Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park with over 800 miles of hiking trails is
world famous for impressive waterfalls, cliffs, and rock
formations. Summer and fall are great months to visit
Yosemite but the best months are May and June.  Snow
is melting, waterfalls are spectacular and the Valley is
greening up. The park has miles of trails, lakes, and
unbelievable views. It's one of America's most popular
national parks.

Yosemite National Park is located in the Sierra Nevada
Mountains about 200 miles east of San Francisco. The
travel time to Yosemite from San Francisco is approximately
3.5 hours. Yosemite Park gets 2.5 to 3 million visitors per
year. (4 million was the peak in 1994) Traffic is bad on July
4th, Memorial Day Weekend, and Labor Day Weekend. If
you have the time, take a couple of days to tour the park.
Get in all of the famous vistas and some of the shorter hikes.
There are guided tours to the highlights of the park but if
you would rather not go with a tour group, make sure you
see the following attractions.  If you get an early start, you
could cover many of the attractions in one single day.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK ATTRACTIONS
Half Dome
One of the most recognized symbols of Yosemite – 8,800
feet high granite mountain rising over 4,000 feet above the
Valley. Walk to the center of Sentinel Bridge for the best
view of Half Dome.

El Capitan – Near the entry to Yosemite Valley on the
northern side of Yosemite. Turnouts along the road provide
beautiful vistas of this largest single exposed granite rock on
earth – El Capitan is a favorite of experienced rock climbers.
The granite walls of El Capitan rise for nearly 3000 feet
(1000 meters) in sheer vertical splendor.

Bridalveil Falls – Often the first water fall visitors see
dropping 620 feet! The Ahwahneechee people called this
Pohono, or “spirit of the puffing wind,” because of the
breezes that blow the lacy waterfall sideways along the cliff
face.   

Yosemite Falls – Highest in North America and fifth tallest
in the world - a powerful chain of water twice the height of
the Empire State Building.

Yosemite Valley - World famous for its impressive
waterfalls, meadows, cliffs, and unusual rock formations -
accessible by car all year. The glacially eroded alpine valley
is just 8 miles long and less than one mile wide with
sheer granite walls rising vertically over 3000 feet on either
side. Nine magnificent waterfalls cascade into the valley.
Five of them are over 1000 feet high including the 2425 feet
Yosemite Falls.

Yosemite Village - Gift stores, fast-food restaurants and
the Valley Visitor Center. It is only a short drive to Yosemite
Falls from the Village.

Nevada Fall and Vernal Fall  - Best seen from Glacier
Point.  Nevada Fall is above Vernal Fall.  Fern-covered
black rocks frame Vernal Fall. You will see rainbows in the
spray at its base. The hike on a paved trail from the Happy
Isles Nature Center to the bridge at the base of Vernal Fall is
only moderately strenuous and less than one mile.

Glacier Point – Breathtaking view of Yosemite Valley and
the Half Dome.  Make sure to take many photos here and
allow time for a short hike.

Tunnel View – For the visitor heading east towards the
valley on Highway 140, one of the most impressive views of
the valley. As you pass through the Wawona tunnel, the
valley spreads out suddenly before you. North Dome
can be seen to the left, Half Dome to the right and many
other peaks rising a full 300 feet above the valley floor. This
vista has been called one of the most photographed on
earth.  View of El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall on either side
of the valley.

Badger Pass Ski Resort - California's original ski resort.
Here you will find fewer crowds and family-friendly activities.
Services at Badger Pass include a cafeteria, ski shop, day
lodge and ski repair shop.

Portal View – Another great view of El Capitan, Half Dome
and the Yosemite Valley.

Tioga Road - A 39 mile scenic drive between Crane Flat
and Tuolumne Meadows - through forests, past meadows,
lakes, and granite domes. Many turnouts offer broad and
beautiful vistas.

Tuolumne Meadows – Beautiful picturesque region –
Good place to hike with many trails. Tuolumne Meadows is
the most extensive meadow system in the Sierra Nevada.  
Enjoy the lakes, rolling fields and rounded granite
domes.

Hetch Hetchy Valley - Hetch Hetchy is home to spectacular
scenery and is the starting point for many less-used
wilderness trails.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias - Largest stand of
giant sequoias (also known as Sierra redwoods or big trees)
in Yosemite. See the Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove at
2,700 years old.

Pioneer Yosemite History Center – Museum and
collection of historic buildings. There is a horse-drawn
stagecoach ride for the kids to enjoy.

Wawona Hotel  - Dating from the late nineteenth century –
near other historic buildings comprising the Pioneer
Yosemite History Center.

Crane Flat - Minor service area that provides opportunities
for quiet, pleasant camping in the summer and Nordic skiing
and other snow activities in the winter - a pleasant forest and
meadow area located 16 miles from Yosemite Valley.
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