Destination guide
Yosemite
United States
Yosemite National Park is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Sierra Nevada mountains in east-central California. Approximately four million visitors each year come to Yosemite to marvel at its spectacular granite cliffs, towering waterfalls, remote wilderness, massive sequoia trees, and high…
Generated an hour ago
AI insights
AI-written from the Wikivoyage listings, transport section and the video stats on this page
When hiking the loop of Dog Lake and Lembert Dome, tackle the climb to the dome first; visiting the lake afterward serves as a refreshing reward once the strenuous ascent is complete.
To bypass the significant parking congestion in Yosemite Valley during peak season, rent a bicycle at Curry Village to utilize the extensive path network, which can turn a thirty-minute walk into a five-minute ride.
The High Sierra Camps are highly popular for their backcountry dining and lodging; to secure a spot, you must participate in the reservation lottery held annually from October 15 to November 30.
If you are dining in Yosemite Valley, The Mountain Room at Yosemite Valley Lodge offers a menu with organic and sustainable options, lower prices than the Ahwahnee Hotel, and no formal dress code.
Never risk running low on fuel; the park is vast and its three fueling stations can be hours apart, making it easy to become stranded in remote sections of the wilderness.
How we vet these picks
Every pick is drawn from real sources — YouTube creators, Wikivoyage, and Wikipedia. We only surface sources that actually exist and that we've checked for authenticity — no filler, no dead-end searches.Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
The BEST Kept Secret in Yosemite Living in My Camper Van - Travel Guide
Yosemite National Park Vacation Travel Guide | Expedia
Life as a Seasonal Worker in Yosemite National Park: My experience and what its ACTUALLY like
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK – Travel Guide for first-time visitors (watch before you go!)
Working in Yosemite National Park-What to Expect (A tour of the living situation)
Complete Travel Guide for Yosemite Valley | Yosemite National Park
Living and Working in Yosemite National Park: The HONEST truth
Yosemite National Park: 3 Day Travel Guide For First Time Visitors (13/63)
Yosemite National Park Trip Planner | The Ultimate Guide
Yosemite Travel Guide - Top 5 Things to Do
Best time to go
Best window: June–September
January, February, March and December are the months to avoid — cold and very heavy rain. The window below is when it is genuinely pleasant.
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
By bicycle
Yosemite Valley has a network of bicycle paths along its north and south sides. Bikes can be rented for the day at Curry Village & turn a thirty-minute walk into a five-minute ride.
By car
With most of the park visitors destined for Yosemite Valley, traffic and parking are significant problems during the busy summer season.
Fuel stations
There are three fueling stations in Yosemite. Fuel may be paid for with a credit or debit card 24-hours a day. The stations can be hours away from your location in the park––if you are running even a little low on gas, it's advisable to fill up at the closest…
By shuttle
To limit traffic congestion the park service normally runs several free shuttle buses throughout the park (these are not the YARTS system): Yosemite Valley.
By foot
Although the road network covers the most popular sights in Yosemite, the vast majority of the park's area can only be accessed using the park's network of trails.
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check.
Glacier Point
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
A viewpoint 3,200 feet above the valley floor with sightlines to Half Dome and Yosemite Falls.
Vetted sources
What to do
Mist Trail
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
A granite-stepped hike passing directly beside Vernal and Nevada Falls.
Vetted sources
Badger Pass Ski Area
· Cheap
Badger Pass is the oldest ski area in California, and offers both downhill and cross-country trails. For cross-country skiers the park offers over mi 350
Vetted sources
Yosemite Art Center
· Moderate
Operated by the Yosemite Conservancy and near the Village Store, the Yosemite Art Center offers artist-led workshops Monday through Saturday from April through October for those who want to capture Yosemite in paint, watercolor, charcoal…
Vetted sources
Yosemite Mountaineering School and Guide Service
in Curry Village by the Mountain Shop· Expensive
The only guide service licensed to operate in Yosemite, offering a range of options from daily 8:30AM climbing lessons for beginners through multi-day guided ascents of El Capitan for experienced climbers.
Vetted sources
Yosemite Mule & Horseback Rides
Operated by the official park concessionaire, there are three stables in the park. Each offers two-hour, half-day and full-day trail rides. Custom guided trips are also available.
Vetted sources
Wawona Golf Course
· Moderate
Opened in 1918, this 9-hole, par 35 course measures yard 3,050
Vetted sources
Dog Lake and Lembert Dome
These two hikes can be combined in a loop that delivers some of the best scenery from any five-mile hike in the park. Do the lake first, before you get tired from the dome climb.
Vetted sources
What to eat
The Mountain Room
Open daily year-round, this dining room is in Yosemite Valley Lodge and offers dinner with a view of Yosemite Falls. A significant portion of its menu includes organic and sustainable food.
Vetted sources
The Ahwahnee Hotel Dining Room
see under Sleep section
An upscale restaurant in Yosemite Valley serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Famous also for its Sunday Grand Buffet. There is a "resort casual" dress code for dinner service, meaning shorts and jeans are not acceptable attire, and that…
Vetted sources
Degnan's Loft
Open to the public from April to October from noon to 9PM, offering pizza, salads and soups in Yosemite Village. Open only to park employees and residents November through March from 5PM to midnight (last call at 11:30PM).
Vetted sources
Degnan's Cafe
Next to Degnan's Loft, serving "grab-and-go" food like sandwiches and chips, coffee and soft-serve ice cream. Open summer season.
Vetted sources
Yosemite Valley Lodge Food Court
9006 Village Dr, Yosemite Valley
Serving cafeteria-style meals in Yosemite Valley Lodge. Offers breakfast, lunch and dinner year-round.
Vetted sources
Degnan's Deli
Open year-round and offering standard deli fare, in Yosemite Village.
Vetted sources
Where to stay
The Ahwahnee
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
A 1927 grand lodge with Native American-motif interiors at the base of Yosemite Valley's cliffs.
Vetted sources
White Wolf Lodge
· Expensive
Along the Tioga Pass Road, White Wolf is open from July through September and offers 24 tent cabins and 4 cabins with private bath. The tent cabins are wood frame on a raised wooden platform and include beds, linen, and a wood stove.
Vetted sources
Wawona Hotel
8308 Wawona Rd· Expensive
This national historic landmark overlooks Wawona Meadow in the south part of the park along Route 41. Of the 104 rooms only 50 have a private bath. The lodge is rustic, with no telephones or televisions.
Vetted sources
High Sierra Camps
· Expensive
The five High Sierra Camps are villages of tent cabins in Yosemite's backcountry, with most of the tent cabins holding four people (be prepared for mixed gender sleeping arrangements).
Vetted sources
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge
· Expensive
Open from mid-July through September, Tuolumne offers 69 tent cabins in Tuolumne Meadows. These tent cabins have wooden frames, a concrete floor, and canvas walls.
Vetted sources
The Redwoods in Yosemite
8038 Chilnualna Falls Rd, Wawona· Expensive
There are over 130 private cabins in the Wawona area that may be rented from their owners. Ranging from log cabins to spacious vacation homes, all homes are completely furnished, including linens, cookware, dishes, and a barbecue grill.
Vetted sources
Yosemite Vacation Homes
· Expensive
Yosemite Vacation Homes offers 11 unique homes and cabins for nightly rent in the Foresta area. Foresta is inside the gates of Yosemite National Park and only mi 7
Vetted sources
Travel essentials
Gear worth packing for any trip — affiliate links that help keep Tripest free.
Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Encyclopedic context from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.