Yosemite Valley is seven miles long and one mile wide. Granite walls rise 3,000 feet on both sides. The Merced River runs through the middle. Waterfalls drop from the rim in threads of white. Half Dome closes the eastern end like a period at the end of a sentence.

Four million people visit every year because it's worth it. Here's how to be one of the ones who actually experiences it rather than just survives it.

The logistics first

Yosemite requires more advance planning than any other national park in this guide. Get these sorted before anything else.

Timed entry reservation Required from late March through early October to enter the park between 5am and 4pm. Released on Recreation.gov one week in advance on a rolling basis — new availability appears at 8am Pacific time each day. Set a daily alarm. They sell out within minutes on popular dates.

Campground reservations Valley campgrounds — Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines — open for reservations five months in advance on Recreation.gov at 7am Pacific. These are among the most competitive reservations in the national park system. Set a reminder for exactly five months before your target date and be ready at 7am.

Half Dome permit Required for the cables section. Released by lottery in spring for the following season and as daily walk-up permits at 7am the day before. If the Half Dome summit is your goal, apply in the spring lottery.

RV size restrictions

• Valley campgrounds accommodate RVs up to 35 feet
• Glacier Point Road: RVs over 35 feet not permitted
• Tioga Road: RVs over 35 feet not recommended
• Mariposa Grove shuttle parking: accommodates most RV sizes

Getting there

Highway 140 — Arch Rock entrance The recommended approach for most RVers. Follows the Merced River canyon through a gorgeous gorge and delivers one of the best approach drives to any national park. Well-maintained, two lanes, handles most RV sizes.

Highway 120 west — Big Oak Flat entrance The most common approach from the Bay Area. Good road, straightforward.

Highway 41 — South entrance From Fresno and Southern California. Passes through Wawona and gives direct access to the Mariposa Grove before the valley.

Highway 120 east — Tioga Pass From Lee Vining and Highway 395. Open late May through early November. Spectacular high Sierra scenery. Not recommended for RVs over 35 feet.

Yosemite Valley

The valley floor is where most visitors spend most of their time — and rightfully so. The concentration of iconic scenery in seven miles is extraordinary.

Tunnel View — The first view

The overlook at the east end of the Wawona Tunnel is where most people first see the full valley. El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the center, Bridalveil Fall on the right, the valley floor stretching ahead. It's the most reproduced view in Yosemite and it earns that status every morning.

Arrive before dawn and watch the valley fill with light. The sequence — darkness, the first grey, the orange beginning on the rim, the valley floor still in shadow, then suddenly full light — takes about 20 minutes and is one of the great natural light shows in the national park system.

El Capitan

The 3,000-foot vertical granite wall that defines the western valley. The largest exposed granite monolith in the world. Rock climbers spend days on its face — binoculars are worth having to watch them on the routes. The meadow below the Captain on the valley floor is the best viewing area. In the afternoon the south face catches full sun and the golden light on the granite is extraordinary.

Valley Loop Trail and bike rental

The Valley Loop Trail connects all major valley destinations on 13 miles of mostly flat trail. Rent bikes from Yosemite Valley Lodge or Curry Village — the ride at dawn before the shuttle crowds arrive is one of the great Yosemite experiences. Cool, quiet, and the valley light in the first hour is softer and better than anything that follows.

Valley Visitor Center and Yosemite Village

The visitor center has the best geology and natural history interpretation in the park — the exhibit on how the valley was formed by glaciation is genuinely excellent and gives context for everything you'll see. The Ansel Adams Gallery adjacent is worth walking through even if you don't plan to buy anything.

The hikes

Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls — The essential Yosemite hike Difficulty: Strenuous Distance: 5.4 miles round trip to Nevada Fall Elevation gain: 2,000 feet

The best hike in Yosemite. The trail climbs stone steps beside Vernal Fall — getting completely soaked in the spray on the way up in spring and early summer — to the top of the fall, then continues up to Nevada Fall. The views from the top of Nevada Fall looking back down into the valley with the Merced River below are extraordinary.

Do this hike. Do it in the morning. Bring a rain jacket for the spray on the Mist Trail section — the name is accurate.

Half Dome — The bucket list hike Difficulty: Extremely strenuous Distance: 17 miles round trip Elevation gain: 4,800 feet Permit required for cables section

The cables route to the summit of Half Dome is one of the most famous hikes in the country. Metal cables bolted into the granite on the final 400 feet of 45-degree slope — gloves are essential, provided in a box at the base of the cables. The summit is a flat granite plateau with 360-degree views of the Sierra.

Most people do this as a very long day hike starting at 4am. A two-day option with a night at Little Yosemite Valley campground makes it significantly more manageable.

Yosemite Falls Trail Difficulty: Strenuous Distance: 7.2 miles round trip Elevation gain: 2,700 feet

Climbs from the valley floor to the top of the upper fall — the fourth highest waterfall in the world at 2,425 feet. The views from the top looking down the valley are among the best in the park. Best in spring when the falls are at full volume. By late summer the falls often dry to a trickle or stop entirely.

Mirror Lake Loop Difficulty: Easy Distance: 5 miles loop

A flat trail around a seasonal lake — or sand flat in late summer — at the base of Half Dome. The reflection of Half Dome in the lake on calm mornings is the classic composition. Best in May and June when the lake is full. The walk through the forest is pleasant year-round even when the lake is dry.

Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point Difficulty: Strenuous Distance: 9.6 miles round trip Elevation gain: 3,200 feet

Climbs from the valley floor to Glacier Point — the 7,214-foot viewpoint above the south rim. Most people drive to Glacier Point — hiking up earns the view differently. The trail offers progressively expanding views of the valley on the way up. Take the shuttle down if legs are done at the top.

Valley Floor loop — Easy option Difficulty: Easy Distance: 6.5 miles

A mostly flat loop on the valley floor through meadows, forest, and along the Merced River. Best for families or rest day exploration. The morning light on El Capitan from the valley meadows on this walk is excellent.

Glacier Point

The most spectacular viewpoint in Yosemite — a promontory on the south rim at 7,214 feet looking straight down 3,200 feet to the valley floor and directly across to Half Dome at eye level.

The view encompasses the full valley — El Capitan to the west, Half Dome straight ahead, Nevada and Vernal Falls visible in the Merced River canyon below. On a clear day the High Sierra stretches east to the horizon.

Getting there: Glacier Point Road off Highway 41. Open late May through early November. RVs over 35 feet not permitted. The drive is 16 miles from the valley with excellent viewpoints along the way.

Sunrise at Glacier Point — the east-facing viewpoint catches the first light of the day on Half Dome and the Sierra. Arrive before dawn. The sequence of light filling the valley from above is the best sunrise in the park.

Washburn Point — a viewpoint 0.5 miles before Glacier Point with direct views of the Nevada and Vernal Falls in the canyon below. Less crowded than Glacier Point and the falls view is better from here.

Mariposa Grove

The largest sequoia grove in Yosemite — 500 mature giant sequoias in the southern section of the park.

Getting there: Shuttle from Wawona — private vehicles are restricted in the grove. The shuttle runs from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza on Highway 41.

Grizzly Giant — the oldest sequoia in Yosemite at 2,700 years and the fifth largest tree in the world. The upper branches are larger in diameter than most mature trees. A 2-mile round trip trail from the shuttle drop.

California Tunnel Tree — a living sequoia with a tunnel cut through its base in 1895 for stagecoach passage. The tunnel is too narrow for modern vehicles but you can walk through it. The tree continues to grow around the tunnel opening.

Bachelor and Three Graces — a cluster of four sequoias standing together at the grove's center. The Three Graces are among the most beautiful sequoias in the grove — tall, straight, and perfectly proportioned.

Tuolumne Meadows

At 8,600 feet — the largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra Nevada. Accessible via Tioga Road from late May through early November. The scenery is completely different from the valley — open and expansive rather than enclosed.

Lembert Dome Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 2.8 miles round trip

A granite dome above the meadow with 360-degree views of the Tuolumne area and the surrounding high Sierra. The scramble to the top is non-technical with good friction on the granite. One of the best views in the high Sierra accessible in a half day.

Cathedral Lakes Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 7 miles round trip

One of the classic Tuolumne day hikes — through forest and granite to two alpine lakes below the Cathedral Peak formation. The lower lake has the best views. An excellent introduction to the high Sierra above treeline.

Soda Springs

A natural carbonated spring on the meadow floor — water bubbling up through the meadow with natural carbonation from volcanic CO2. A short flat walk from the trailhead. Interesting geology and the meadow views are excellent.

Wawona

The southern section of the park near the Mariposa Grove with a historic resort hotel and one of the park's better campgrounds.

Wawona Hotel — a historic Victorian resort operating since 1879. Non-guests can walk the grounds, eat at the dining room, and play on the nine-hole golf course — the only golf course inside a national park. The hotel's Saturday evening campfire programs with ranger talks are open to all visitors.

Pioneer Yosemite History Center — a collection of historic structures relocated to Wawona from across the park — covered bridge, Wells Fargo office, cavalry barracks. An accessible walk-through outdoor museum worth 45 minutes.

Practical notes

The valley shuttle is essential. Most valley parking areas fill by 9am on summer weekends even with the timed entry system. Park your RV at your campground or the day use areas and use the free valley shuttle for all valley floor movement.

Go early and go late. The valley between 10am and 4pm on summer weekends is crowded. The valley at 6am and at 7pm is a different experience — quieter, better light, and the wildlife is more active.

Black bears are active. Yosemite has one of the most bear-aware visitor populations in the park system because the rangers enforce food storage strictly. Use the bear boxes at your campsite for everything — food, toiletries, anything with a scent. Bears that get food rewards become habituated and are eventually euthanized. The food storage rules exist for the bears' protection.

Smoke is possible in late summer. August and September can bring wildfire smoke into the valley. Check airnow.gov before any significant hike and have a backup plan if air quality is poor.

Where to stay

See the Central California Road Trip guide for full campground details and booking strategy.

The Ultimate Central California RV Road Trip →

Gear for Yosemite

• Solar kit — valley campgrounds have no electric hookups. Best Solar Kits for Full-Time RV Living →
• Leveling blocks — campground sites are uneven. Best RV Leveling Systems →
• Bug spray — mosquitoes in the valley and at Tuolumne in early summer. Best Natural Bug Sprays →
• Backup camera — tight campground access in the valley. Best RV Backup Cameras →
• Wireless internet — cell service is limited in the valley. Starlink works well. Best Wireless Internet Setups for RVs →

Part of the Central California RV Road Trip

The Ultimate Central California RV Road Trip →

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