It took about 3 hours to reach the Big Oak Flat Entrance, on the west side of Yosemite Valley. After another half-mile and much easier hiking, you will have views of Upper Yosemite Fall. If you are camping or staying in an RV then it is best to plan your trip to Yosemite a few months ahead. From Merced, you can drive to Mariposa Grove via 140 - 49 - 41 or via 99 - 145 - 41. So you need to budget at least 6 hours on just the long drive itself. Day One of Your Weekend in Yosemite Itinerary Start the day in Yosemite Valley and a hike. TIP: Glacier Point Road will be closed to all traffic in 2021 to rehabilitate and improve the road. Nevada Fall is almost 600 feet of falls that can be thunderous during the spring melt, so you will hear it well before you get there. Note that a shuttle offers free transit service throughout the Tuolumne Meadows area during summer, including to Tenaya Lake. 2 hours. Yosemite in the spring is a sight to see, the snow begins to melt and Yosemite's famous waterfalls begin to show off their force. 3 days in Yosemite National Park Itinerary ... take in the dramatic scenery at Vernal Fall, make a trip to Olmsted Point, and explore the striking landscape of Bridalveil Fall. A valley shuttle provides free transit around Yosemite Valley and stops within walking distance of nearly all major landmarks and trailheads. It was pretty busy, but I would imagine it was not as busy as it would be on a weekend in the middle of Summer. 1.2 Get There Early. You will gain elevation very quickly, ascending 1,000 feet in the first mile. Snapping perfect shots of Yosemite requires a bit of planning, and photography tours can coordinate the best timing, shooting locations, and lens choices for the park’s constantly changing light. Spend 3 FULL DAYS hiking & exploring some of the lesser-traveled areas of Yosemite's High Country, as well as the famed Yosemite Valley and the Giant Sequoia groves. Here’s how you can make the most of just one day in Yosemite National Park! â¢Â Olmsted Point â About 30 miles from the start of Tioga Road is Olmsted Point. After about .8 miles of hiking on a paved walkway, you will reach a footbridge with some of the first views of Vernal Fall. I share travel stories, guides, and itineraries for travelers like you and me! We were actually kind of surprised that all of the classic views of Yosemite, i.e. **For tours from February 14-28 please see our Horsetail Fall Tour. Valley Floor TourKick-off your first day in the park with the Valley Floor Tour. It’s a great way to see the Valley while learning about… You can just admire Lembert Dome from the meadow, or if you feel ambitious, you can climb the dome on a 2.8-mile round trip path that can be a bit challenging. So, take your time and stop along the way for some spectacular views and hikes. With an emphasis on outdoor education and fun, authors Harley and Abby McAllister write with parental practicality: kids aren’t going to be excited about views, and even spouses get cranky when they’re cold or hungry. The beautiful Yosemite Valley is the heartland of Yosemite Park. Usually two full days in Yosemite will allow you enough time to visit most of the iconic spots in the valley. This road is usually much less congested than the road in Yosemite Valley and you will have a chance to see a large area of the park. Thanks! James and Linda on Mt Titlis in the Swiss Alps, Tips for Packing Light - On Your Next Flight, How to Pack for the TSA - Fitting it all in that Little Quart Bag, Viking Cruises - Understanding Your Contract. If you have binoculars, you can usually see climbers scampering up the cable to the top of Half Dome. 3 Day Trip to Yosemite National Park from Reno: Checkout 3 Day trip plan for Yosemite National Park covering 14 attractions, popular eat-outs and hotels, created on 25th May 2016. What's in this post: hide. Drive times between each area typically range from one to two hours, so plan accordingly. Most visitors enter Yosemite from the west or south entrances, which aligns with the orientation of the below itinerary, but it can be done in reverse order if you will be entering Yosemite National Park over Tioga Pass from the Sierra's east side. In this post, we will share our recommended itinerary for a 3-day visit to the park. Day 1. In this post we are recommending a 3-day itinerary that includes all the iconic sites, hikes and drives, along with a few other options. Yosemite is a huge park at about 750,000 