Yosemite
National Park
About Yosemite
Visited – May 2021 (#50 of 63)
Established (as NP) June 1894, although Abraham Lincoln established the Yosemite Grant in 1864
750K acres (about 1/3 of Yellowstone)
Where is Yosemite: Central California, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, 200 miles east of San Francisco or 90 miles north of Fresno.
Recommendations
Don’t miss: All the iconic sights in the valley and above. The view from Tunnel View or Valley View for starters. El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge. Hike the Mist Trail. Venture up to Glacier Point at sunset. There’s so much to take in, but take your time.
When to visit: Any time, but summer’s very crowded. I think April/May is best and winter, if you can make it in, is breathtaking.
How long to stay: At least 3 days in the valley, add a day each if you visit in Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Meadows, and/or Hetch Hetchy.
Definitely check out the Photo Gallery of our best pictures.
Photo Gallery
You can make an entire book of Yosemite Photos. We might just do that someday with all the iconic mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife.
Check out our best shots and see for yourself.
Link to NPS Info
Click to visit the park’s website with maps, history, and lots of great info on things to do and places to see.
Trip Report
Read about our adventure(s) to Yosemite…..
Waterfalls in the spring, snow and blazing waterfalls in the winter, and beauty everywhere you look. Yosemite is our favorite of the parks and we hope you get to experience that magic too.
Yosemite Blog Posts
Yosemite Trip Report
We’ve been to dozens of countries, all 50 states, and (as of June 2021) over 50 US National Parks. And we do not hesitate when someone asks which is our favorite place – Yosemite! John Muir’s conservation journey was sparked in Yosemite. For many people, the beauty...