How To Get There
Most likely you're coming from San Francisco, heading due East towards Manteca, from where you'll follow Route 140 and 120 Eastbound into the park. From Lee Vining on the East side head West on Route 120, (this entrance is closed in winter). The closest airport is in Fresno, CA, so it looks like you're driving!

Here is a map of California showing the location of Yosemite National Park.

Where To Stay
If you're camping, which is really the only feasible option here, you can either reserve a spot at one of the official Yosemite Valley campgrounds in the park, or stay outside of the park's boundaries in one of the numerous private campgrounds available.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

Camping Within Yosemite
How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Valley.

Camping Outside the Park
Bear Lovers Paradise!

Overall there are three main areas to explore within Yosemite's 760,000 acres: the Valley, the Big Trees, and the Alpine meadows. I'll give you a brief overview of each, and then add on some of my own personal detours and secret places. Once you become serious about visiting, you should immediately call for the brochure and monthly newspaper which outlines any road closures, construction and special programs going on within Yosemite. The material is excellent and the Park Rangers are very helpful when it comes to planing you to plan your trip.
Simply call (209) 372-0200 or write to:

Of course, once you get oriented, you'll quickly find your own little byways and diversions. Therein lies the beauty of the park: it allows you the freedom to find your own magical little nooks and crannies while still being able to make the most of the highlights.

The Yosemite Valley: A Masterpiece in Granite
You know when you've reached the stellar Yosemite Valley when Half-Dome lurks above, taunting you to "go ahead, try to climb me in one day, I dare you." The twisted two-lane road gently guides you from the western park entrance ($10 per vehicle) down into the hollow created over 500 million years ago by a combination of volcanic activity, erosion, and powerful glaciers.

Bridelveil Falls

Once in the valley, you are immediately aware of your smallness, but somehow the feeling is entirely pleasant. With the (in)famous rock-climbing wall El Capitan on one side and the giant cascade of Bridelveil Falls looming on the other, you are humbled. Also, the Yosemite Falls are the highest cascade in North America, and hard to miss from the Valley floor. Be sure to stop a moment and take it all in.

Your first stop in the Valley should be the Visitor's Center located at the end of the Valley loop road. It is important to remember that the road only goes one-way, so if you miss your exit, you're going all the way 'round again. It is a good idea to ask the Rangers about any imminent weather conditions, trail closures, etc, before you venture off.

Glacier Point

There are several day hikes you can do in or from the valley, but the one that stands out as most spectacular and rewarding is the Panorama Trail. Almost 15 miles long, this trail takes you up the side of the valley to Glacier Point, where you have a stunning view of Half-Dome, the poster-child of Yosemite (Most people can do Half-Dome in about 14 hours, but it is almost all-uphill hike and you don't get as much bang for your buck as you'd expect).

Before you undertake any sort of hike, no matter what the length or severity, you need to have solid walking shoes, lots of water, snacks and a good sun hat. I'm not your mother, but I do know what I'm talking about, believe me. After refreshing your water supply and taking a little breather at Glacier Point, you'll continue on a well-marked trail around the valley and past not one, not two, but three incredible sets of waterfalls: Illouette, Nevada, and Vernal Falls. You may remember these cascades thundering above you in the Valley this morning. There are lots of places to stop and take photographs, and you should've brought as much water as possible, as there are no places to fill up along the way.

Panorama Trail

Once you start to descend back down into the Valley floor again, you'll start to notice the hoards of people who don't "do" hiking and the solitude you had all day in the mountains will be shattered. Just keep this in mind after you leave Nevada Falls. If you start early enough in the morning, you can take it really super slow, but even if you start the hike at 10am, you'll be back down in the Valley by 6 o'clock. The important thing is to pace yourself and enjoy the proverbial ride. You'll love this hike, and if you're thinking its too long or strenuous for you, you can cheat a little by taking one of the shuttle buses running to the top of Glacier Point. Here you can pick up the Panorama Trail, cutting off the first four miles uphill. Don't worry, I won't tell anybody!

Once you've completed your hike, you'll be back in the Yosemite Valley near the Happy Isles Nature Center, where you can catch the free shuttle bus back to the Visitor Center area stores for a snack, or Curry Village for some well-deserved pizza on the patio. Take a look up and you'll see where you were earlier in the day, you'll feel a real accomplishment. Also take a moment to check out the excellent gallery behind the general store displaying the work of Ansel Adams. This world renowned artist made this park and many other American treasures famous through his stunning nature photographs.