acres, and more than 4 million people visit each year. Fully updated and revised, and including color maps and photos throughout, Hiking Yosemite National Park features everything from short strolls to day hikes to multiday backcountry treks, every one of which will treat you to some of the ... The views around every corner are absolutely breath-taking. We promise not to annoy you, but if you wish, you may unsubscribe at any time. Our first priority was to stop and marvel at our very first views of the Yosemite Valley. Since you headed up the night before to ensure a full day to explore the Tuolumne Meadows area, you'll be waking up in a prime location to hit the trail. First, you’ll see a gigantic uprooted Sequoia tree, or as Henry called it, the “Halloween Tree”. TIP: The Pizza Patio has been undergoing renovations in 2020 and no completion date has been published. We stayed inside Yosemite National Park at the Yosemite Valley Lodge. If not, there are many lodges and Airbnbs to choose from in the towns outside the park. Depending on your energy level, choose between hiking up to the falls of the Merced River Canyon via the full Giant Staircase Loop or take a shorter there-and-back excursion to the lower of the two falls, Vernal Falls. Yosemite is famous for its gigantic ancient sequoia trees and the majestic granite cliffs of El Captain and Half Dom. Yosemite Itinerary Day 3: Glacier Point, Taft Point, and Sentinel Dome. We recommend this hike not only for the great pictures you will get, but also because itâs an accessible hike that is quite doable for most everyone. We arrived in the Valley in early afternoon. Fortunately, these areas also happen to hold some of the park's grandest sights. Â, Given the accessibility of these areas and Yosemite's global appeal, it is important to plan for, or around, crowds. Summer is Yosemite's busiest time of year, and it's no secret that easily accessible areas can feel crowded during this time. 27 Jul 2021, 1:14 PM. TIP: Tioga Road is only open from around mid-May to November. Overview. Days 1 and 2: Yosemite Valley. Day 3: Hetch Hetchy Day Trip Overnight: Yosemite West Condos (Yosemite West, California, USA) This was a divide-and-conquer day where Julie’s Mom stayed with Tahia while Julie and I drove out to Hetch Hetchy. Book now from $405! A Weekend in Yosemite: 3 Day Itinerary Based on all there is to do, it’s hard to squeeze everything into 3 days in Yosemite – especially if you want to do one or more of the big day-long hikes. Whats people lookup in this blog: 3 Day Backpacking Itinerary Yosemite; 3 Day Backpacking Trip Yosemite Yosemite One Day Itinerary. The park is open 24 hours a day and all year long, but the main times to visit are from May to September. This multi-day Yosemite tour from San Francisco allows you to separately book your own accommodations. We were planning on picking up a rental car in SF september 7th around 9:30 and driving up. The tour includes El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls in Yosemite Valley, Tunnel View, and Glacier Point. Found insideWaterwheel Falls via Glen Aulin . ... The itinerary is as follows : FIRST DAY : Yosemite Valley to Lake Tenaya , by way of Tenaya Canyon and Snow Creek . The snow melt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains can make for high water levels and roaring falls, like these pictures we took from early June. There is so much to see and do it is easy to get confused and a little frustrated. Note that the last restrooms are located just over the bridge. After exploring Glacier Point, continue back on Glacier Point Road to the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point parking area. Found insideSCOTT GRAHAM is the author of eight books, including the National Park Mystery Series from Torrey House Press, and Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Hoffmann. In terms of planning, this itinerary plans for 3-4 stops per day, assuming you’re taking your time and stopping for meals and snacks throughout the day. This fully guided tour gives you the chance to get up close and personal with the best of Yosemite National Park, while logistics and camping gear is taken care of for you. Since we never write about places we havenât been ourselves, you can be sure that everything you read and pictures you see are things we have actually seen and done. Mist Trail. Have a relaxing day and leave Yosemite Valley and visit Olmsted Point, Tuolumne Meadows, and