Most of what people come to Yosemite for sits on or just above one granite valley, with the high country of the Sierra Nevada behind it. Hiking Half Dome with a cables permit is covered on the USA page; this page adds the rest of a first visit: the waterfall trails, the views from Tunnel View and Glacier Point, the giant sequoias of the Mariposa Grove, the Tioga Road over the mountains, and the easy pleasures of a bike, a raft and a dinner at The Ahwahnee.
The season decides almost everything. The waterfalls roar in spring and fade by late summer, the Glacier Point and Tioga roads open only from late spring until the first heavy snow, and Horsetail Fall glows on a few clear February evenings. Yosemite needs no entry reservation in 2026, but non-US residents pay a $100 surcharge on top of the entrance fee.
More than 600 granite steps climb beside a waterfall, soaked by spray in spring, with no permit needed.
What it is
The Mist Trail is Yosemite's classic waterfall hike and the first part of the Half Dome route, with no permit needed. The footbridge with the first view of Vernal Fall is 1.6 miles round trip. Beyond it, more than 600 granite steps climb beside the fall, soaked by spray in spring, to the top of Vernal Fall: 2.4 miles round trip, about 3 hours. Nevada Fall, a 594-foot drop, is 5.4 miles round trip and 5 to 6 hours.
How to do it
Start at Happy Isles, shuttle stop 16; there is no trailhead parking, and Curry Village is under a mile away. Return by the John Muir Trail for the views of Liberty Cap.
Good to know
Through October 2026, subject to change, repairs closed the section to the top of Vernal Fall from 7 am to 3:30 pm, Monday to Thursday; check the park's conditions page before going and take the signed detour if it is shut.
Walk to the foot of Yosemite Falls, or climb to Columbia Rock
Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Valley
30 minutes to 3 hoursNo booking needed
A 2,425-foot fall in three steps, seen whole from the Valley floor, with a paved loop to its base.
What it is
Yosemite Falls drops 2,425 feet in three steps, and you can see all of it from the Valley floor. In spring and early summer the 320-foot lower fall soaks the footbridge at its base, but by August the falls can be a trickle.
How to do it
The easy way is the Lower Yosemite Fall loop: 1 mile, paved and about 30 minutes, from the Lower Yosemite Fall shuttle stop; the eastern half is wheelchair accessible. For more effort, the Yosemite Falls Trail starts at Camp 4, near shuttle stop 7, and climbs 1,000 feet in a mile to Columbia Rock, 2 to 3 hours round trip, with the upper fall in view half a mile further on. Going to the top is a 7.2-mile, 6 to 8 hour day.
Good to know
Walk the loop clockwise for the best views of the upper and lower falls.
Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls spread out 3,214 feet below a railing.
What it is
Glacier Point stands 3,214 feet above Curry Village, and from its railing Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and the high country spread out below you. A short, paved, wheelchair-accessible path leads from the car park to the overlook.
How to do it
It is 30 miles and about an hour by car from the Valley, up Glacier Point Road, which is usually open from May until the first heavy snow in November; in 2026 it opened on 9 May. Without a car, take the Glacier Point Tour bus from Yosemite Valley Lodge, which ran until 12 October in 2026, at $72.50 round trip or $28.50 one way. In winter the only way up is 10.5 miles on cross-country skis from Badger Pass.
Good to know
The one-way ticket is the clever choice: ride up, then hike back down to the Valley on the Four Mile Trail.
Stop at Tunnel View for the classic Valley panorama
Tunnel View, Wawona Road (Highway 41)
30 minutes, longer at sunsetNo booking needed
The tunnel opens straight onto El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall, the view most people picture of Yosemite.
What it is
Drive in from the south and the Wawona Tunnel opens straight onto the view most people picture when they think of Yosemite: El Capitan on the left, Half Dome at the back, Sentinel Rock and Cathedral Rocks, and Bridalveil Fall on the right. The overlook sits at the east end of the tunnel on the Wawona Road, Highway 41, and is open all year, with accessible parking and a short paved walk.