If you're an avid and talented rock climber, you may want to get a permit to scale El Capitan. Be warned though, that you'll be spending at least one night sleeping in a narrow crevice of your choosing before reaching the top. If this is a bit much for you, you can still appreciate the bravery of those climbers by cheering them on from below and marking their progress through binoculars.

The Merced River, which is always freezing, even in the heat of mid-July, is a fun place to take a dip. It runs strait through the middle of Yosemite Valley, and you'll cool off in no time at Sentinel Beach. Here you can compete for the title of "craziest motherfucker" to hold out in the frigid water. That is, if you don't get swept away by the speed of the current first.

Those Magnificent Redwoods: The biggest trees you ever did see
There are three graceful groves of our planet's largest living things within Yosemite National Park: Merced, Mariposa, and Tuolumne. While they all "wow" you with their mammoth inhabitants, my favorite, and also the least-traveled grove, is Tuolumne. About a half-hour drive from either the west side campgrounds or Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Grove can only be reached by foot. The parking lot is rather small and easy to miss, and don't expect to find a water fountain or a restroom where you don't have to hold your breath.

Its all worth it though, once you start the one mile descent following the path of the Old Big Oak Flat Road, now closed to traffic. As you leave the world of civilization behind you, it is easy to imagine how the forest could have been 500,000 years ago: very quiet. The preservation of this section of forest was one of the most important results of this park's creation back in 1880, when John Muir succeeded in his quest to provide sanctuary.

Massive Redwood

When the first redwood tree looms nearby, you'll want to stay and look at it and touch it for hours. Over a thousand years old, there are only about 5 or 6 living trees left in this grove, but a highlight is a tree felled by lightning that you can actually crawl through the middle of. Be warned though, this is not an activity for claustrophobics. There is also a dead tree trunk still standing over the trail. It was struck by lighting decades ago, then people decided it would be a good idea to preserve it by making it available to drive their cars through. Now it just stands as a sad monument to the way this forest used to be. Tuolumne grove is honestly as sad as it is beautiful, and the remaining trees seem lost in a sea of their inferiors.

Alpine Yosemite and the High Country

Alpine Yosemite

The third and most subtle part of Yosemite National Park is the area in and around the Tioga Pass entrance on the eastern side. Tioga Pass boasts the second largest gain in elevation for a road in the United States, as it crosses the Sierra's highest elevation of 9,945 feet (the first being the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming). Approximately an hour's drive from the western entrance, just the spectacular views from the road and rest stops make this trip worthwhile. You'll pass glacial lakes teeming with life, you'll see Half-Dome from yet another angle, and you'll feel the air getting colder and crisper than ever.

One lake in particular is worth a stop: Tenaya Lake. If it wasn't so damned cold year round in the water this would be a tropical paradise lover's dream, complete with sandy beaches, colorful birds, bright strong sunshine, and foamy clear blue water lapping at the shores. Have a seat on a rock and take a moment to close your eyes and breathe the cleanest air your lungs have ever met.

Tuolumne Meadows, 8,600 feet above sea level, offers a favorite starting point for any Alpine hike of your choice. It has a great Visitor's Center, general store, and picnic areas. In the summertime, there are abundant wildflowers and foliage even though the mountains still retain their snowcapped peaks. Don't forget that the elevation makes breathing a little more taxing than normal, so take it easy up here when you hike.

Two of my favorite hikes leave from this area. The Dog Lake hike leaves from the Lembert Dome picnic area, taking you through beautiful elevated scenery. It should only take you about three hours to do and it's a good idea to take a picnic and eat it when you get to the top. Another great hike leads up to Elizabeth Lake and Unicorn Peak from the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor's Center. This hike is a little more strenuous, but the views at the top can't be beat. Make sure to double-check with the Rangers to see if there are any trail closures or special things to be aware of. No need to get eaten by a wandering bear if you don't have to.

©1999 Emma Beyn. Reproduction of this work and photographic images in whole or in part, including reproduction in electronic media, without the expressed written permission of the author is prohibited.
Images by Emma Beyn