Tenaya Lake. getting our permits on this up coming monday and we are hiking to half dome on tuesday morning. So, plan on 5 to 6 hours of hiking, depending on your pace. Flow peaks in June and tapers off by August. Let our handpicked 5-day Yosemite National Park itineraries guide you in creating a trip plan of your own. Yosemite is MASSIVE. This article was originally written by Aron Bosworth and published on July 20, 2016. It’s certainly not ideal, but 100 % possible to get the best of Yosemite in one day if you have proper planning and manage your 1 day Yosemite itinerary efficiently. By the time Vernal Fall first comes into view, you’ll already have passed views of Upper Yosemite Fall and Illilouette Fall (1.6 miles/2.6 km round trip). Trip End: Ends at the Half Dome Village Parking Lot between 2-4pm on Day 3. September 23, 2021. We always find that spending just a few minutes working out where things are really helps when we arrive. Day 2 – Arch Rock Entrance. Please note, when I talk about a Yosemite 2 day itinerary, I talk about 2 full days in the park, so you should make arrangements to arrive the day before this itinerary starts. I'd be happy to customize a tour for you and your group based on your group's preferences. Depart Yosemite Valley with stops at El Capitan meadow to see rock climbers high up on the side of El Capitan (binoculars are helpful) and at Gates of the Valley, for a beautiful picture … You can find out about many of these activities at the visitor center or visit this site. THE ITINERARY… Found insideIf this trip hasn't provided you with enough exertion, continue another ... as the shorter trip—Columbia Point and Upper Yosemite Fall—plus an additional 3 ... Unique ideas for the perfect trip itinerary. A road trip to Yosemite National Park is a bucket list experience! This first mile of the hike is the most popular and by mid-day this area will look like a California freeway. One of the largest, high-elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada range, Tuolumne Meadows is 8,600 feet above sea level. Even if you start early, there will be plenty of people on the hiking path. If you choose these hikes, be sure to be prepared with appropriate footwear, snacks, plenty of water and, of course, your camera! *Children under 3 are free when held on laps. Hike or bike the Bridalveil Fall, Lower Yosemite Fall or Mirror Lake Loop trails Challenge yourself with strenuous hikes on the Valley Loop, Vernal Fall or Half Dome trails Take the Valley Floor or Grand Tour of Yosemite with park rangers Enjoy cross-country skiing, tubing and snowshoeing Try ice skating in Curry Village Return Day… Wrap up the day by heading down to Yosemite Valley. Yosemite in a Day - Fall Fall is an amazing time in Yosemite with the cooler weather, fewer people, and the much anticipated arrival of bursts of color throughout the park. I recommend utilizing Yosemite’s very efficient bus to drop you off near all the main points of interest, If you don’t manage to hit all of these lookout points, just … Yosemite is one of the best places for hiking in the world. I wrote a trip report for a 3 day / 2 night trip to Yosemite. Most visitors congregate in the 7-mile Yosemite Valley, so it can get very congested in the valley area. If you only have one day in Yosemite, stick to day 1 on our Yosemite itinerary! Day 3: Follow the trail slightly south toward the rim and Castle Cliffs, winding around to Yosemite Creek and the cusp of Yosemite Falls. Fantastic viewing spots of the Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and the High Sierra are just a short walk away from the parking lot. Whether you are planning a road trip across North America or have an urban European adventure in mind, our goal is to provide you with sensible, useful travel advice. However, we’re here to talk about Springtime. Perfect 3 Day Itinerary for Yosemite National Park in Springtime. A not-to-be-missed 8-mile there-and-back hike heads up the Cathedral Lakes Trail to Lower and and Upper Cathedral Lakes. Be careful if it is wet, the granite can be very slippery. Your Yosemite Road Trip Itinerary 1-3 Days. In our experience, this is the best way to see Yosemite National Park in 2 days: DAY 1. With the Hiking & Trekking tour Yosemite Spring/Fall Basecamp Tour, you have a 4 days tour package taking you through Yosemite National Park, USA. It offers the most challenging hiking trails with rewarding scenery, the best rocks for