Guide for Yosemite National Park

SfWanderlust Team November 17, 2018

Welcome back everyone and thank you so much for sending in all the comments and questions after our last post on Big Sur and Muir Woods. We’re happy you’ve found it informative and helpful. Most of your requests were about covering more nature places outside of San Francisco.

Well, we initially started this blog with San Francisco travel tips and tricks in mind, but the interests among our readers have quite shifted and you folks enjoy other places as well. No problem at all. We can do both at the same time so stay tuned. With that said, let’s continue on our nature exploration journey then. Today we’re introducing you to Yosemite National Park.

Yoooo..semite !

Yosemite NP is the most visited national park in California and the fifth most visited in the US. The park is situated in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Yosemite is most known for its giant sequoia trees, rock formations, and iconic waterfalls. The park is most beautiful in the fall, particularly in the month of September, October and November. During these three months, all the tree leaves turn yellow (also known as the fall/autumn color). They give the park a unique color.

One thing I love about Yosemite National Park is that you can see most landmarks from your vehicle as you drive around the park. NPs like Grand Canyon NP in Arizona and Bryce Canyon NP in Utah, you typically have to park your car at a lot and walk or hike to the overlook to get to a viewpoint. Not a big deal for young folks like me. But I think visitors of my parents age or seniors would appreciate being able to roll down the windows and see a beautiful view. Let’s have a look at a few worthy places to check out.

What to look for ?

At the top, and perhaps the most cliche spot, is Tunnel View. Tunnel View is a scenic viewpoint that gives you an incredible view of Bridalveil Falls (right), El Capitan (left) and a leading line toward Half Dome (middle). These are some of the most popular rock formations and waterfalls in Yosemite alongside Yosemite Falls, Nevada Falls, and Vernal Falls.

You might be asking why is it called Tunnel View? There’s nothing in the view that resembles a tunnel. That’s the question I asked myself when I first came here. The tunnel is located to the left and it’s about half a mile long. It’s called Tunnel View because as you exit the Tunnel you’re awarded with this amazing view. Yes, I said cliche earlier.

If you get here mid day, you’ll find yourself in a jampack of a place with hundreds of people. I really mean it, the two big parking lots there are always full unless you arrive at sunrise or stay after sunset. I always enjoy the sunrise view as the sun rises right behind Half Dome in the summer. And, behind Bridalveil Falls in the winter. It’s incredible and it’s worth checking out despite the crowd.

What’s next ?

Next up is Yosemite Village, which is where all the accommodations, restaurants, bathrooms, and coffee shops are located. You’ll even have full reception here, which for some, defeats the purpose of a national park. I don’t mind it as the phone is my addiction, unfortunately. If I have to stay in the park for the night or a few nights, I typically like to camp as it’s a lot cheaper than spending hundreds of dollars on hotels. There are heated cabins as well and they’re about $50 a night in the winter making it much easier to swallow, especially if you’re a group of 4.

There’s a fancy hotel called Majestic Hotel and rooms are anywhere between hundreds to thousands of dollars a night. I recommend bringing your own food as you’ll be saving a ton of money. If you don’t, there are grocery stores and restaurants that sell just about anything you’d find in the city, except at a higher price. While you’re at the village, check out Ansel Adams’ Gallery – his photos of Yosemite from last century will make some cry.

What’s around ?

The above places that we mentioned are in the Yosemite Valley area. Within this area, there are lots of other cool places such as the Swinging Bridge, Yosemite Falls hiking trail, Bridalveil Falls etc. Go explore them all if you can. Next and perhaps my most favorite place is called Glacier Point. It’s one of the highest points at Yosemite. From here you do get a great view from the top and will be able to see Half Dome, the entire Yosemite Village and both Yosemite and Bridalveil Falls.

All these places look completely different when you’re seeing them from Glacier Point. You can start to appreciate how truly large they are. Note that Glacier Point is typically closed in the winter from early November until May due to excessive snow so plan your trip accordingly if you want to check this place out. Yosemite Valley is open all year around though.

Friendly tips

Some tips for first-timers at Yosemite. It’s a very popular national park so if you want to avoid the entrance line, arrive during weekdays before 10am. On the weekend, no later than after sunrise. There was a time I had to wait 2 hours to get in arriving around noon time. When you’re inside the park, be careful with how to deal with trash. Always try to put your trash inside a bag, seal it and put it inside the bear-proof garbage cans you see throughout the park.

There are black bears in Yosemite and they’re always looking for food. They can smell food from miles away and they can break car windows to get what they want so do yourself a favor and avoid bringing smelly food. If I am here for a day, I typically bring dry stuff like crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dry fruits, granola or protein bars etc.

On the subject of bears, bear attacks are extremely rare but it could happen so be careful. Avoid feeding animals because according to the park, they could transmit all sorts of disease. This is important because areas outside of Yosemite Valley are not covered with cell reception and you don’t want something to happen to you at the time when no help is available.

Hope you have fun

Well I hope that’s been a helpful introduction to Yosemite for those of you who have put the park on your bucket list. It is a truly phenomenal park and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed whether you’re here for a day or on a multiple-day adventure. For more tips and tricks and travel guides in San Francisco and areas around, please click here. Looking forward to catching up next time.

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