First-time visitors to the park will want to venture to all three districts: Yosemite Valley, Southern Yosemite and Wawona, and the Tioga Road/Tuolumne Meadows region. Exploring by car is advisable, considering that the terrain can be rather harsh.
Lower Yosemite Falls In Yosemite Valley, stop into the Valley Visitor Center, then head to Bridalveil Falls Day Hike and Lower Yosemite Falls Day Hike. Browse the collections at Ansel Adams Gallery Camera Walk and the Indian Cultural Exhibit, then dine at Mountain Room Restaurant.
Mirror Lake See the Valley by shuttle, with stops at Yosemite Lodge, Nature Center at Happy Isles and Mirror Lake Day Hike. Don't forget to check out The Awahnee village and stay for dinner.
Mariposa Grove Explore the little village of Wawona Information Station. Enjoy breakfast in the Wawona Hotel's gorgeous Wawona Hotel Dining Room. Stop into the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, a living museum dedicated to showcasing life in Yosemite's early days, then wander the Mariposa Grove.
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Have breakfast at Yosemite Lodge Food Court before heading north. Explore the secluded Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the massive O'Shaughnessy Dam and the education-oriented Parsons Memorial Lodge. Enjoy dinner at nearby Tuolumne Meadows Lodge Grill.
Golden Chain Theatre Just outside the Park, to the south, you'll find the Timberline Gallery and the Timberline Gallery, both showcasing local art. Nearby is the Golden Chain Theatre, which provides family-friendly entertainment. Dinner can be found at Jackalope Bar and Grill or Tenaya Lodge Sierra Restaurant.
Arranging a professional tour or two is a good idea when exploring the park and surrounding areas. Yosemite offers many interesting hiking, train and bus tours to suit your needs.
Hiking Tours Exploring Yosemite Natural History ( +1 209 379 2324/ http://www.yosemite.org ) High Country Wildflower Hikes ( +1 209 379 2324/ http://www.yosemite.org ) Twilight Strolls ( +1 209 372 0200/ http://www.yosemitepark.com ) Grand Yosemite Adventure ( +1 209 379 2321/ http://www.yosemite.org ) Ostrander Lake Fall Backpack Adventure ( +1 209 379 2321/ http://www.yosemite.org ) Y explore Yosemite Adventures ( +1 800 886 8009/ http://yexplore.com )
Bus Tours Yosemite Valley Shuttle System ( http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bus.htm )
Train Tours Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad ( +1 559 683 7273/ http://www.ymsprr.com/ )2008-08-02T07:29:22.000
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Yosemite National Park Travel Experiences
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A picture is worth a thousand words
Let me preface this entry by saying it is 11:00pm and I had to walk from our lodge to the main lobby about 400 yards away in Yosemite val... Continue reading »
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The first full day in Yosemite
After waking up at 5:30am, we jumped in the car and headed to Tuolumne Meadows to get our wilderness permits. We managed to get a permit... Continue reading »
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Yosemite National Park & Bass Lake
Had to leave Vegas very early, as was a long drive to the place we would be staying for the next 2 nights which was called Bass Lake and... Continue reading »
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Yosemite KOA - July 3rd
We arrived really hot from the long drive up the big mountain to KOA in Mariposa. We immediately set up the trailor and jumped in t... Continue reading »
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Day 2 -Mountains, Rockfaces, waterfalls....
And Miles to go before I sleep.....We woke up and regretted that we had to leave this place by early afternoon. We had planned to get up... Continue reading »
Popular Yosemite National Park Things to Do
- Mariposa Grove
- Yosemite Seminars
- Valley Visitor Center
- Tuolumne Meadows Visitors Center
- Wawona Golf Course
Popular Yosemite National Park Restaurants
- Nicely's Restaurant
- Bodie Mike's Barbeque
- White Wolf Lodge Restaurant
- Dining
- The Awhahnee Restaurant