climbing, some of the best campsites and the best rivers for open water swimming among other activities. It took about 3 hours to reach the Big Oak Flat Entrance, on the west side of Yosemite Valley. Alternatively, you can sleep at Porcupine Flat Campground (note: potable water is not available here, which also tends to make it less crowded) near Olmsted Point. On this Yosemite hiking tour, we’ll start our trip with a hike to two of Yosemite’s crown jewels, Vernal Fall, and Nevada Fall, along either the John Muir Trail or the Mist Trail, depending on conditions. Itâs about protecting what sustains us. Obviously, if you camp or are backpacking, you need additional permits and passed. – TIP: The Yosemite Valley gets very congested every day, and once the parking is full you will need to ride a shuttle to get into the Valley. Found inside – Page 20Eagle Peak or top of Yosemite Falls Glacier Point , going ria Panorama Trail , returning via ... via Inspiration Point to Yosemite Valley , a l - day trip . If it is closed during your visit, try Meadow Grill right next door. â¢Â Yosemite Valley Drive â To end our first day, we drove around the entire loop, stopping along the way for more photos of Yosemite Fall, Half Dome and other amazing vistas. o Yosemite Fall Hike – Yosemite Fall Trail leads to the top of North Americaâs tallest waterfall, which rises 2,425 feet from the Valley floor. Friday: Drive up to Yosemite Valley This is a travel day. Most of the viewpoints and hikes are closed late fall to early spring. This is truly a âbucket listâ destination and we hope you make it there one day to enjoy the natural beauty of this national treasure. At the top you can get very near the falls. Found insideYosemite National Park Visitor Study 6 7 Yosemite National Park Visitor Study Order visited ( # 1 , 2 , 3 , etc. ) Little Yosemite Valley Olmsted Point ... It is about 40 miles to Toulomne Meadows. The drive to Yosemite from the California coast is beautiful. If you didn't make it to Lower Yosemite Falls on your bike ride earlier in the day (bikes aren't permitted on the path leading to the base of the falls), consider making a final stop here to appreciate the the tallest waterfall in the United States before heading up to Yosemite's high country by way of Tioga Pass Road. The Mist Trail/John Muir Trail. The Lembert Dome Loop, located across the Tioga Pass Road from Tuolumne Meadows Campground, is a significantly shorter hike to the Cathedral Lakes Trail that gets you up to some of the most impressive views in Tuolumne Meadows. All offer impressive views of Yosemite Valley and the surrounding landmarks. Return to Wawona Road and head downhill to Tunnel View en route to Yosemite Valley. Day 3. Found inside – Page 38North Dome via Mirror Lake , returning via Yosemite Falls . ... and Alder Creek , returning via Chilnulalna Falls and Mono Meadows ( 3 - day trip ) . Found inside – Page 38Mariposa Big Trees via Wawona , Peregoy Meadows , and Alder Creek , returning via Chilnulalna Falls and Mono Meadows ( 3 - day trip ) . Merced Lake . While you can shorten this itinerary to fit the time you enter the park, it’s written with the assumption that you’ll be starting in the morning. yosemite national park 3 day itinerary me and 3 of my friends is going to backpack in the wonderful out door of yosemite national park! After spending your first two days of your Yosemite itinerary exploring Yosemite Valley, it’s time to see it from up above. No Yosemite itinerary would be complete without a trip up to Glacier Point for an incredible view of many of Yosemite’s iconic sights from the very top of the valley. 3 Day Yosemite Itinerary Overview Yosemite Itinerary 4 days. Found inside – Page 97As described for Alternative 3 , the existing parking lot would be removed ... ancis 2 and 3 , access to the base of the fall would be by foot on either a ... 2021 Outdoor Activities in Yosemite National Park: Check out reviews and photos of the Full Day Tour at Yosemite Valley Winter. There are options for seniors and other discounts, including annual and lifetime passes. For this portion of the trip we recommend bringing your bike along as the valley floor is a great place to use it! If you go up the Mist Trail and down John Muir your hike will be just over 6 miles in length. It is possible to walk to the more-impressive Upper Yosemite Fall, but the trail is steep! These are action-packed days, so plan to pick and choose depending on your energy level or impromptu inklings to explore a particular place longer. 