Yosemite National Park
The months in gold are when the weather, the crowds and the prices work out best.
Yosemite is highly worth visiting if you secure your entry permits months in advance. Go in May or June for roaring waterfalls, or September and October for cooler weather and fewer crowds. Allow three full days to see both the main valley and the higher mountain roads.
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Three days is ideal to see both the valley floor and the high country.
Most people drive from San Francisco or Los Angeles, or take the regional YARTS bus.
A vehicle entry pass costs 35 USD, and you often need a peak hours reservation.
Peak hours driving reservations sell out instantly and you will be turned away at the gate without one.
The Reality of the Valley
The valley floor is small and gets incredibly crowded. You will spend time in slow traffic and searching for rare parking spaces if you arrive after 8:00 AM. The granite walls rise straight up around you, and the scale is massive, but you will share the views with thousands of other visitors.
Once you walk half a mile away from the paved loop roads, the crowds thin out significantly. The air smells of pine and dry granite. The wilderness makes up almost 95 percent of the park, but most visitors stay packed into a tiny fraction of the land.
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When to Go
May and June are the best months to see the waterfalls at their peak flow from the melting winter snow. By August, many of the famous falls dry up entirely to a trickle, leaving bare rock walls.
September and October offer cooler weather and much smaller crowds. The autumn colors appear in the oaks, and the roads are easier to navigate. However, some high altitude roads close for the winter starting in November.
The Reservation Trap
Many travelers assume they can just drive in on a whim. During peak seasons, you need a driving reservation to enter during the day. These sell out within minutes of being released online.
If you do not secure a pass, you must enter the gates before 5:00 AM or after 4:00 PM. Accommodation inside the park also books out up to a year in advance, leaving late planners with long daily commutes from outside towns.
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Peak-hours driving reservations are required and sell out instantly.
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The background
Yosemite National Park ( yoh-SEM-ih-tee) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by the Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers 1,187 mi2 (3,070 km2) in four counties, centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa, extending north and east to Mono and south to Madera. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, groves of giant sequoia, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Its geology is characterized by granite and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted to form its unique slopes, which increased the steepness of stream and river beds, forming deep, narrow canyons. About one million years ago, glaciers formed at higher elevations. They moved downslope, cutting and sculpting the U-shaped Yosemite Valley. Humans may have first entere
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Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation to enter Yosemite?
Yes, during busy summer months and weekends in spring and fall, you need a peak hours driving reservation to enter between 5:00 AM and 4:00 PM. These must be booked online in advance. If you have lodging or campsite reservations inside the park, those serve as your entry permit.
When do the waterfalls run dry?
Most of the major waterfalls, including Yosemite Falls, dry up or become small trickles by late July or August. If waterfalls are your priority, visit in May or June when the winter snowpack is melting rapidly.
Can I visit Yosemite without a car?
Yes, you can take the YARTS bus from nearby towns and transit hubs. Once inside the valley, a free shuttle bus system connects the major trailheads, lodges, and viewpoints.
How much does a trip to Yosemite cost?
A typical day costs around 220 USD per person, including park entry, modest lodging nearby, and food. Staying inside the park is much more expensive and requires booking up to a year in advance.
Is there mobile phone service in the park?
Cell service is highly unreliable. You will get decent reception in parts of Yosemite Valley, but it disappears entirely as you head into the high country or onto trails. You should download offline maps before you arrive.