Spring is an ideal time to be in Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. The waterfalls are flowing, dogwoods are in bloom and the river is rushing. Get an early start! This is a full day’s worth of activities.
Changes for 2022 *
Visitors to Yosemite will experience some changes from normal operations for the 2022 season. Some of these changes include:
Yosemite has other major projects planned throughout the year. These may impact travel times and access to specific areas. We strongly encourage all visitors to travel responsibly and Know Before You Go. One of the best ways to do that is to check the park's current conditions webpage. You can also give us a call here at the Visitor Center (559) 683-4636.
Also note - due to COVID-19, currently all park visitor centers including the Yosemite Museum, Happy Isles Art and Nature Center, and Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center are closed. Rangers and volunteers are staffing an outdoor visitor information kiosk near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Learn more about current park operations.
From the Visit Yosemite | Madera County Visitor Center in Oakhurst: Go northbound 15 miles on Hwy 41 till you get to the South Gate entrance. Stay on Hwy 41 (Wawona Road) for another roughly 25 miles to get to all the way to Yosemite Valley. (Park entry fee is $35 per car, good for 7 days; if you are 62 or older and a US citizen or permanent resident, you can obtain a Senior Pass for $80, good for life at all National Parks).
The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias sits right inside the South Gate of Yosemite. This area may open in late spring if there is heavy snowfall in the winter. Stroll or hike among our gentle giants, the largest living things on earth. The giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove approach 2,000 years old and provided one of the main reasons for the creation of Yosemite National Park. The Native Americans stepped here first, followed by adventurers such as Galen Clark, John Muir, and Teddy Roosevelt.
To get to the grove, park at the Welcome Plaza area just inside the South Gate entrance and take the free shuttle up to the Arrival Area*
Walking/hiking is required to see most of the trees in the grove. Go prepared with a hat, good hiking shoes, and plenty of water. Take refillable water bottles since no disposable water bottles are sold in the Welcome Area gift shop. There are drinking fountains to fill your bottles at the Welcome Center and at the Arrival Station stroll to the Fallen Monarch, an easy trail, about .3 mile loop - EASY
Hike to the Grizzly Giant, the largest tree accessible to the public, two miles round trip - MODERATE Journey to the Upper Grove cabin and Wawona Point, seven miles round trip – STRENUOUS (check to make sure this trail is open – may be closed due to snow) For those with a handicap placard, you can drive to the parking area near the Grizzly Giant to enjoy a short, accessible walk to the Griz. Seven handicap spaces are available in that lot, along with restrooms.
* (Note - the road is typically closed through the winter into early spring due to snow. Some services in the grove are still impacted by a January 2021 storm; some trails are closed, hikers may encounter down trees on some trails, and temporary restroom facilities are deployed. Weather permitting, the park expects to return to more normal operations, including shuttle service, by Memorial Weekend 2022. Prior to resumption of shuttle service, visitors can take a 2-mile hike up the Mariposa Grove Road or Washburn trail up to the grove. (depending on conditions, you can also cross country ski or snowshoe).
The most up-to-date status for the Mariposa Grove can be found here.
There's a lot to do and see in one of the park's historic centers:
Take Glacier Point Road out 16 miles to the point; return the way you came (seasonal road). Glacier Point Road closes during winter months and inclement weather events. The Park Service tries to have Glacier Point Road open by Memorial Day weekend.
*Please Note: Glacier Point road is closed to all vehicles for the entirety of 2022 due to road construction. For more information see the introduction of this article. For ideas of what else to see and do, check out the other "Points of Interest" in this itinerary.
Travel to next Point of Interest: From Glacier Point, return back along Glacier Point Road, and turn right on Wawona Road at Chinquapin. Continue 7.7 miles towards Yosemite Valley. You will go through the almost mile-long Wawona Tunnel immediately before your next stop at Tunnel View.
Continue along the road (Southside Drive) a little more than a 1/2 mile to the Yosemite Chapel. The chapel is the oldest building still in use in Yosemite Valley, dating back to 1879, and there's a spectacular view of Yosemite Falls from the outside of the chapel.
From the Yosemite Chapel continue east to Sentinel Bridge. Turn left, over Sentinel Bridge, and park at Shuttle Stop 11. Walk back to the middle of the bridge. This is one of the best-known photo locations in Yosemite with Half Dome over, and sometimes reflected in, the Merced River (while here also make sure to take in the view from the other side of the bridge).
There's much to see in the heart of Yosemite Valley, and a great way to get around is to take advantage of the Yosemite Valley Shuttle. You park once and can get around, free, to several of the valley's key destinations. Shuttle service changes seasonally so we highly recommend that all visitors practice "Know Before You Go". For the shuttles, this means checking which routes and stops are in service. A map is provided below but you can find the most up-to-date information here.
You've spent most of a wonderful day in Yosemite and seen many, many wonderful sights. What's left as you wrap up your day and continue your journey through Yosemite Valley?
If you have time and the road is open, don't miss the opportunity to view the Yosemite high country up-close-and-personal by traversing the Tioga Road, which goes across the park to the east side of the Sierra Nevada. A beautiful and spectacular region of Yosemite National Park. Another option we'd highly recommend is a visit to an often overlooked, but similarly amazing part of the park - Hetch Hetchy.
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