Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the country due to its spacious, scenic beauty. Yosemite remains one of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain getaways that people utilize to get away from their daily grinds.
Hiking Nevada Falls with the S7 tribe
When you visit Yosemite, you’re entering a place famed for its ancient, giant sequoia trees, Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, the cliffs of El Capitan, and (perhaps most famously) Half Dome.
Trek deeper into the experience and you’ll find Yosemite Village, home to restaurants, shops, top notch lodging, and even an Ansel Adams Gallery — a photographer who has more than a few renowned black-and-whites beholding the area’s landscapes.
However, in the face of such beauty and remoteness, it’s important to optimize your visit. You can get seriously bogged down by so many visitors — if indeed you’ll be visiting during the jam-packed summer months. It would be a shame to be spending a large quantity of your time haggling over parking, worrying about congestion and where you’re going to set up your home base.
Instead, Sintra has your back with a few travel tips to maximize your experience when you touch down at Yosemite.
1.) Timing is Everything
From our hike of Nevada Falls in Yosemite Valley
It would be ideal to plan your visit in the autumn, winter or spring months due to sheer numbers, but waterfalls are at their mightiest from April-June if that adds to the incentive. And September to October is arguably the best time for hiking — trails and passes are open, there are fewer crowds to deal with, and cooler temperatures.
2.) Know What You Want to See
The home of the giant sequoias trees
If you have only a limited amount of time and it’s your first visit, Yosemite Valley is likely the biggest must-see. You’ll see some of the best views of Half Dome and you’ll have access to many of the national park’s best trails from here. But, if you have more than a day to enjoy, there are full day hikes that give you fantastic views of Glacier Point and falls of Nevada, Vernal, and Yosemite Waterfalls. If you’re up for a more strenuous hike, check out Upper Yosemite Falls Trail or Four Mile Trail.
3.) Utilize Public Transportation, if You’re Able
Avoiding traffic (not to mention parking hassles) is always huge and doubly so in Yosemite Valley. You can take YARTS to Yosemite to get to lodging outside the park (whether you’re staying in Fishcamp, Mariposa, Midpines, or El Portal. YARTS buses are awesome because they provide regularly-scheduled access to the national park from all of its gateway communities. Your bus fare also includes park entrance fees, so there’s that.
A Few More Freebies
A couple other quick tips you should utilize to make your stay more comfortable and memorable is to bring plenty of food and water. Expect delays. Use restrooms whenever they’re available.
Arriving early is a good idea and staying late is also an option. Doing a weekday visit is going to limit congestion, and if you do bring a vehicle, try to park it for the day so you don’t get swept up in traffic going from destination to destination.
One of Nature’s Wonders, HalfDome
So when you’re in Yosemite, do your part to keep nature alive — whatever that means to you. We definitely continue to do ours — for every item purchased, we give back 10% to California’s state parks. See you out there
