Yosemite National Park

A visit to Yosemite National Park would be one of the greatest highlights of our three-month cross-country RV trip. It would also come with several challenges as we would have to navigate 2021 COVID restrictions. In this blog, I’ll provide highlights along with my favorite things.

Challenges:

The first challenge was obtaining a three-day entrance pass on reservation.gov. This would limit our visit during our four, full-day stay in nearby El Portal. Thankfully, we were successful in getting a ticket. I suppose the advantage of this entrance ticket would be fewer crowds, as I heard traffic could be horrendous during peak season. We never experienced a traffic jam, so I will assume this reservation system is beneficial and will be an ongoing requirement. Upon reviewing the National Park Service website, I see reservations are required for 2022 starting in May. Be sure you review the NPS website before making trip plans so you do not show up without a reservation!
The second challenge is traveling throughout Yosemite Valley without the free shuttle bus, which typically runs throughout the park. Without this service, you must navigate the parking lots in hopes of finding parking throughout the day or park once and walk everywhere. Our biggest tip if you are staying within the park is to bring a bike. This is the easiest way to navigate Yosemite Valley. You can also rent bikes in the park at various locations.
Another challenge was the various trail closures or reduced hours at several dining options. Before heading out to a trailhead or a restaurant, make sure trails and restaurants are open. Check this link for information on Glacier Point Road Project for 2022 and 2023.

Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome provide some of the best views of this park. If these are on your bucket list, do your research before heading out. You do not want to be disappointed upon your arrival.

Park History

Abraham Lincoln signed a bill on June 30, 1864, protecting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove by granting oversight of the land to the state of California. This was the first time the government set land aside and is considered the beginning of the national park system. Yosemite officially became a national park on October 1, 1890.

Park size and location

Yosemite National Park is 747, 956 acres with several entrances, so review a map when planning your visit. We stayed in El Portal, which provided convenient access to Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point. The Yosemite National Park newspaper broke the park down into six sections, outlined below. Unfortunately, we only had a three-day pass. I will cover items 1-3 as we did not have time to visit items 4-6. When planning your trip, consider your location and plan accordingly. The distance between each location below is great and can take several hours to reach.

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley is probably the most popular location in the park. Many hikes are found in the valley. This is where we spent our entire first day, starting with a hike.

Mist Trail to Vernal Falls, 1.5-miles one way: You will get wet as the mist from the falls blankets you as you ascend. As you approach the falls, there are many rock steps leading to the top of the waterfalls. It is a steep climb and the rocks can be slippery, so wear good hiking shoes. It was early June and the flow over the waterfall was impressive.

Mirror Lake, 3.1-miles out and back: As there was no shuttle service, we had to hike from the Vernal Falls Trailhead. At this point, I wished we had bikes. There is a point where bikes are not allowed on the road to Mirror Lake, see this hyperlink for the location. From that point forward, there is a slight climb before reaching the lake. We hiked to Mirror Lake but chose not to hike the Mirror Lake Loop trail. If you wish to hike this 4.4-mile loop, I would suggest downloading a map from Alltrails to stay on trail. The views at Mirror Lake did not disappoint.

We spent five hours between these two locations before returning to our vehicle. We took a chance and made our way to a parking lot near the Village Store, where we secured a parking spot. We ate a picnic lunch at the truck.

From the parking lot, we hiked to Lower Yosemite Falls via the Yosemite Village with a stop at the Ansel Adams Gallery, still owned and run by the family of Ansel Adams. At the start of the Lower Yosemite Falls Trailhead, it is a 1.2-mile loop trail. It is an easy trail, but very crowded at the base of the falls where you get the best pictures.

We concluded our day with a walk to Yosemite Valley Lodge. Here you will find the Lodge, a few restaurants, a Starbucks, and a gift shop.

As we made our way out of the park, we stopped and parked on the side of the road to watch climbers making their way up El Capitan. I briefly considered applying for a climbers permit as I watched from a distance, but after 5 seconds changed my mind.

We covered a lot of ground on our first day, 12-miles to be exact!

Glacier Point Road

We visited Glacier Point, Wawona, & Mariposa Grove during our second day.

Our first stop was at Tunnel View which is on the way to Glacier Point Road. This is an iconic stop providing views into Yosemite Valley with El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, and Half Dome in the distance. Such a beautiful sight!

As you approach Glacier Point, you will not believe your eyes! From this overlook, you have views of Half Dome, Vernal Falls, and Nevada Falls.

We stopped at Washburn Point for more views and then stopped at Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Trailhead. We hiked the Sentinel Dome Trail, a 2.1-mile out and back trail. It was a moderate hike with a steep climb at the end to reach the peak of Sentinel Dome, but the views from this vantage point are fantastic! This was my favorite hike! Parking fills fast and in 2022 Glacier Point Road will be closed for road work. Be sure to check the NPS website before heading out and plan accordingly.

View from Washburn Point

View from Sentinel Dome

Wawona and Mariposa Grove

As we had just been in Sequoia National Park the week before, we wanted to drive out to Mariposa Grove to see the Sequoia Trees in Yosemite. Before stopping at the Grove, we enjoyed lunch at the picnic tables along the river near the Wawona General Store. It was a perfect place to enjoy a riverside lunch.

As we came from Yosemite Valley on Wawona Road, we made our way around the roundabout and entered the Mariposa Grove Visitor Center Parking Lot. We could see a line of cars looking to enter the South Entrance to the Park from the other side of the roundabout. This was our first experience seeing such traffic. Consider your lodging location, as the South Entrance is about 16 miles from Oakhurst. This may be more convenient to Mariposa Grove. It is an hour’s drive to Yosemite Valley from here.

Much to my disappointment, the Mariposa Grove Trail was closed, plus the bus system was not running. We would have to walk to the start of the trailhead, a 4-mile out and back walk, just to reach the closed trailhead! There was no mention of this on the National Park website. I was very frustrated with this! It would now be an hour’s drive back to the Valley.

Upon our return to the Yosemite Valley, we made our way to Swinging Bridge and sat along the Merced River watching tubers float by in the late afternoon sun.

For our third and final day in the park, we arrived late morning and parked along the meadow. We were greeted by deer grazing along the walkway as we made our way west to Swinging Bridge. We had a picnic lunch along the river with views of Lower Yosemite Falls. Then we walked east along the river to Berg Bridge, making our way through the meadow back to our truck.

We then made our way to Ahwahnee Hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. The hotel architecture is designed to blend in with the natural beauty of the park. More than 5,000 tons of stone, 1,000 tons of steel, and 30,000 feet of lumber were transported through the mountains to create the hotel. This is a luxury hotel located in the heart of the park. If your budget allows ($$$$), a stay here would make for an unforgettable experience! We enjoyed drinks and a piece of boysenberry pie while sitting on the back patio.