring national parks: Where to stay using points. Yosemite is open year-round, but the high season is undoubtedly the summer. Legions of families and international visitors on summer break flock to the park in the summer months. Of course, this can mean some pretty crushing crowds. In fact, one of the major reasons my own family had not returned to Yosemite with our kids until this year was the uncomfortable crowd levels.

Showers are not available except for overnight guests of Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp. The laundry at Housekeeping Camp is closed; there are no public laundry facilities available. Shuttle service is not available in Yosemite this season.

Yosemite Hospitality is not operating any bus tours. YARTS is operating its regional transit system reservations are strongly recommended. Shuttles and tours are not operating this year due to lack of staffing. Parking is available until full at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza. Access to Mariposa Grove is via a minimum four-mile round-trip hike with feet of elevation changeon the Washburn Trail or the Mariposa Grove Road.

Several miles of trails are available in the grove from that point. Please bring water to keep everyone in your group hydrated there is no drinking water available in the Mariposa Grove. The Mariposa Grove Arrival Area has portable toilets and no drinking water.

Bicycles are not allowed on trails, unpaved roads, sidewalks, or boardwalks. If you have a disability, or are traveling in the same vehicle as a person with a disability, and the vehicle has a disability placard or license plate, you may drive on the Mariposa Grove Road as far as the arrival area not to the Grizzly Giant through November First, if you feel sick or may have been exposed to COVID prior to arriving at Yosemite, please stay home and call your medical provider.

If you are traveling and not near home, stay where you are and call your medical provider. Please call before visiting the clinic as appointment availability and clinic hours can vary.

Other sources of medical care are available in Mariposa, Oakhurst and other neighboring communities. If it is an emergency, please call Explore This Park. Yosemite National Park California. Info Alerts Maps Calendar Reserve. Alerts In Effect Dismiss. The temperatures are nice and warm during the day, but chilly at night, making weather conditions perfect for a night of camping in Yosemite under the stars.

The only downfall to hiking in the summer is that obtaining a permit may be more difficult. If the thought of this stresses you out, book a trip with Wildland Trekking. We will eliminate all your burdens by taking care of the permits, providing appropriate gear and making delicious meals. Explore Yosemite with Award Winning Guides. Without a doubt the best time to avoid crowds is the winter—December, January and February. While the weather may be downright cold, and some roads are closed, the crowds are exponentially less this time of year.

Winter typically brings in low and streaking clouds, giving depth to photographs. And, there is nothing like waking up to a fresh dusting of snow on the granite peaks that surround you in the Valley. Yosemite in winter is truly a wonderland. If the only time you can make it to Yosemite is in the summer, here are some tips to make the crowds more tolerable:. Yosemite National Park is home to some of the most epic and amazing hiking vacations in the world.

Wildland Trekking offers trips with the best of Yosemite: waterfalls, views, wildlife, solitude, adventure and fascinating natural and cultural interpretation. Sign up to receive our exclusive Wildland Wire emails and stay up to date with Wildland Trekking's promotions, discounts, contests, outdoor tips and tricks, trip reports and more!