How to do it
It is busy: the park counts five to seven thousand people a day in peak season. Come at sunset or as a storm clears. On the way down to the Valley, stop at Bridalveil Fall, a 0.5-mile round-trip walk with 80 feet of climb.
Good to know
Use the north lot if you can, because from the south lot you cross the road on blind bends.
More than 500 mature giant sequoias, among them the roughly 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant.
What it is
Yosemite's largest sequoia grove, with more than 500 mature giant sequoias, sits by the South Entrance on Highway 41, not in the Valley. From the shuttle stop, the flat, accessible Big Trees Loop takes 30 to 45 minutes past the Fallen Monarch, and the 2-mile Grizzly Giant Loop, 1.5 to 2 hours with 300 feet of climb, reaches the roughly 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant and the California Tunnel Tree.
How to do it
Park at the welcome plaza, whose 300 or so spaces can fill by late morning, and ride the free shuttle, which runs every 15 minutes from spring to November: in 2026, 8 am to 5 pm until 31 October and 8 am to 3:30 pm in November. Only cars with a disability placard may drive the grove road.
Good to know
From December there is no shuttle, and the grove is a 2-mile walk each way.
Drive the Tioga Road over the Sierra to Tuolumne Meadows
Tioga Road and Tuolumne Meadows
A full day from the ValleyNo booking needed
Yosemite's high-country crossing, past a view down Tenaya Canyon to Half Dome and one of the Sierra's largest high meadows.
What it is
The Tioga Road is Yosemite's high-country crossing, 47 miles from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass. Three stops make the day. Olmsted Point, at about 8,400 feet, is a quarter-mile walk to a view down Tenaya Canyon to Half Dome and Clouds Rest. Tenaya Lake, the largest lake in Yosemite's frontcountry, is for a picnic, a kayak or a cold swim. Tuolumne Meadows, at 8,600 feet, is one of the largest high meadows in the Sierra Nevada; Pothole Dome, at its west end, is a 1-mile round trip with a short scramble for the view.
How to do it
It is open only from late May or June until snow closes it, usually in November; in 2026 it opened on 15 May. Fill up first, as there is no fuel in Tuolumne.
Cycle the flat Valley floor on 12 miles of bike paths
Yosemite Valley bike paths
2 to 3 hoursNo booking needed
Link meadows, bridges and viewpoints without hunting for parking, from Curry Village to Mirror Lake and back.
What it is
Yosemite Valley is flat, and its 12 miles of paved bike paths are the quickest way to link meadows, bridges and viewpoints without hunting for parking. An easy ride is Curry Village to Mirror Lake and back, about 2 miles; from the Lodge, a 5-mile loop covers the middle of the Valley.
How to do it
Bikes are rented first come, first served from three stands: at Curry Village, at Yosemite Valley Lodge next to the pool, and at Yosemite Village next to the Village Store. The season runs from early April to late October as weather allows (in 2026, to 25 October), 8 am to 7 pm, with the last rental at 5:30 pm, so the stands are shut in winter. Helmets and children's bikes are available everywhere, and tag-alongs and trailers at Curry Village and the Lodge.
Good to know
Bikes must stay on paved paths and roads, never on hiking trails, and the path speed limit is 15 mph.
Float the Merced River through the Valley in a rental raft
Merced River, Stoneman Bridge to Sentinel Beach
No booking needed
Drift from Stoneman Bridge to Sentinel Beach in summer, with the cliffs of the Valley above you.
What it is
In summer, when the water drops and warms, the Merced becomes a slow float through the middle of Yosemite Valley, from Stoneman Bridge near Curry Village down to the Sentinel Beach Picnic Area, with the cliffs above you. The season depends on water level and temperature, usually some weeks between June and August, and is announced each year.
How to do it
Rentals are sold only in person, on the day, at the Curry Village activity kiosk, which opens at 8 am; the first raft launches at 10 am, and sales stop at 1:30 pm. In 2026 a place in a four-person raft cost $36, including paddles, life jackets and the shuttle back.
