Yosemite
Granite walls worth slowing down for.
Open this guide →

← California guide · National Park
Yosemite · A day that begins with one good stop.
See your first dayWhy this place matters
Not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra. First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.
Read the full NPS story ↗
A flexible first day
These are ways to explore, not a timed itinerary. Check conditions before you set out.
Begin with a Valley viewpoint and a short walk rather than a packed checklist.
Add giant sequoias or higher country if access and time allow.
Check reservations, road openings, and trail conditions.
Find your bearings
Switch stops to see where this chapter sits in the wider state.
Outline: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic boundary files. Points show guide starting areas and NOAA stations.
NOAA 1991–2020 · monthly normals
These stations show two parts of the state; neither is a forecast or necessarily local to this site.
No monthly snowfall normal is published for this station. Choose the other station to compare snow.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 30.1 | 30.8 | 34.3 | 38.9 | 46.6 | 54.6 | 62 | 61.4 | 55.4 | 45.9 | 36.8 | 30.2 |
Normal = 1991–2020 average at the named NOAA station. Snowfall is new snow over a month, not snow currently on the ground. A blank NOAA snow series is shown as unavailable, never as zero. See current NOAA snow depth ↗
Weather changes the trip
Check reservations, road openings, and trail conditions. The graph above uses a named NOAA station; conditions at this place may differ with elevation and weather. Check the local NWS forecast ↗
Keep exploring California
Pair park time with San Francisco, Los Angeles, or a smaller gateway town rather than driving the state in one weekend. See current events ↗
Make the trip yours
Tell WTDO your dates, where you start and how you travel. The first plan is free.
Plan this trip free