First Time in Yosemite National Park (Beginner’s Guide)
Your first time in Yosemite National Park will be spectacular. We spent a couple of days there in September of 2023 and it was perfect.
It is among the BEST parks in the US and it lived up to every single hype. It was stunning and beautiful and unbelievable and lovely.
This beginner’s guide will give you all the information you need to explore Yosemite. Bookmark this for your future trip!
The first trip to Yosemite will be magical. It’s unlike any park we’ve ever experienced. And we can’t wait to go back.
Now let’s plan your first visit to Yosemite National Park!
Notes from the Newbies
Katie
Yosemite is absolutely breathtaking. It feels like a complete park – mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and more. We’ll be back (hopefully sooner than we think!)
Gus
Glacier Point is my favorite view on earth. It’s almost indescribable. It was stunning beyond belief. It’s a place I know we will see multiple times over the course of our lives.
Guide to Yosemite National Park: Basics
| Date Established | 1890 |
| Annual Visitors | 3,667,550 |
| Rank in Popularity (by visitors) | 6th |
| Our favorite Hike | Nevada Fall |
| #1 Reason to Visit | Yosemite Valley |
| Highest Visited Month | August |
| Lowest Visited Month | December |
| Best time to Visit | Summer (June – August) |
| Ideal # of Days to Spend | 3 to 5 |
| Closest Major Airport | Fresno, CA (61 miles) |
Map of Yosemite
Yosemite is HUGE. It covers 747,956 acres of land on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.
You’ll likely spend 90% of your time in the Yosemite Valley area (the most popular area within the park).
But the famous Tioga Road will take you up to Tuolumne Meadows and Wawona Road will take you down to Mariposa Grove.
5 Tips Before You Visit Yosemite National Park
When we go back to Yosemite, these are 5 tips we will follow for ourselves!
Tip #1: Arrive EARLY
The crowds in Yosemite are NO JOKE. We arrived around 7am on each day, and the parking lots were already starting to fill up.
Yosemite is the 6th most visited national park and during peak season (June-August) you can expect lots of cars and people – everywhere.
As of 2024, Yosemite is implementing a reservation system, which should dramatically reduce the crowds.
Our first big tip is to arrive as early as possible. The morning might suck, but it will be 10000% worth it to make the most of your day.
Tip #2: Master the Yosemite Valley Shuttle System
The Yosemite Valley shuttle system is robust and should get you to most of the popular areas in the valley.
It is open daily from 7am to 10pm (weather permitting)
There are two distinct shuttle systems:
- Valleywide Shuttle: services ALL of the Yosemite Valley. Buses arrive every 12-22 minutes
- East Valley Shuttle: serviced limited to the eastern Yosemite Valley trails, campgrounds, and villages. Buses arrive every 8 to 12 minutes
Park near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center as it’s near the center of the park. From there, you can take the shuttle anywhere you need!
We didn’t realize there was such a robust shuttle system (which we should have researched). It would have saved us lots of planning time!
Tip #3: Prepare for LONG Days
We spent 2.5 days in Yosemite and each full day started around 5:30am and ended around 7pm.
If you care to avoid crowds, your best bet is to arrive early and stay late. Peak hours in the park are 10am-4pm. This is when you are likely to hit traffic and bump into people on trails (especially at Yosemite).
While you can’t fully avoid people, you can have a more serene experience by arriving early and staying later.
It makes for really long days in the park. But it’s worth it for a quieter sunrise and a peaceful sunset.
Tip #4: Spend Multiple Days (if you can!)
We wrote an in-depth guide on How to Spend One Day in Yosemite, but in our opinion, the park is best experienced over multiple days.
There is simply SO much to see. Even after 2.5 days, there were still things we wish we could have done or seen.
The ideal trip length is somewhere between 3-5 days. It will allow you to see every inch of Yosemite possible, while not feeling rushed.
Tip #5: Slow Down and Take it All In
This might feel like a lame tip, but I wish we would have slowed down.
With so many people around, you might feel a little rushed and overplanned. Of course, you want to experience it all!
But Yosemite is so strikingly beautiful, that you would be foolish to rush past it.
Take in the views of the valley and half dome. Stop to listen to the roaring waterfalls. Take a deep breathe at the top of Glacier Point.
Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places you may ever experience – take it in!
Most Popular Hike at Yosemite: Mist Trail
The Mist Trail is located on the east side of the valley, off the Happy Isles shuttle stop. It is by far the most popular trail in the park (according to a park ranger we spoke to) and it leads to some unbelievable views.
There are 3 distinct lengths on the Mist Trail:
- 1.5 mi round trip to a footbridge at the bottom of Vernal Falls
- 2.5 mi round trip to the top of Vernal Falls – up 600 slippery, granite steps
- 5.4 miles round trip to the top of Nevada Falls
We highly recommend hiking all the way to Nevada Falls. It’s one of the most beautiful hikes we’ve done. Plus, you will push past the crowds!
Mist Trail Basics
- Location: Far end of Yosemite Valley (Nature Center at Happy Isles)
- Best Time to Hike: Early Morning
- Length: 1.5 to 5.4 miles round-trip
- Average Time to Complete: 4-5 hours if you go up to Nevada Falls
- Level: Challenging
- Elevation Change: 2,000 feet
- Why it’s Popular: Waterfalls, mountain tops, stunning views. It doesn’t get better than this.
