Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

Good news for 2026: Yosemite has eliminated its vehicle reservation system, which plagued summer visits in previous years. You no longer need a timed entry pass to drive into the park. You do need a valid park entrance pass, available at the five entrance stations or in advance online through Recreation.gov. Entry is $35 per vehicle, valid for seven days. The reservation change takes effect immediately, so the advice to “book months ahead” that you see in older guides is outdated.

That said, Yosemite Valley in June, July, and August remains very crowded. The parking situation in the valley is still difficult, lodging fills months in advance, and weekend mornings at Tunnel View still involve competing with several hundred other photographers for the same shot. The park is genuinely worth it, and knowing this in advance helps you make better decisions.

The Valley

Yosemite Valley is 11 kilometres long and 1.6 kilometres wide at the floor, carved by glaciers through the Sierra Nevada. The granite walls rise up to 900 metres. El Capitan on the north wall presents a sheer face that climbers first ascended in 1958; free solo (no ropes) first completed by Alex Honnold in 2017.

Tunnel View, at the eastern end of the Wawona Tunnel on the approach from the south, is the classic panoramic overlook: El Capitan left, Half Dome centre, Bridalveil Fall right. The view is genuinely as good as its reputation. Arrive at or before sunrise if you want space and good light.

Yosemite Falls is North America’s tallest waterfall at 739 metres and flows best from snowmelt in April and May. By late August in dry years it reduces to a trickle. The Upper Yosemite Fall trail (12 kilometres return, 880 metres elevation gain) reaches the top.

Half Dome requires a permit obtained by lottery; approximately 300 permits are issued per day between late May and mid-October. Apply at recreation.gov. The cables section at the summit (the final 120 metres of near-vertical granite) is serious. The hike kills several people in a typical year from falls and lightning. Bring poles and gloves for the cables. Do not start the 26-kilometre round trip late in the day.

Mirror Lake in the valley’s eastern section is accessible by a flat 8-kilometre loop trail that most valley visitors skip in favour of the famous viewpoints. In early May, before the water level drops, the lake reflects Half Dome in the morning. Worth the walk.

Beyond the Valley

Glacier Point at 2,199 metres gives the aerial view of the valley that most visitors know from photographs. The road is 16 kilometres from the valley; the Four Mile Trail connects Glacier Point to the valley floor (5 kilometres each way, 960 metres elevation). Driving up and hiking down with a shuttle arrangement is the most common approach.

Mariposa Grove at the south entrance holds 500 mature giant sequoias. The Grizzly Giant is estimated between 1,800 and 2,700 years old and has a diameter of 9 metres. The grove is accessed by shuttle from the south entrance parking area. Allow two hours.

Tioga Pass Road (State Route 120), the high-altitude road crossing the Sierra Nevada through the park, opens in late spring when snow allows (typically May or June) and closes in October. The road reaches 3,031 metres at Tioga Pass, with Tuolumne Meadows below it offering backpacking access and summer camping at a completely different altitude and character from the valley.

Staying and Eating

The Ahwahnee (1927) is the grand historic lodge in the valley, with rooms from $500 per night in peak season. Dinner reservations are required and book out quickly. This is the right choice for a celebratory stay; for a practical base, it is expensive and the grandeur can feel performative.

Half Dome Village tent cabins run around $140-200 per night and are far more available than The Ahwahnee, though still filling months ahead.

Outside the park: Mariposa (45 minutes south), El Portal (just west of the Arch Rock entrance), and Groveland (45 minutes west) all have accommodation at lower prices and less competition for availability.

Curry Village (Half Dome Village) pizza deck and the food counters in the valley are functional and unremarkable. For a better meal, the Yosemite Valley Lodge’s base camp eatery has improved in recent years.

Practical Notes

The valley free shuttle system runs year-round and covers all major trailheads, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome Village, and the Visitor Centre. Driving and parking within the valley is possible but the shuttle eliminates most of the stress.

Bears are active in the park year-round. Use bear boxes at campsites and in vehicles; a bear through a car window to reach a backpack happens regularly enough to warrant actually doing this. Black bears here are not confrontational but are persistent.

The best windows are April-May (waterfalls at peak, wildflowers, moderate crowds), September-October (comfortable temperatures, crowds thinning after Labor Day, turning leaf colour at elevation). July and August are crowded and hot in the valley. Winter is beautiful and extremely quiet; some roads close but the valley remains accessible.