Yosemite National Park tips & the most beautiful sights

Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. Check out these Yosemite National Park tips to learn more.

Table of contents hide

1 What is Yosemite National Park?

2 Yosemite National Park tips

3 Where to stay in Yosemite National Park

4 Bears in Yosemite

5 Yosemite National Park sights

6 Book a trip to California

What is Yosemite National Park?

Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular National Parks in the United States of America and is located in eastern California. The closest major cities are Sacramento and San Francisco. From here it is about a four-hour drive to Yosemite Vally in the center of the park.

Visiting Yosemite National Park is one of the highlights when you’re exploring West Coast USA. The park is full of steep rock formations, waterfalls, and forests (with giant sequoias). Luckily, there are many hiking trails as hiking is the best way to explore all those beautiful places. There is a lot of wildlife in the park, with a bit of luck you can even see bears here.

Yosemite National Park tips

How do you get to Yosemite National Park? What is the best time to visit the park? How much time do you need? Here are my Yosemite National Park tips.

How do you get to Yosemite National Park?

There are four different entrances you can choose from to enter the park:

Big Oak Flat Entrance – easily accessible from San Francisco
Arch Rock Entrance – easily accessible from Mariposa
South Entrance – easily accessible from Oakhurst
Tioga Pass Entrance – the only entrance on the east, easily accessible from Lee Vining

Entrance to Yosemite National Park at Tioga Pass.

The entrance on the east side is only open a couple of months a year (usually between June and November) because you’ll have to drive over the Tioga Road, which is covered by snow during the other months of the year.

What does a visit to Yosemite National Park cost?

At the entrance, you’ll have to pay $35 per car including occupants (price 2024). The ticket is valid for 7 days. When you’re visiting more national parks in a year, it might be cheaper to get an America The Beautiful Pass. This pass will cost you $80, but it’s valid for a year in all of the national parks.

More information on admission prices can be found on this website.

Access Yosemite National Park: reservations

A pilot of a reservation system was launched in 2022 to see if the park’s crowds could be better distributed this way. This was a success because you also have to make a reservation in 2024 for certain days if you want to visit the park.

When do you need a reservation?

If you drive through or into the park on these days you will need a reservation:

Feb. 10 to 25: all-day reservations are required on Saturday, Sunday, and Washington’s birthday (Feb. 19).
April 13 to June 30: from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (May 27 and June 19).
July 1 to August 16: every day from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Aug. 17 to Oct. 27: from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (Sept. 2 and Oct. 14).

If you travel into the park outside these times, you do not need to make reservations. Dates and times may change, so always check the official website for the latest information.

When don’t you need a reservation? If you have a reservation for one of the park facilities (e.g. camping or lodge), a wilderness permit to go backpacking, or a permit to climb Half Dome. You also don’t need a reservation if you visit the park by bike or on foot.

How do you get a reservation?

There are several times to make a reservation.

Most spots become available on Jan 5th, 2024.
After that, additional seats become available 7 days before the date of your visit.

Reservations can be booked on this website. There’s a $2 handling fee.

The reservation is valid for three consecutive days. Therefore, if you apply for a Friday, the reservation is also valid on Saturday and Sunday. But you must arrive on Friday. You only need to request one reservation per car with occupants.

Learn more about reservations and permits in Yosemite

Learn more about the reservation system here.
This page contains answers to frequently asked questions about the new system in Yosemite.
Check this page for all types of permits in Yosemite.
Reservations can be made through this page. Want to visit the park on specific dates? Then first create an account and “practice” making reservations. Then you’ll know exactly what to do when reservations go on sale.

What is the best travel time for Yosemite National Park?

Yosemite National Park is open all year round. However, because of the elevation, most of the park might be closed during the winter months because of snow. It’s a good idea to plan your first trip to Yosemite somewhere between June and October.

The benefit of visiting the park in June is that you’ll be able to see the waterfalls at their best, because of the melting snow. In July and August, it can get really crowded in the park (but these are great months temperature-wise). I would recommend visiting Yosemite during shoulder season, June and September are great months.

How much time do you need to visit Yosemite?

You’ll need at least two full days (three nights) to explore the main highlights of Yosemite National Park. That will give you enough time to drive over the Tioga Pass and explore Yosemite Valley. If you’re planning on doing a couple of (long) hikes, I would recommend adding a day or two.

How to get around in Yosemite National Park

Waiting for the shuttle bus in Yosemite.

To get into Yosemite National Park, you’ll need a car. But once you’re inside the park, you can better leave the car in the parking lot of your accommodation. Traffic jams are very common in the park, and you don’t want to get stuck in your car.

Luckily, there are multiple shuttle buses (free of charge), that can take you to most of the trailheads and other cool places in the park. Check out this webpage for all of the bus stops.

Where to stay in Yosemite National Park

First, forget about getting a cheap hotel room in Yosemite National Park, they are non-existent. However, there are many options at different prices, so check them all before you make your choice. Accommodations in Yosemite National Park sell out very quickly (especially on holidays and on weekends), so try to book as soon as you can.

A hotel in Yosemite Valley

If you want to stay in Yosemite, you’ll have to find a room in Yosemite Valley. This is the main area in Yosemite, and you can visit most of the highlights in the park from here. This is also the place where most of the hiking trails start. Accommodation in Yosemite Valley can be quite expensive, but it will save you hours of traveling.

To get a hotel room, you can make reservations through the official website. The cheapest option is booking a tent in Curry Village, which has 4 to 6 beds.

Camping in Yosemite

Do bring a tent or travel with an RV and do you want to go camping in the USA? Camping is the cheapest option when it comes to accommodation in Yosemite National Park. In Yosemite Valley, you’ll find three large campgrounds where you can reserve a campsite in advance:

A camping spot costs $36 (+ fees and taxes) and for that, you have a substantial parking space, a barbecue, a fire pit, a picnic table, and a bear box.

