Located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in eastern central California, Yosemite National Park is one of the most visited parks in the national park system. Famous for its towering glacier-sculpted granite formations like the iconic Half Dome and El Capitan, majestic seasonal waterfalls, and beautiful high-altitude forests and meadows, Yosemite inspires hikers, climbers, photographers, and casual tourists alike. Choose from one of the items below to get started!
If you are new to Yosemite National Park, please start with this introduction to get oriented. Topics include getting to Yosemite National Park (flying and driving), entrance fees, the roads into and through Yosemite, navigating around Yosemite Valley, the Yosemite Valley shuttle system, and dealing with crowds at this very popular national park. Also covered are dining and lodging ideas and conditions during different seasons.
Yosemite National Park has a wide range of hiking opportunities from short family-friendly strolls to longer strenuous day hikes with thousands of feet of elevation gain to reach breathtakingly majestic viewpoints. If you are a first-time visitor and want to see the best of Yosemite in a few days, try to squeeze in several of the short-and-easy hikes and viewpoints as well as a few of the more strenuous ones.
While Yosemite Valley is only a small portion of Yosemite National Park in area, it is the bustling epicenter of the park that is home to many of the iconic trails, waterfalls, and granite formations as well as the Visitor Center, several historic hotels, and campgrounds. In order to survive the crowds that flock to Yosemite Valley, it's important to plan ahead, know where you want to go, get your reservations, and get there early!
This site is written and maintained by Joe Braun, an avid hiker and photographer. None of this site is written by AI; I am a real human being who enjoys writing and sharing my first-hand hiking experiences and photographs with other people who enjoy the outdoors. About this Site...