Yosemite National Park

Granite, waterfalls, and a valley that defined the national park idea.

Tunnel View, Glacier Point, and a valley floor that floods with cars. The High Sierra is the other Yosemite. Reservations have become part of peak summer. Go midweek, go early, or go to Tuolumne California.

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Location

37.75° N, 119.59° WOpen in OpenStreetMap

Must-see spots

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Best time to visit

May–June for waterfalls; September for granite without the crush

Trip planner

A Yosemite National Park itinerary

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Field guide

Yosemite National Park is a U.S. National Park in California. Granite, waterfalls, and a valley that defined the national park idea.

When to go

May–June for waterfalls; September for granite without the crush is the window most visitors aim for. Shoulder seasons mean fewer cars at trailheads. Winter can close roads; summer can fill parking lots by 8 a.m. Check NPS alerts the night before you drive in.

How to see it

Start with tunnel View and a Valley View pullout. Then mist Trail or the valley falls loop in runoff season. If you have a second day, glacier Point when the road is open. Keep one spare hour for tuolumne Meadows if you want sky instead of traffic.

Park practicalities

An America the Beautiful pass covers entry at most national parks. Timed-entry reservations are used at several busy parks in peak season — book those before lodging. Wildlife has the right of way; 25 yards from most animals, 100 yards from bears and wolves.

Pack this in your notes

Peak-season day-use reservations are real. So are bear boxes. Use both.
Download offline maps. Cell service drops in most parks.
Bring layers. Elevation and wind change the day faster than the forecast.
Enter the park early. Famous lots and shuttles fill first.

Open the long-form guide →

Traveler reviews

Rate and review

Rae S.

10/10

Tunnel View still works

We had a reservation and still hit Valley traffic. Glacier Point at closing made the day. Midweek next time.

May 14, 2026

Noah P.

8/10

Yosemite National Park is bigger than the postcard

Mist Trail or the valley falls loop in runoff season. Granite, waterfalls, and a valley that defined the national park idea. Crowds thin if you are moving at first light. May–June for waterfalls; September for granite without the crush is the window I would book again.

May 5, 2025

Tom W.

6/10

Start early in Yosemite National Park

Tunnel View and a Valley View pullout. Mist Trail or the valley falls loop in runoff season. Give Yosemite National Park days, not hours, and go in May–June for waterfalls; September for granite without the crush. The trailhead line is the tax; the quiet after it is the park.

Apr 4, 2025