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Yosemite National ParkYosemite National ParkImage:Yosemitefalls.jpg|thumb|Yosemite Falls '''Yosemite National Park''' is one of the most beautiful places in California. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains in east-central California, it is noted for its mountain and forest scenery. ==Understand== At one time Curry Village toward the Eastern end of the automobile loop road was a good-sized town, but many of its buildings were destroyed by flooding and others were demolished by the National Park Service. One of the remaining original buildings in Curry Village is the historic chapel, which is available for weddings and celebrations. ==Get in== Image:Yosemite roadmap.gif|thumb|400px|Yosemite National Park roadmap ===By car=== There are four major entrances into the park. All of these routes are relatively windy mountain roads and appropriate time should be budgeted for them. * '''State Route 120 from the west''' from Oakdale. This is the fastest route from locations west (Bay Area (California)|Bay Area) and northwest (Sacramento). Route 120 is a bit steep, so RVs and trailers should consider Route 140 instead. In winter, snow makes the lower elevations of Route 140 more attractive. * '''State Route 140''' west from Mariposa and Merced. This route mostly travels up the Merced river canyon into Yosemite Valley and is the most scenic western entrance. RV traffic can congest this road a bit too much in summer. * '''State Route 41''' north from Fresno and Los Angeles. * '''State Route 120 from the east''' (Tioga Pass Road) from Lee Vining and points east. This road is "closed in winter" which can be as early as November and as late as June (and never earlier than May). ''Note:'' During summer months, Yosemite Valley does not have enough parking spaces for all the cars that arrive. To avoid this congestion, you can either camp in Yosemite (reservations recommended in Summer) and leave your car at your campsite; or you can stay outside the valley and take a [http://www.yarts.com Yosemite Area Regional Transportation] bus into the valley. ===By train=== Amtrak loves to advertise that you can take a train from the Bay Area (California)|Bay Area to Yosemite. The train travels to Merced where you transfer to a bus which takes two hours to get to the park. As the train takes four hours to get to Merced from Emeryville and a car or bus only takes two, this is a pretty slow way to get there. Nevertheless, it's still a good choice for long-distance train travellers or train-lovers. ===By bus=== Many tour bus companies run tours from the Bay Area (California)|Bay Area. Some will just take you to Yosemite Valley; others provide full tours. ==Get around== Image:Yosemitetram.jpg|thumb|The Yosemite Park Tram ===By car=== A car is a good way of getting around the park — except Yosemite Valley during the summer. If at all possible, use a shuttle bus in the valley during summer. Yosemite Valley used to have a network of two lane roads for getting around. Frequently, a driver admiring the scenery at 15 miles per hour would create a serious backup of annoyed drivers. To fix this problem, the Park Service converted most of the roads in the valley into one-way roads to allow passing. If you will be driving in Yosemite Valley, you should familiarize yourself with the layout and directions of the roads since a wrong turn can send you on a one-way five-mile detour. The speed limit in ''all'' areas of the park is fairly slow, and is ''strictly enforced'' by rangers with radar guns. ===By bus=== A free shuttle bus (this is ''not'' the YARTS system) does a loop around Yosemite Valley year-round, though the schedule varies from season to season. ===On foot=== Although the road network covers the most popular sights in Yosemite, the vast majority of the park's area can only be accessed on foot. A network of hiking trails covers Yosemite, and connects it with other areas of the Sierras to north and south. ==See== Image:Yosemite-7.jpg|thumb|Cliffs The park is extremely large. There is much more than you can hope to see in a single day. Some of the major attractions are the historic Mariposa and Wawona Groves of giant sequoia trees in the South end of the Park, Inspiration Point, a short distance up the road that connects the Valley with the South end. In the Valley itself you can view the famous Half Dome and El Capitan rock formations and the many waterfalls in the Valley. A free shuttle will take you to the Wawona Grove, which is 35 miles from the rest of the major attractions. The peak seasons for Yosemite are generally Spring, when the waterfalls in the Valley are strongest, and Summer, when the Tioga Pass and Glacier Point roads are open, giving visitors access to the higher meadows and to views of the Valley from above. ==Do== Physically-fit travelers will enjoy '''hiking''' the Park's many trails and footpaths. A (free) wilderness hiking permit is required for hiking the back country. This is mostly so that the Rangers will know you're out there, in case you get into trouble and need rescue. The Valley also offers some of the most challenging and spectacular rock climbing in North America, with vertical faces 3,000 and more feet tall. Two of the most scenic waterfalls (Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls) are just a short walk away from parking areas and even physically-disabled tourists can approach them fairly closely. There are still commercial horseback-riding concessions in the Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows areas, but the stables in the Valley were destroyed in the 1997 flood and there are no current plans to replace them. In late Spring and early Summer, whitewater rafting on the Merced River (which flows through the Valley) is