How to reserve a campsite in Yosemite

Getting a reservation for a campsite in one of these campgrounds feels a bit like Russian roulette because it’s a very popular place to stay. However, it can be done. If I can do it, you can do it as well!

Every month on the 15th, reservations open up for the next five months. So if you’d like a spot in the last week of July, you’ll have to be ready on March 15. Make sure to make a reservation the moment it opens up because all of the campsites will be gone in less than 5 minutes. Check out this webpage for the dates you have to reserve a campsite.

It’s wise to practice reserving a campground first, so you know how it works when you actually make a reservation.

First come first serve campgrounds

All the other campgrounds in Yosemite are first come first serve campgrounds. This means you’ll have to get there early to get a campsite. On this website, you’ll find an overview of all the first come first serve campgrounds in Yosemite.

A hotel outside Yosemite National Park

Is everything booked in Yosemite Valley, or did you just find it too expensive? You can also choose to stay outside the park. You’ll find several accommodations in places like Mammoth Lakes, Mariposa or Oakhurst. Booking a hotel room is really easy when you use Booking.com. When you stay here, you have to know that it will take about 1.5 to 2 hours to get to the park.

Bears in Yosemite

You’ll see the warning signs everywhere: there is a big black bear population in Yosemite National Park. They are amazing animals to see, but keep your distance, because they can be dangerous. Don’t bring bear spray as it’s illegal in Yosemite.

When you go hiking, bring at least two other people and make noise regularly. Also, watch your food. When you’re camping, you have to put everything with an odor in a bear box (besides food, also your toothpaste and deodorant).

Yosemite National Park sights

Yosemite National is immense and there is much to see and do. What to do in Yosemite National Park? These are some of the most beautiful sights:

The Tioga Pass

Tioga Pass on the east side of Yosemite is one of the most beautiful roads in America. It is also the highest elevated road in the United States of America, exceeding 10,000 feet in some places. As a result, you may experience mild symptoms of altitude sickness.

Not surprisingly, you almost always see snow here, which is why the road is usually closed between November and June. You can find the exact opening hours on this website, which of course change from year to year.

If you’re traveling in California during the months of June through November, a drive along this road is a must, there are lots of places you will want to stop because there is so much beauty to see, such as Tuolumne Meadows.

Read more: Tioga Pass in Yosemite: the most beautiful road in the USA

Visit the waterfalls

Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite National Park.

There are many beautiful waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, but at some points, during the year you won’t be able to see them. If you’d like to see the waterfalls at their best, make sure to visit Yosemite National Park in May or June. When I visited the park in July, I was only able to see two waterfalls. One of them was Yosemite Falls, with 739 meters (2400 feet), which is the tallest waterfall in the United States and one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

The other waterfall I was able to see in July, was the Bridalveil fall. Another beautiful waterfall where you can see a rainbow if you’re lucky. You can find more information about the waterfalls in Yosemite on this website.

Explore the hiking trails

If you like hiking, Yosemite National Park is perfect for you. There are many trails, from short and easy to long and strenuous. You can see beautiful lakes, amazing views of Yosemite Valley, and waterfalls. Ask a ranger in the Visitor Center which hike is perfect for you.

Once you start, the trails are well-maintained and you’ll see clearly where you have to go. Make sure to bring enough water, because it will be hot (especially in the summer months), and you won’t be able to find a water source everywhere. If you’d like to read some more about the hikes, check out this webpage.

Check the viewpoints

Olmsted Point in Yosemite National Park.

If you don’t like hiking as much, you can always check out some of the many great viewpoints in Yosemite National Park. Tunnel View is one of the best viewpoints in Yosemite. From here, you can see the famous rock formations El Capitan and Half Dome, but also the Bridalveil Falls. And as I mentioned before, Olmsted Point is also a great viewpoint to visit.

Book a trip to California

Are you excited to visit Yosemite National Park? Then it’s time to book your trip! These websites are useful for booking a trip to California.

✈️ Plane tickets – Find the cheapest flights to California with WayAway. This is a flight aggregator that provides travelers with the best rates on airline tickets.

🚘 Rental Car – Having a rental car is an absolute must if you want to visit the most beautiful sights in California. Check Rental Cars and Discover Cars for the best rates.

💊 Travel Insurance – As for me, travel insurance is a necessary component of any trip, if you want to stay calm in every unexpected event during your journey. Check out Insubuy, this is currently the largest provider of visitor insurance. I’m sure you’ll find the best plan that fits your needs.

🎡 Check Get Your Guide to find the best tours and activities.

Amazing tours to Yosemite National Park

Are you staying in San Fransisco and would you like to visit Yosemite National Park the easy way? Book a guided tour! There are several options, like fun day trips, hiking, or even multi-day adventures. These are some recommended tours to Yosemite National Park:

Yosemite Day Trip with Giant Sequoias Hike – This is a fun day trip with a small group and expert guide. You’ll visit some of Yosemite’s most famous sights.
Curry Village 2-Day National Park Tour – More time in Yosemite! A stay in one of the tents in Curry Village is included, so you don’t need to worry about accommodation.
Yosemite Valley 3-Day Camping Adventure – The most adventurous and a real fun 3-day tour to Yosemite. You’ll stay two nights in Yosemite Valley in a tent (sleeping pad, sleeping bag, etc are included) and explore the park while hiking. Most of the meals are included as well.

Yosemite National Park tips & the most beautiful sights

What is Yosemite National Park?

Yosemite National Park tips

How do you get to Yosemite National Park?

What does a visit to Yosemite National Park cost?