By air
Fresno (FAT), ~1.5 h to the south entrance; San Francisco ~4 h
North America · United States
Yosemite, United States
Granite walls, waterfalls and giant sequoias
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to June for the waterfalls, September to October for fewer crowds
Don't miss
El Capitan
Half Dome
Yosemite Falls
The Mariposa Grove
Things to do
The Mist Trail to Vernal Fall
The Tunnel View
The Mariposa Grove
Where to eat
What to pack
Layers, hiking boots
A quieter corner
Tuolumne Meadows in high summer
Questions travellers ask
Which months should I choose for Yosemite?
May to June for the waterfalls, or September to October for fewer crowds.
How do I get to Yosemite?
Fresno (FAT) is the airport, about 1.5 h from the south entrance; San Francisco is about 4 h away.
What are Yosemite's highlights?
El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and the Mariposa Grove. Walk the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall and stop at the Tunnel View.
Where should I go in Yosemite in high summer?
Tuolumne Meadows in high summer. Pack layers and hiking boots, and plan picnics in the valley.
About Yosemite
- Mountains
- Forest
Where it is
Yosemite National Park lies in the central Sierra Nevada of California in the western United States, east of San Francisco. Its heart is Yosemite Valley, a glacier-carved gorge on the Merced River walled by granite cliffs, with high country around Tuolumne Meadows above it.
History
The Ahwahneechee lived in the valley they called Ahwahnee until the Mariposa Battalion, a militia of the Gold Rush years, entered it in 1851 and drove them out. In 1864 Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant protecting the valley and the Mariposa Grove, an early step towards the national park idea, and John Muir's campaigning helped create Yosemite National Park in 1890.
People
Yosemite is the homeland of the Southern Sierra Miwok and neighbouring peoples such as the Mono Lake Paiute, whose woven baskets are displayed in the Yosemite Museum. Few people live in the park beyond its staff, and Gold Rush towns such as Mariposa and Groveland sit in the foothills below.
Known for
- El Capitan and Half Dome
- Yosemite Falls and Vernal Fall
- The giant sequoias of the Mariposa Grove
- Big-wall rock climbing
- The Tunnel View over the valley
Did you know?
In mid to late February the setting sun can light up Horsetail Fall on El Capitan so that it glows orange like a stream of fire, an effect known as the firefall.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.