#1. Take a guided Yosemite tour - Leave the driving to someone else! Ride with an experienced tour guide who will show you all the iconic spots and give you insider information. Or take public transit from YARTS - Yosemite Area Regional Transit System.
#2. If you're driving yourself during the busy summer season...REMEMBER to arrive in the park early, before 8 am (or even earlier, say 7am on the weekends) or late after 4 pm to avoid summer traffic.
#3. Visit areas outside Yosemite Valley for the best summer experience. Some of these areas are only accessible during the summer season so here's your chance to experience these remarkable landscapes. Areas like the historic town of Wawona. High country spots such as Olmstead Point, Tuolumne Meadows and Tenaya Lake (you can extend that adventure out through the park's eastern entrance. Lastly there are a couple of our favorite locations outside of the valley, Glacier Point (with excursions to Taft Point & Sentinel Dome just short hikes off of Glacier Point Road)... and of course the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. The warm summer months allow for more access to the diverse experiences and regions that Yosemite has to offer.
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias:
The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias reopened on June 15, 2018 after an historic restoration. Click here for more information and photos.
More information to help you make the most of your visit to Yosemite National Park:
There is so much to explore in Yosemite National Park! We have put together several suggestions of things to do in Yosemite to jump start your planning:
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention that one of the best ways to see the park is with a little help from a knowledgeable Yosemite tour guide. You get the best Yosemite Park information, without someone having to miss out on the beauty because they're driving. Guided tour companies and adventure tours specialize in making your Yosemite Trip memorable.
YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transit System) is another way to get to and from Yosemite from the gateway towns. YARTS operates in the southern gateway towns of Fresno, Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Bass Lake & Fish Camp along Highway 41 from mid-May through mid-September.
Finally, here are a couple outside sources that we recommend incorporating into your planning arsenal:
