yosemite national park.

Yosemite continues to be one of our favorite places to travel too. Words simply cannot describe the majesty of the Yosemite valley. The desire to go back over and over again is a small insight into the parks beauty.

There is no quick way to get into Yosemite. There are three main entrances to the park and once you enter the park, you still have at least an hour drive until you get to the valley. The hour drive will go fast though, because the sights are never ending. We have found ourselves pulling off and stopping every couple miles to take a picture.

We have stayed in both Coarsegold and Fresno, California when visiting the park. The quickest way to get to the valley from the south is via Hwy 41 through Fish Camp. We have also entered the park from the West via Hwy 140 through Merced. Driving up Hwy 41, you will drive past Mariposa Grove but due to the crowds, I recommend saving the Sequoia trees for Sequoia National Park. After about 40 minutes of driving you will start seeing signs for the valley and Tunnel View. You will be without phone reception so make sure to follow the signs to Tunnel View.

Once you go through the tunnel, the valley will open up and you will have a majestic view looking down on the valley. Make sure to park your car and stretch your legs here! This view is one of the most grand of all the valley. To the left, you will see Yosemite falls, to the right is Bridalveil Falls, and of course in the center, Half Dome.

Follow the signs to the valley and you will see signs for Curry Village. On your way to the Village you will see El Capiton to your right. Free solo, anyone? Imagine free climbing that wall! If you have not seen the documentary yet, you need too.

I highly recommend starting at the back of the valley and working your way up. Park at Curry Village and head for the Mist Trail. You will walk through a campground (last stop for bathrooms!) and finally will start seeing signs for the trail. The Mist Trail can get crowded, I recommend starting early! We did this trail in late August and early March. The falls were flowing both times but in March, there was much more water! Keep in mind, even in August, the trail near the falls got very slippery. After making it to Vernal Falls do not turn around! The best is still yet to come. Climb up the stairs to the top of Vernal Falls and you will find a perfect place to stop and rest. We had lunch at the top of the falls and the squirrels were so friendly they would run up to you and beg for a Cheez-It. After you’ve hydrated and had a snack, continue up hill towards Nevada Falls. The final stretch to Nevada is very narrow, steep, and rocky, be careful. Arriving at the top of Nevada Falls is one of our favorite views of all of Yosemite. Once at the top, you can either continue on the trail or turn around. We chose to turn around and head back to the valley floor. Keep in mind, this hike is very strenuous, take your time and bring plenty of water.

Another great hike is the 4-Mile Trail. You will leave Curry Village and head west out of the park. There are plenty of signs but I recommend using your Park Map for navigation. We got to this hike early and parked on the street. The 4-Mile Trail takes you to the top of Glacier Point. Please keep in mind, if you are not prepared to make this hike, you can drive to the top of Glacier Point. We thought it would be much more rewarding to hike and we were determined to see the top of Glacier Point (when we were visiting in August, the road to the top was closed due to the forest fires). Our Air Bnb host told us this hike is one of the most difficult in Yosemite due to the steady incline in switchbacks. This hike proved to be one of the hardest hikes we have done to date. The trail is 4.5 miles one way, consisting of switchbacks the entire way up and gaining 3,200 feet! We stopped for breakfast bars half way up (I keep track of our progress via the Health app on my iPhone) and took many photo breaks all the way up. When you finally get to a straight path through a very wooded area, you are almost there. I can still remember the feeling of making it to the top. The entire park unfolds before your eyes and you feel as if you are on top of the world. You have a perfect view of Yosemite Falls (was dry when we were there), Half Dome, and you can see Nevada Falls! Take your time and explore the top of Glacier Point, there are bathrooms, picnic spots, and even many other trails at the top. We had lunch at the top and then made our way back down. The hike down the trail was even harder than up the trail. The extremely steep decline made it hard to walk quickly. Be sure to even out the pressure you are putting on your toes and heels. Poor Logan’s toes got so bruised, he lost his toenails after this hike! Looking back, I am still so proud that we hiked to the top of Glacier Point. If you have the time and stamina, I promise it is worth it.