popular, although you should be aware that some of the rapids are extremely challenging and there are two mandatory portages. There is a championship 18-hole golf course in Wawona Meadow in the South end of the Park, right next door to the Wawona Lodge and stables. Regardless of what else you do, you will definitely want to bring your camera, although even Ansel Adams's pictures don't really do justice to the beauty, grandeur and sheer scale of the Valley! === Yosemite Valley === * '''Mirror Lake'''. An easy walk. * '''Vernal Falls''' and '''Nevada Falls'''. Hike starts from Happy Isles. Depending on your level of enthusiasm, you can walk to a view where you can see Vernal Falls (easy), walk to the top of Vernal Falls (moderate), or walk to the top of Nevada Falls with a spectacular view (difficult). * '''Yosemite Falls'''. A steep hike leads to the top of Yosemite Falls. This is an all-day hike for the physically fit. * '''Meadow Walks'''. Many of the meadows have trails, some of which are handicap accessible. And of course, if you are staying in the valley, walking to get around is easy, scenic, and avoids the stresses of car travel in the valley. === Tuolumne Meadows === * '''Soda Springs'''. In the middle of the meadow, a spring of soda water (carbonated water) comes out of the ground. The water may or may not be bad for you. * '''Lambert Dome'''. Lambert Dome looms over the east side of the meadow, and can only be directly climbed by well-equipped mountain climbers. Or you can hike east along Route 120 until the slope of Lambert Dome moderates until it is safe to walk up. Once on top, just walk back west along the ridge of the dome to look down on Tuolumne Meadows. Return the same way you came -- you will die if you attempt to descend directly. ==Sleep== Demand for lodging in Yosemite Valley in both the hotels and the campgrounds is extremely heavy, so you need to book well ahead of time during the late Spring, Summer and early Fall, although there are often vacancies during the Winter, late Fall and early Spring. ===Hotels=== * The '''Ahwahnee''', (559) 253-5635. Luxury hotel in Yosemite Valley. Rooms on one side of the hotel face Half Dome, on the other side, they face Yosemite Falls. There is a small heated outdoor pool. http://www.yosemitepark.com * '''Yosemite Lodge''', (559) 253-5635. Basically a motel in Yosemite Valley near Yosemite Falls. http://www.yosemitepark.com * '''Wawona''', (559) 253-5635. A hotel overlooking Wawona Meadow a few miles from the Mariposa and Wawona Groves of Giant Sequoias in the south part of the park along Route 41. Only half the rooms have a private bath. http://www.yosemitepark.com * '''Curry Village''', (559) 253-5635. Curry Village has a wide range of lodging options ranging from "hotel" accommodations to tent cabins. http://www.yosemitepark.com ===Cabins=== (Also see Curry Village in the previous section). * '''White Wolf''', (559) 253-5635, Summer only. Tent cabins and walled cabins in White Wolf. http://www.yosemitepark.com * '''Tuolumne Meadows Lodge''', (559) 253-5635. Tent cabins in Tuolumne Meadows. http://www.yosemitepark.com ===Camping=== Camping is by far the cheapest way of staying within the park. Campgrounds in the Yosemite Valley usually need to be reserved months in advance; some of the higher altitude campgrounds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis rather than by reservation, but are only available after the Tioga Pass Road has opened for summer. ===Nearby=== The least expensive motel option is to stay outside the park itself. Despite names like "Yosemite View", no lodging outside the park has a view of the Valley. Lodging is particularly close to the park near the Route 140 entrance and the Route 120 ''East'' entrance. The nearby towns of El Portal, Mariposa, Fish Camp, and Lee Vining have economical lodging. Yosemite is surrounded by National Forest land, with a great many more campgrounds. ==Stay safe== Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. But it's not without its hazards. You should protect yourself against three threats: *The origninal inhabitants (especially the bears) *Your fellow human beings *Yourself and your mistakes '''Bears''' are everywhere in Yosemite, and they have become accustomed to scavenging trash and food left out by humans. Though the native brown bears are not the giant grizzlies that once roamed the Sierras, they are strong enough to tear your car open like a foil package. They prefer to avoid humans, so they'll most likely do their work on vehicles left at trailheads or in parking lots. Prevention is remarkably simple: '''Never''' leave food in your car or bring it into your tent. The population of Yosemite balloons from a couple hundred in the winter to thousands in the summer. Though the park rangers do their best, the crowds inevitably attract petty thieves. Violent crime was extremely rare in Yosemite, until 1999 when a woman and two teenage girls traveling together were murdered. Travel smart, and don't be lulled into a false sense of security either by the crowds in the village or the solitude on the trail. Be smart on the trail. The weather in the Sierras can change very rapidly. Even if you're on a day hike, be prepared for sudden storms, drops in temperature, and high winds. Wear the right footwear for the trail you're taking, and bring plenty of water. If the weather changes for the worse, don't take chances - head back right away. ==External links== *[http://www.nps.gov/yose/ Yosemite National Park] - courtesy of the US National Park Service WikiPedia:Yosemite_National_Park Dmoz:North_America/United_States/California/Travel_and_Tourism/Parks/National_Parks_and_Monuments/Yosemite_NP/ {{stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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