Yosemite

Yosemite National Park

The vehicle reservation system that created so much frustration in previous years no longer applies in 2026; Yosemite announced that timed-entry reservations are not required this year. Check the current NPS policy before your visit because these decisions change annually and the specific dates and terms vary. The park entry fee is $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days.

Yosemite Valley is 1.2 kilometres wide and 11 kilometres long, cut into Sierra Nevada granite with valley walls rising 900-1,400 metres on both sides. About 4 million people visit annually, most concentrating in the valley in summer. The valley is genuinely magnificent and genuinely crowded from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Parking fills by 9am on summer weekends.

The Valley

El Capitan on the north wall is a 914-metre vertical granite face, the largest exposed granite monolith in the world and the defining climbing objective on earth. Free solo ascent by Alex Honnold in 2017 took 3 hours 56 minutes without ropes. Watching climbers on the wall through binoculars from the meadows below is a regular activity; on any summer day you can usually spot two or three parties on the wall.

Yosemite Falls drops 739 metres in two stages and is the tallest waterfall in North America. Peak flow is April and May from snowmelt; by August the upper fall often reduces to a trickle.

Half Dome at the eastern end of the valley requires a permit by lottery to hike via the cables (14.5 miles return, 1,460 metres elevation gain). The cables are installed late May through mid-October. Apply at recreation.gov. You will likely be disappointed on your first application; the lottery is competitive.

Glacier Point, accessible by road from the valley’s south rim (road opens June, closes October), gives a 975-metre view straight down into the valley with Half Dome at eye level and Nevada Fall visible below.

Tunnel View at the eastern end of the Wawona Tunnel is the classic valley panoramic viewpoint: El Capitan left, Half Dome centre, Bridalveil Fall right.

Beyond the Valley

Tuolumne Meadows on the Tioga Road (Highway 120) at 2,600 metres is a different landscape: open granite domes, subalpine meadows, and the Tuolumne River. Road open late May to early November. The Lembert Dome scramble from the Tuolumne area gives high-country views without demanding backcountry preparation.

Mariposa Grove at the south entrance has 500 mature giant sequoias. The Grizzly Giant is estimated between 1,800 and 2,700 years old with a 9-metre diameter. Accessed by shuttle from the south entrance parking area.

Staying

The Ahwahnee is the 1927 historic lodge in the valley, a National Historic Landmark with valley views. Rooms book 12 or more months ahead; expensive and worth it for the building and location if you can get a reservation.

Curry Village tent cabins are significantly cheaper and also book far ahead. Valley campgrounds require reservation on recreation.gov.

Groveland and El Portal on the approach roads have accommodation at prices well below the valley, with 30-45 minute drive times.

Practical Notes

The America the Beautiful annual pass ($80, covers all US national parks for 12 months) beats the per-vehicle fee for anyone visiting more than two parks in a year.

Bears are active year-round; use bear boxes at campsites and in vehicles. A bear through a car window to reach visible food happens regularly.

April-May (waterfalls at peak, wildflowers, manageable crowds) and September-October (crowds thinning after Labor Day, turning leaf colour at elevation) are the best windows.