10 Best Things to Do in Yosemite National Park
From the iconic granite walls of El Capitan and Half Dome to the jaw-dropping waterfalls that cascade through Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park stands as one of the most breathtaking National Parks in the Lower 48 states! With over 750,000 acres of wilderness, towering Sequoia groves, high alpine meadows—not to mention everything that makes up Yosemite Valley—Yosemite offers something for every type of traveler.
However, Yosemite National Park is just as beautiful as it is busy. As one of the most visited National Parks in the U.S., Yosemite often sees long lines, packed shuttle buses, and busy trails—especially during peak summer season! To help with this, the National Park Service has implemented an advance reservation system during the busiest times of the year, which you can read about in more detail below.
All this to say, I’ve been fortunate to visit Yosemite National Park in all different seasons, which is why I wanted to share my favorite experiences—covering the best things to do in Yosemite National Park, from must-see trails, viewpoints, and scenic drives to lesser-known adventures and tips for avoiding the crowds.
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Yosemite National Park?
I’ve been fortunate to experience Yosemite National Park both under a blanket of snow and during the best of summer trails, and I can confidently say that the best time to visit is easily early summer, with June being the best month overall.
I believe this because it’s when the best and most iconic trails and roads in Yosemite are open, like the cables on Half Dome, the Mist Trail, Upper Yosemite Falls—not to mention drives like the stunning Glacier Point Road and Tioga Pass.
On top of this, it’s important to consider that all the best and most beautiful waterfalls in Yosemite Valley dry up from August to October, as they flow from seasonal snowmelt.
For all these reasons, I highly recommend visiting in either May if you’d prefer fewer crowds, or June if you’d prefer to visit when everything in Yosemite is most accessible.
What is the Yosemite Advanced Vehicle Reservation System?
In 2020, Yosemite National Park implemented a vehicle timed-entry program in order to reduce the number of private vehicles within the park, as available parking space is the single-most limiting factor when it comes to the number of people that can visit Yosemite.
Yosemite Timed-Entry Season: June 15 - August 15 & August 30 - September 1,
6 a.m. - 2 p.m. daily
If you happen to be visiting Yosemite National Park during the timed-entry season, you either have the option to book an advanced vehicle reservation, or Yosemite National Park can be visited without a timed-entry permit by simply entering the park before 6 a.m. or after 2 p.m.
However, be aware that entering the park prior to 6 a.m. can be a challenge, given the long, winding canyon roads to get to Yosemite—not to mention that getting stuck behind slow vehicles that don’t utilize the turnouts is not uncommon. That is to say, wake up earlier than you think if you’re making your way into Yosemite from Mariposa or Oakhurst.
Book Here: Yosemite Vehicle Reservations
Hiking Checklist - Yosemite
Obviously, for camping, you will need general backpacking gear. For this reason, I wrote a separate post about what backpacking gear is worth the money, from my experience, and what the best alternatives are to save you money.
Read My Separate Post: Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear
In addition, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Yosemite National Park.
That being said, bear spray is purposefully excluded from this list because, while the Sierra Nevadas are home to black bears, bear spray is not allowed in Yosemite National Park. This is because there has never been a reported attack within the park.
10 Best Things to Do in Yosemite National Park
The following list is written in no particular order of best or worst.
That said, it’s important to note that the waterfalls in Yosemite are seasonal based on the annual snowmelt, meaning they typically don’t flow throughout the year.
If you visit Yosemite during the late summer/ early fall, expect to see a different Yosemite Valley compared to some of the most iconic photos.
On a different note, you can save time when you arrive by purchasing your National Park pass, along with your other outdoor gear, at REI before traveling to the park!
1. Half Dome Trail (The Cables)
Distance (Roundtrip): 16.4 miles / 26.4 km
Elevation Change: 4,770 ft. (1,454 m)
Since The Cables were first constructed by the Sierra Club in 1919, the Half Dome Trail has become a pastime as old as hiking in Yosemite itself!
Today, visitors from around the world come to Yosemite in hopes of hiking up Half Dome’s iconic Cables, but for most, securing one of the very limited day hiking permits is no easy task.
However, most visitors are not aware that there is not just one, but three different ways to secure permits to hike Half Dome—which you can learn all about, including detailed photos of the entire trail and The Cables, in my separate post linked below!
Read My Separate Post: Half Dome Trail (The Cables)
2. Lower Yosemite Falls Trail
Distance: 1.2 miles / 1.9 km
The Lower Yosemite Falls Trail is an easy, paved day hike located right in the heart of Yosemite Village.
The trail leads to one of the most iconic waterfalls in all of Yosemite Valley—one that can only be compared with Bridalveil Falls, the waterfall visible from Tunnel View.