2.5 Day Itinerary for Yosemite. Yosemite is a huge park, traditionally separated into 3 areas – North Yosemite, Yosemite Valley and South Yosemite. From Curry Village just take a short walk across the Merced River and begin your hike on the paved path. Bridalveil Creek Campground is the only camping available on the South Rim proper, so that's your best bet. We highly recommend trying to catch the sunrise at Yosemite's favorite vista at Glacier Point. This obviously heavily depends on how you land with the accommodation plans. This hike offers some nice water views along Tenaya Creek. There was quite the backup of hikers on the trail until one brave soul used a hiking poll to encourage the critter to move off the trail. The best of yosemite if you only have three days yosemite backpacking trip day 3 the backcountry travel 3 day yosemite itinerary how to spend a long weekend in yosemite falls loop 3 day guided backpacking trip in. We entered at this entrance since we planned to drive Tioga Road to Toulomne Meadows. El Capitan, Yosemite Fall, Half Dome, and Nevada Fall are all located relatively close together in Yosemite Valley. Explore the Great Outdoors. We hope you enjoy the travel experiences and tips we share on this site. Your day by day itinerary now includes Half Dome as well as Yosemite Mule & Horseback Rides. TIP: The Merced River and falls can be a gentle flow or look like raging rapids. We were lucky, as it had snowed the week before and the road had only recently opened. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure. You will enjoy ever-changing scenery as you drive through hills, valley farms and majestic mountains. If you are visiting Yosemite for the first time, you will probably want to allocate a half day to the Valley to drive around and tick off all the cool waterfalls (Bridal Veil, Yosemite … If you want to really enjoy the Mist Trail hike, our recommendation is to be on the trail between 7:00AM and 7:30AM. If crowds are thick at Tunnel View, consider heading up the Pohono Trail for a mile or so to access a nearly identical view of the Valley. San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose. Found inside – Page 21As is to be expected , peak visitor periods fall on Saturday and Sunday . ... Effect of 3 - Day Week Ends The marked effect of the Memorial Day and Fourth ... Now, on to the itinerary. Fares include hotel pickup/drop off, park fees, lunch and beverages. Itâs well worth taking this short jaunt to see these amazing views. â¢Â Yosemite Valley Visitor Center – Yosemite Valley is about 7 miles long. In the early morning, bring your camera to Tunnel View, Glacier Point, Mariposa Grove, or … Thank you to everyone who I met there. Note: this itinerary for 2 days in Yosemite is intended for spring, summer, and fall. If you’re a procrastinator, then all the time you’ll have in the day would be spent driving and making pit stops. On arrival be prepared to be greeted with another spectacular panorama of mountains, trees and waterfalls in the distance, the majestic Tunnel View. If you can stand the very cold water, you can even go for a swim. YOSEMITE ITINERARY. Yosemite Spring/Fall Basecamp Tour includes accommodation, an expert guide, meals and more. Shorter, there-and-back hikes can be done to both Sentinel Dome and Taft Point, or a longer 4-mile loop connects the two. Found inside – Page 53Mount Dana .. lount Conness via Young Lake Waterwheel Falls via Glen Aulin . ... The itinerary is as follows : First Day : Yosemite Valley to Lake Tenaya ... Yosemite covers a large swathe of the central Sierra Nevada mountains, stretching west to east across the range from the lower montane foothills to the lofty Sierra Crest. We think 3 full days is the perfect amount of time for a first visit to Yosemite, 1 day … It was our first trip to Yosemite and even though we have all seen those beautiful photos of Half Dome, El Capitan and Yosemite Fall, we found that photos just do not do justice to these iconic landmarks. Planning a short Trip to Yosemite National Park is one hard task. One could easily spend a lifetime exploring Yosemite National Park. 2. Like it's towering glacial-carved granite monoliths and vertigo-inducing chasms, Yosemite's wonders run broad and deep. We made our base at Crane Flat Campground and did the Clouds Rest and Lembert Dome hikes. 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