Good to know
Every raft needs two capable paddlers aged 12 or over, children under 50 pounds cannot go, and life jackets stay on. Never float past Sentinel Beach.
Eat under the 34-foot ceiling of The Ahwahnee Dining Room
The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley
Book ahead
The showpiece of a 1927 hotel, 130 feet long, with tall windows onto the meadow and cliffs.
What it is
The Ahwahnee opened in 1927, and its Grand Dining Room is the hotel's showpiece: 130 feet long, with a 34-foot timber ceiling on stone columns and tall windows onto the meadow and cliffs. You do not need to stay at the hotel to eat here.
How to do it
Dinner is a prix fixe of five or seven courses, from 5:30 to 9 pm, with wine pairings and vegan options; book it on OpenTable, because even hotel guests are not guaranteed a table. Breakfast (7 to 10 am) and lunch (11:30 am to 3 pm) are casual and the easier way in, and Sunday brunch runs from 7 am to 3 pm.
Good to know
Dinner has a dress code: long trousers with a collared shirt, or a dress or skirt, and no hiking clothes, shorts, T-shirts, flip-flops or caps. The Ahwahnee Bar, open until 11 pm, is the relaxed alternative.
Best time
Lunch or an early dinner, for daylight on the windows
Two hours past El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls with a guide who explains the geology, cultures and wildlife.
What it is
If you want the Valley explained rather than just seen, the Valley Floor Tour is the easiest start. It lasts about two hours and leaves daily from Yosemite Valley Lodge, stopping at the classic sights, El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall and Tunnel View, while the guide covers the geology, Indigenous cultures, early settlers and wildlife.
How to do it
From about mid-April to mid-October it runs on open-air trams led by park rangers; the rest of the year, and in wet or cold weather, it moves to a heated coach with panoramic windows, with no refund for the switch. In 2026 tickets cost $41.25 for adults and $28.25 for children aged 2 to 12. Summer has up to seven departures a day.
Good to know
Collect tickets at the Lodge front desk at least 15 minutes before departure, because the tours leave on time.
Time needed
2 hours
Best time
Your first day, on an open-air tram, mid-April to mid-October
Learn to climb granite with the Yosemite Mountaineering School
Curry Village and Tuolumne Meadows
About 7 hoursBook ahead
About seven hours of rope work, belaying, rappelling and a lot of climbing on the granite that made Yosemite famous.
What it is
El Capitan and Half Dome made Yosemite famous among climbers, and the park's own school has been teaching on its granite since 1969. Its first class, Welcome to the Rock, covers rope work, belaying, rappelling and a lot of climbing, and also suits gym climbers who have never climbed outdoors. The school is based at the Mountain Shop in Curry Village and also runs classes at Tuolumne Meadows in the high country.
How to do it
The class lasts about seven hours and costs $240 per person, at a group rate that needs at least two students, with no more than six per instructor; helmets are lent free. Reservations are required, by phone or email, up to a year ahead. Private guided climbs start at $450 for a six-hour day.
Good to know
Cancel at least 14 days out for a full refund, and expect no refund for weather.
For a few clear evenings each February, backlit water on the east edge of El Capitan turns orange like lava.
What it is
On a few clear evenings in mid to late February, the setting sun backlights Horsetail Fall, a thin winter waterfall on the east edge of El Capitan, and it glows orange like lava. It needs flowing water and a clear sky; even haze or light cloud can spoil it, so allow several evenings.
How to do it
In 2026 no reservation was needed for the park or the viewing area. The viewing area is near the El Capitan Picnic Area, about 1.5 miles each way on foot from Yosemite Falls parking, just west of Yosemite Valley Lodge; if that lot is full, park at Yosemite Village or Curry Village and take the free shuttle.
Good to know
Stopping is banned along Northside Drive and part of Southside Drive, one lane of Northside Drive is given over to walkers, and the riverbank from Cathedral Beach to Sentinel Beach is closed.
A long day from Happy Isles ends hauling yourself up Half Dome's steel cables, with a permit drawn by lottery.
