Yosemite National Park
California Est. 1890

Yosemite National Park

Mountains Canyon Forest River
Plan a visit Check conditions
Established
1890
Size
761,748 acres
Visitors / yr
3.9M
Entrance
$35
Best season
May through October
Nearest airport
FAT Fresno Yosemite International
Information: Yosemite Traffic Updates Wildfire Tracker
01

Why Yosemite is worth the trip

California · Established 1890

One glacier-carved valley, about seven square miles, carries most of the legend. El Capitan's 3,000-foot face, Half Dome's split profile, and Bridalveil Fall drifting sideways in the wind are all visible in a single glance from Tunnel View. Ansel Adams spent a career here without exhausting the subject, and neither will you.

Time your trip to the water. In May and June, snowmelt sends Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 feet the tallest waterfall in North America, thundering hard enough to soak the trail, and every cliff in the valley runs white. Then do what most visitors never do and leave the valley. Glacier Point, the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove, and the high country along Tioga Road hold most of the park with a fraction of the people. Reservations can apply in peak season. Check before you drive in.

Start with our full Yosemite guide, then use the planning below.

02

Top things to do in Yosemite

Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.

Yosemite National Park
Start here

20 Things to Do in Yosemite National Park

Read the guide
01 Scenic Driving in Yosemite Scenic Driving · nps.gov Scenic Driving in Yosemite All of the roads in Yosemite National Park are scenic, but the most famous scenic drive is along the Tioga Road, a 46-mile (62... 02 Rock Climbing in Yosemite Rock Climbing · nps.gov Rock Climbing in Yosemite Yosemite is one of the world's greatest climbing areas. Climbers here can enjoy an endless variety of challenges--from the sustained crack climbs of the... 03 Ride a Bike in Yosemite Valley Biking · nps.gov Ride a Bike in Yosemite Valley Cycling is a great way to experience the park and allows you to cover more ground during your time here. You can rent a... 04 Hiking in Yosemite Hiking · nps.gov Hiking in Yosemite From a short walk to the base of a waterfall to a multi-day hike deep into the Yosemite Wilderness, taking a hike is one...
03

Best hikes in Yosemite

The trails that define the park, with the distance and elevation numbers that decide your day.

1 Lower Yosemite Fall A flat walk to the tallest waterfall in North America. 2 Four Mile Trail 3,200 feet of switchbacks to the single best valley overlook. 3 Cathedral Lakes The best introduction to Yosemite's high country, off Tioga Road. 4 Half Dome The most demanding day hike in the park, cables and all. 5 North Dome The one view Half Dome cannot give you, Half Dome itself.
All Yosemite hikes
Before you go

Get the Yosemite heads-up

Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Yosemite guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.

Planning day by day? Yosemite Itinerary: How to Spend 1 to 5 Days
04

Plan your trip

Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Yosemite.

Things to Do Best Hikes When to Visit Itinerary

Where to stay

Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.

  • Mariposa, CAGateway town
  • El Portal, CAGateway town
  • Groveland, CAGateway town
  • Bridalveil Creek Campground 110 sites · Reserve
  • Bridalveil Creek Horse Camp 3 sites · Reserve
Compare stays near Yosemite

Maps & guides

Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.

Yosemite Trails Illustrated map
Waterproof National Geographic topo of the park.
View on Amazon
Yosemite field guide
Trail-by-trail detail and planning help in print.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass

What to bring

Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.

  • Day Hiking Pack
    A 22-30L pack fits water, layers, snacks, and a first aid kit. View on REI
  • Trail Shoes
    Lightweight with good traction for maintained trails. View on REI
  • Water Bottles
    Carry at least 2 liters. More in desert heat. View on REI
  • Merino Hiking Socks
    Prevent blisters and keep your feet comfortable for miles. View on REI

Getting there

  • FAT Fresno Yosemite International 95 mi
  • MMH Mammoth Yosemite Airport 75 mi
  • OAK Oakland International 170 mi
NPS Official Page Reservations Google Maps

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.

Yosemite map

VC Visitor Center CG Campground Nearby Park
05

When to go

Read our seasonal guide
Loading weather...

Live Webcams

Yosemite Falls Live
Yosemite Falls
Half Dome Live
Half Dome
Half Dome Live
Half Dome

Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
48°
28°
Light
Open
Feb
51°
30°
Light
Open
Mar
57°
34°
Light
Open
Apr
63°
38°
Moderate
Open
May Best
70°
44°
Heavy
Open
Jun Best
80°
51°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
89°
57°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
89°
57°
Peak
Open
Sep Best
83°
51°
Peak
Open
Oct Best
71°
41°
Heavy
Open
Nov
56°
32°
Light
Open
Dec
46°
28°
Light
Open
Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)

Seasonal Road Openings

Seasonal Road Tracker

Typical opening windows, the last few years of actual open dates, and current status pulled live from the National Park Service where available.

Tioga Road (Tioga Pass)

Yosemite National Park
No live NPS road alert right nowTypical opening: Late May to early JulyCA-120 over Tioga Pass typically opens from late May to early July; plowing usually begins around April 15. Recent range runs from May 26 to a record-late July 22.
Typical opening windowLate May to early July
Fall closureCloses for winter in early-to-mid November with the first major storm, occasionally late October.
Recent full-open dates
YearOpenedSource
2026May 15NPS official
2025May 26NPS-sourced
2024June 10NPS-sourced
2023July 22NPS-sourced
2022May 27NPS-sourced
2021May 27NPS-sourced
2020June 15NPS-sourced

The 2026 date is from the NPS Yosemite road-status page. 2020-2025 dates are NPS plowing-update figures compiled by Mono Basin Research.

Sources NPS Yosemite road status·NPS seasonal information·Mono Basin Research (NPS data)

Glacier Point Road

Yosemite National Park
No live NPS road alert right nowTypical opening: May (after plowing)Glacier Point Road typically opens in May once plowing is complete and stays open until the first major November storm.
Typical opening windowMay (after plowing)
Fall closureCloses for winter around November with the first significant storm.
Recent full-open dates
YearOpenedSource
2026May 9NPS official

Glacier Point Road was closed for the entire 2022 season for a major rehabilitation project and reopened in 2023. Pre-2026 single-day open dates were not all verifiable to NPS sources and are omitted.

Sources NPS Yosemite road status·NPS Glacier Point Road project
06

More Yosemite guides

07

Parks near Yosemite

Within reach if you are building a longer trip.

Kings Canyon National Park
California

Kings Canyon

86 miles away
Sequoia National Park
California

Sequoia

109 miles away
Pinnacles National Park
California

Pinnacles

131 miles away
Death Valley National Park
California

Death Valley

177 miles away

Worth protecting

Yosemite belongs to all of us

Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.

See what's at stake Join the fight for California

Threatened Lands Map

Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.

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