4mile view.JPG — View from the top of 4-Mile Trail, August 2018

Perhaps the most iconic view of them all is Yosemite Falls. We arrived at the park very early in mid-May and started our hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls right away. Be careful where you park near the falls, some of the parking is for the resort only and is not well marked. We parked near the Yosemite Visitor Center. The hike to the top of the falls was not too crowded. We took our time stopping at many lookouts. About half way up the trail, you will have the best view of the Upper Falls. We were so close to the roaring falls, we got drenched! Keep in mind, even though it was May, there was still snow in the park and the air and water were very cold! Make sure to dress in layers! Towards the end of the trail, the switchbacks become very intense and narrow. The rocks are wet and slippery due to the roaring falls. The switchbacks seem to never end and you will question whether it is worth it. Yes it is! Keep going! When we were there, it suddenly started to rain, all the more adventure! When we finally made it to the top, more like crawled, we decided to walk up to the base of the falls. In the rain, this was very dangerous but in the dryer months, I would not second guess this. There is a very narrow path along a rock wall that will take you to a platform that was created to look over at the start of the falls. The noise is so loud it sounds like airplanes taking off.

There was 21 inches of snow in the forecast so we quickly at our lunch and began our descent. When we finally reached the valley floor we walked about a quarter mile to the base of Lower Yosemite falls. The Lower Falls is a paved, very touristy site, but still worth seeing. We walked up the path to the base of the Lower Falls, and took some photos. The views are amazing and are both wheelchair friendly and dog friendly. We stood at the base of the Lower Falls proud that we had just hiked to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America.

View from Upper Yosemite Falls, May 2019

View of Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls from the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, March 2020

Bridalveil Falls is another must see. This waterfall is a quick walk and a good break from the big hikes. The falls were flowing in both August and May. In May when we visited, part of the parking lot was flooded from the falls! Be sure to wear a raincoat or poncho because you will get wet! You can walk very closely to the base of these falls. When we visited, we went very early and were the only ones there!

To end your trip in beautiful Yosemite, I recommend easing your way out of the park by stopping along the Merced River. Logan and I parked on the side of the road and walked down to the river. We quietly waded through the water and let our exhausted feet relax. The river calms your mind and helps you reflect on the sights and sounds you experienced throughout the day.

Each time we have gone to Yosemite, we have chosen to do one big hike and a couple small hikes/walks. Do not push yourself to do more than you can handle, there are hikes for all abilities and skill levels.

Where We Stayed:

Our first time visiting Yosemite, we stayed in a town about two hours from the west entrance through Merced. The town was called Coursegold and was very close to Oakhurst. We stayed at this Airbnb and loved it! I do not have enough good things to stay, we stayed in Suite #1. The host’s were amazing and greeted us upon arrival. They gave us a tour of the unit and also provided many hiking essentials for our time there. After a long day of hiking, they have a beautiful patio for you to relax at. One evening, the hosts even came over and joined us for a bottle of wine. I highly recommend staying here.

Another time we went to Yosemite, Logan was in Fresno for a work trip so we made a quick day trip to the park from Fresno. We stayed at this AirBnb and loved it because we could bring Charlie, our Golden. The home was beautiful on the inside and very affordable. There was a fenced in backyard for Charlie and he was able to stay at the house when we went to the park. Note, there are no dogs allowed on trails in National Parks. This home was close to many restaurants and was in NE Fresno, so closer to Yosemite.

We also stayed at the Yosemite Southgate Hotel. I was blown away by how nice this hotel was, they had just recently renovated it. Our hotel room was huge and our patio was massive! They have free parking and breakfast and their rate is very affordable. I would most definitely stay here again!

Where We Ate:

I always, always, always, recommend stopping at a local coffee shop on your way to the park. Most coffee shops are open by 5 am so you will not run into any trouble with getting up early! Both Oakhurst and Merced have small, local donut or coffee shops that you can stop at.

When staying in Coursegold, we drove about thirty minutes to Bass Lake and had dinner on the lake there. We ate at Ducey’s on the Lake and enjoyed the patio views. After another long day of hiking we had to carb up so we ate at Di Cicco’s Italian Restaurant in Oakhurst. The restaurant had a huge menu and their servings are more than generous.

Coursegold does not have many restaurants but there is a large casino near by that we always stop for gas at!

Finally, in Fresno we had great BBQ at Westwoods BBQ and Spice Company.

Breweries:

We always try to find a local brewing company in every town we visit. In Oakhurst, we stopped at their only brewing company, South Gate Brewing. We also enjoyed drinks at Mad Duck Brewing in Fresno.

Best Time To Visit:

Spring

yosemite national park.

the ultimate california road trip.

sequoia national park.