Before visiting, know that Yosemite Falls does not flow year-round, as it is dependent on seasonal snowmelt. To learn more about this, including details about the full trail, I highly recommend reading my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Lower Yosemite Falls Trail
3. Upper Yosemite Falls Trail
Distance (Top of Yosemite Falls): 7.0 miles / 11.3 km
Elevation Gain (Top of Yosemite Falls): 2,710 ft. / 826 m
One can’t talk about Lower Yosemite Falls without talking about Upper Yosemite Falls, which I personally think is the better of the two—not to mention one of the best things to do in all of Yosemite National Park!
That said, the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail is very steep, but I personally don’t believe that the best views of Upper Yosemite Falls are located at the top of the hike.
In fact, hikers can enjoy much better views roughly halfway up the trail from one of several different vantage points, which you can learn all about in my separate post linked below!
Read My Separate Post: Upper Yosemite Falls Trail
My Print - Upper Yosemite Falls
4. Mist Trail (Vernal & Nevada Falls)
Distance (One Way to the Top of Nevada Falls): 2.8 miles / 4.5 km
Distance (Full Mist-John Muir Loop Trail): 6.4 miles / 10.3 km
The Mist Trail to both Vernal and Nevada Falls is one of the most fun, unique, and beautiful day hikes out of Yosemite Valley, because the trail ascends not just one, but two stunning waterfalls on this loop—not to mention the section past Vernal Falls gets sprayed by the mist, hence the trail’s name!
Now, what most hikers don’t anticipate is how steep the Mist Trail truly is, as there are very few places where the trail isn’t either climbing or descending the roughly 1,950 ft (594 m) of elevation change from the Happy Isles Trailhead to the back of the loop.
To learn more—including detailed photos throughout every section of the hike, and where to park in this very busy corner of Yosemite Valley—I highly recommend reading all the details in my separate post!
Read My Separate Post: Mist Trail (Vernal & Nevada Falls)
5. Diving Board Trail
Distance: 10.4 miles / 16.7 km
The Diving Board is a unique, overhanging cliff on the north face of Half Dome that I often regard as one of the best places I’ve ever been fortunate enough to hike to!
That said, getting to the Diving Board is no easy task, and it’s not an adventure meant for 99% of Yosemite visitors because of the tricky Class 4 scrambling sections required to navigate what’s known as the Snake Dike.
To learn more, including detailed photos of every challenging section on the Diving Board Trail, I highly recommend reading all the details in my separate post—but know that the Snake Dike is not the place to find out whether you’re ready for a hike this challenging.
Read My Separate Post: Diving Board Trail
6. Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail
Distance: 1.0 miles / 1.6 km
The Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail is one of my favorite easy adventures in Yosemite National Park because, within just a few steps of beginning the hike from any number of directions, the views of Yosemite Falls and the greater Yosemite Valley open up in all directions!
Before visiting, I think the most important thing to know is that Cook’s Meadow is located adjacent to some of the busiest areas within Yosemite Village. This is why I highly recommend visiting Cook’s Meadow first thing in the morning, as shown in my separate article.
Read My Separate Post: Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail
Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail
7. Sentinel Bridge (Half Dome)
Year-round, the Sentinel Bridge is one of the best and most beautiful places in Yosemite Valley to photograph Half Dome—especially late in the evening as the orange light cuts across the north face of Half Dome at sunset!
Google Maps Directions: Sentinel Bridge
8. Tunnel View
Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park is, without a doubt, one of the best and most iconic viewpoints across the entire United States!
I mean, how could you visit Yosemite Valley without pulling over at this incredible overlook?
That said, Tunnel View is especially beautiful at both sunrise and sunset, with sunset being my personal favorite because of how the evening light hits Half Dome and El Capitan.
However, it’s important to know that the sun does not hit El Capitan at sunset throughout the year—meaning that the winter months are best for enjoying sunset, whereas I typically think of summer as the better time to see sunrise.
Google Maps Directions: Tunnel View
9. Bridalveil Falls Trail
Distance (Main Trail): 0.6 miles / 1.0 km
Distance (East Trail): 0.8 miles / 1.3 km
While the vast majority of trails that begin in Yosemite Valley climb steeply from the valley floor, the Bridalveil Falls Trail is the exact opposite!
In fact, the Bridalveil Falls Trail is one of the easiest, most accessible day hikes across all of Yosemite National Park, which can be enjoyed from either one of two different routes, both of which I have outlined in my separate article linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Bridalveil Falls Trail
10. Snowshoe / Ski to Dewey Point (Winter)
Distance: 7.7 miles / 12.4 km
The vast majority of Glacier Point Road is not plowed during the winter off-season, but visitors can drive the first 5.0 miles (8.0 km) to reach the Badger Pass Ski Area.
It is here that visitors can begin a roughly 3.7-mile (6.0 km), one-way snowshoe route out to Dewey Point, a stunning panoramic viewpoint above Yosemite Valley.
AllTrails: Dewey Point Trail [Winter Route]
My Print - Dewey Point
My Print - Yosemite Falls