Our Experience on the Mist Trail
We hiked the Mist Trail mid-day. To be honest, we did not know it was a popular trail until a park ranger told us about it.
Big mistake (although it turned out just fine).
It was a big mistake because there were TONS of people. Climbing up to Vernal Fall – already nerve wracking due to the waterfall and slippery stairs – was even scarier because we were rubbing shoulders with everyone going up and down.
At the top of Vernal Fall, you get an incredible view of the valley down below.
If you decide to keep going up to Nevada Fall (which we highly recommend), the crowds will start to thin out. It’s a really challenging hike up. All-in-all, you will gain 2,000+ feet of elevation. We stopped to catch our breath many times.
But the top of Nevada Falls is absolutely stunning. I’ll always remember sitting right beside the waterfall and taking it all in.
Top Things to Do in Yosemite National Park
Besides the Mist Trail, here are some other things we recommend you do your first time in Yosemite!
Tunnel View
The Tunnel View is a MUST see at Yosemite. It’s easy to get to – the hardest part will be finding parking (depending on the time of day) and the second hardest part will be avoiding too many people.
Tunnel View is another iconic viewpoint at Yosemite. It’s probably the image that comes to mind whenever you think of Yosemite – El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks, and Bridalveil Fall.
It is located on Wawona Road on the west side of the Yosemite Valley. Most folks will stop here on their way to/from the Mariposa Grove area.
Take the 15 extra minutes and stop at Tunnel View – you will not forget it!
Glacier Point Road
Glacier Point might be the most iconic view we’ve experienced in ANY national park. We’ve (thus far) been to 22 parks, and nothing is better than the view at Glacier Point.
It is simply so grand. Sweeping views of the valley. A perfectly framed shot of half dome. You almost can’t believe all of this exists before you – and it does!
The drive up to Glacier Point is also lovely. The roads wind through forests and rocks. I want to do it all over again!
Taft Point and The Fissures
The Taft Point trailhead is off Glacier Point Road, about 25 minutes from the entrance to Glacier Point Road. It’s one of the best hikes you can take in Yosemite.
The hike out to Taft Point is 2.3 miles round trip. It is moderately challenging and should take about 1.5 hours to complete.
You will start your hike through a dense forest that reminded us of our trips through Washington State.
You will eventually come out to a clearing – a large slab of rock that leads out to The Fissures and Taft Point.
The Fissures are these giant gaps on the edge of the cliff. If you peer down, you’ll see they just fall to the bottom of the valley – scary!
Taft Point is way out at the far end of the opening. You will get an absolutely iconic view of El Capitan and the Yosemite Valley. Unreal.
Mariposa Grove
The Mariposa Grove in Yosemite is home to one of the oldest Sequoia tree in existence – the Grizzly Giant (~2,995 years old).
Mariposa Grove is spectacular. You can walk in and amongst giant sequoias. The trails are relatively easy – the Grizzly Giant Loop is only 2 miles round trip, and relatively flat.
You will pass dozens and dozens of ancient sequoias. We definitely compared our experience at Mariposa Grove to Sequoia National Park – both lovely for different reasons!
And the iconic Grizzly Giant is a sight to behold. Twisting and turning 209 feet in the air, this giant is the oldest sequoia in Mariposa Grove. It’s one of the most popular attractions in the park.
You can take the Mariposa Grove Shuttle up to Mariposa Grove. It runs every 10 to 15 minutes. See this official national park service website for exact hours of operation by season.
One Day in Yosemite Itinerary
We already recommended spending more than one day in Yosemite. But if you are squeezed for time, here’s what we would do:
Morning: Mist Trail
Spend the early part of your day in Yosemite Valley, specifically hiking the Mist Trail. This should take you between 4-5 hours (if you go all the way up to Nevada Fall).
It’s best to do this hike early. There will be far less people. You will have more energy to tackle the day. And you’ll be able to get into (and out of) the valley sooner – it’s known for getting PACKED mid-day.
Always check the NPS website for trail openings/closings.
Mid-Day: Mariposa Grove
Next, drive down to Mariposa Grove. It should take you about 1 hour to get from Yosemite Valley to the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza. From here, take the shuttle up to the grove and explore the trails.
It should take you between 1-2 hours to explore Mariposa Grove.
We recommend hiking the Grizzly Giant Loop at minimum, and exploring further if you’d like!
Late Afternoon: Glacier Point Road
Last, drive back up to Glacier Point via Glacier Point Road. This drive should take you another hour to complete.
On the way up to Glacier Point, stop for a hike at Taft Point to get an incredible view of El Capitan.
Then end your day at Glacier Point where you can catch an iconic sunset view of Half Dome and the surrounding Yosemite wilderness.
Final Thoughts: First Time in Yosemite National Park
There is SO much to see and explore in Yosemite. There are tons of hikes we didn’t even get to mention (most of which we haven’t gotten to experience yet).
There’s the Tioga Road we want to go to someday. Lower Yosemite Falls and Upper Yosemite Falls trails. Washburn Point. Four Mile Trailhead. The list goes on.
The ultimate point is: Yosemite is iconic.
It’s unbelievable. Memorable. Stunning. Striking. And Beautiful. All in one spectacular park.
Yes, it has its crowd issues – you can’t really escape it. The crowds might be the only reason it is not in our top 3. Luckily, you can easily plan around the crowds and avoid them as much as possible.
Yosemite is one of our favorite places in the world. And we can’t wait for you to have an amazing first time in Yosemite National Park!