What it is
Half Dome is 14 to 16 miles round trip from Happy Isles, with about 4,800 feet of climbing, and most hikers take 10 to 12 hours. The final stretch goes up the steel cables, and a permit is required every day while they are up, usually from the Friday before Memorial Day to the day after the second Monday in October.
How to do it
Apply in the preseason lottery from 1 to 31 March (results in mid-April), or in the daily lottery two days before your hike; about 225 day-hiker permits are issued per day. Start at or before sunrise and set a firm turnaround time (the park's example is 3:30 pm if you are not on top).
Good to know
Stay off the cables if storm clouds are around. Yosemite needs no entry reservation in 2026, but the $100 nonresident surcharge applies.
Yosemite is about 195 miles from San Francisco, four to five hours by car via Highway 120 or Highway 140, and about 313 miles from Los Angeles, around six hours via Fresno and Highway 41. Without a car, take Amtrak to Merced and change to the YARTS bus, which runs up Highway 140 to Yosemite Valley all year. Entry costs $35 per vehicle for seven days, plus $100 per non-US resident aged 16 and over unless you hold the $250 nonresident annual pass. No entry reservation is needed in 2026.
Getting around
In Yosemite Valley, park once and use the free shuttles. The Valleywide shuttle stops at every lodge, trailhead and campground every 12 to 22 minutes from 7 am to 10 pm, and the East Valley shuttle loops Yosemite Village, Curry Village and the eastern trailheads every 8 to 12 minutes. There is no fuel in the Valley: fill up at El Portal, Crane Flat or Wawona. Glacier Point is an hour's drive from the Valley and the Mariposa Grove sits by the South Entrance, so those days need a car or a tour bus.
How many days
In must30's view, three days make the right first visit: one on the Valley floor (Lower Yosemite Fall, a bike loop and Tunnel View at sunset), one for a big hike such as the Mist Trail, and one for Glacier Point and the Mariposa Grove on the way south. Add a fourth day for the Tioga Road between late spring and autumn, and another if you won a Half Dome permit.
When to go
Spring and early summer are waterfall season, when Yosemite Falls and Vernal Fall are at their loudest; by August Yosemite Falls can be a trickle. Summer is the only time every road is open, and the busiest: car parks fill and rangers divert traffic when they do. September and October are calmer and still warm, but the falls are low. Winter closes the high roads and brings snow above the Valley, and in mid to late February the Horsetail Fall glow.
Where to base yourself
Sleeping in Yosemite Valley saves hours of driving: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Lodge and the tent cabins of Curry Village are all on the shuttle route, so book them as early as you can. The historic Wawona Hotel has been closed for repairs since December 2024. Outside the park, El Portal, just beyond the Arch Rock Entrance about 25 minutes from the Valley, is the closest base; Mariposa, Groveland and Oakhurst are cheaper but mean a longer drive in each morning.
Questions travellers ask
Do you need a reservation to visit Yosemite in 2026?
No. Yosemite dropped timed entry for 2026, including during the February firefall, and handles crowds with traffic diversions when car parks fill. You still pay the $35 vehicle fee, plus $100 per non-US resident aged 16 and over. The Half Dome cables still need a permit.
Can you visit Yosemite as a day trip from San Francisco?
Only as a very long day: the drive is four to five hours each way, so a day tour leaves you a few hours in the Valley. In must30's view, give it at least two nights. If one day is all you have, stay on the Valley floor and stop at Tunnel View.
When are Yosemite's waterfalls at their best?
In spring and early summer, as the snow melts. Lower Yosemite Fall is loud enough then to soak you on the footbridge at its base, but it falls silent by late summer, and by August the whole of Yosemite Falls can be a trickle. Plan waterfall hikes for spring.
When is the Tioga Road open?
Usually from late May or June until sometime in November, depending on snow; in 2026 it opened on 15 May. Glacier Point Road is typically open from May to November. Check the park's conditions page before you drive up, and fill the tank first, because Tuolumne Meadows has no fuel.
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