Yosemite National Park is one of California’s most magnificent natural sceneries and boasts nearly 1,200 square metres of awe, with stunning waterfalls, thousand-year-old sequoia, spectacular cliff faces and some of America’s most unique rock formations. But the majority of the tourist activities are carried out in the area of Yosemite Valley. The most famous natural monuments, the Half Dome and El Capitan, and excellent walking trails are found here.
Yosemite can even be enjoyed by inexperienced hikers, local adventure equipment can provide guided tours and climbing classes. Just don’t expect to experience it by yourself. Like so many other tourist destinations in the United States, crowds represent the biggest obstacle to a fun Yosemite holiday – around 4 million visitors a year.
But when the day comes at the right time (and begins a bit earlier than usual). The wonders of Mother Nature will be a miraculous and serene revelation.
The Park’s many cascades and granite monoliths are best known, such as Half Dome and El Capitan. Yosemite also offers many epic walks and plenty of wildlife, including bears that break into vehicles if you dare leave any remnants behind.
How To Get There?
Yosemite National Park is huge, so you must decide which part of the park you want to visit first. Before you decide how to get there.
Most people head to Yosemite Valley for the first time, taking Highway 120 or Highway 140 from the west. Wawona is also the south entrance. Hetch Hetchy Valley entry is on the north-west and the Tioga Pass is on the east only in summer.
Fresno, California, is the closest airport to the park with a reasonable amount of business service. Around an hour and a half drive to Wawona’s south entrance or a half in the Yosemite Valley is Fresno-Yosemite Airport (FAT).
Many air visitors choose to fly to an airport in the San Francisco Bay Area, where airlines are more lifts and often less expensive. Oakland International (OAK) is closest to the valley 3.5 hours away but both are viable options at approximately 4 hours away. San Francisco International (SFO) or Mineta San Jose International (SJC).
Entry In The Park
Entry to Yosemite costs $35 per car. Consider buying a US Beautiful Year Pass if you plan to visit several other national parks or public lands within the same period of twelve months. It’s a solid value at only $80, and a great way to discover the country’s parks. Also, remember that if you register with the Every Kid Outdoors programme, 4th graders get free entry into the national park.
The park was closed in the spring of 2020 for a number of months. It reopened in June under special restrictions on coronavirus. While visiting Yosemite during COVID-19 certainly means a few differences from ordinary operations, they are very positive.
Advance park entry reservations were previously required for anyone not staying in lodging located within the park’s boundaries. But as of March 1, that’s no longer the case.
Also read: Is The Golden Gate Bridge A Monument?
What Is The Best Time To Visit The Park
Yosemite has been open all year, but the summer is certainly the high season. The park is flocked in summer by legions of families and international visitors. Naturally, some nice crushing crowds could mean it.
If you have to go in the summer (in times other than COVID), pack your patience and give it extra time. Try to spend a week avoiding some of the worst chocs and start at dawn. The plan is also to leave the valley, where crowds are lighter.
Spring or fall shoulder season can be a great choice for travellers whose schedules are more flexible and who want to escape even more crowds. In fact, late in the spring is probably the best time to visit Yosemite. In May, in particular, the highest snowfall flows in waterfalls and the temperature for walking is mild.
Yosemite Winter is a very different experience from the national park. Every year, Tioga Road closes between the end of May and the beginning of June. However, many of the rest of the park can be reached by snowshoeing or cross country skiing. The park also contains a ski resort Badger Pass, which is less expensive or overwhelming than the mega-resorts in Lake Tahoe or Mammoth, elsewhere in California.
Yosemite is certainly a national park worthy of being placed on numerous lists of travel cans. It is a national park with a wide range of travellers with easy and difficult walks as well as a host of amazing sights.
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