Yosemite Travel Blog

Yosemite has three groves of giant sequoias: Mariposa, Merced and Tuolumne Groves.  The Mariposa is the largest, most visited and has the most historic significance.  As our former governor once said, “A tree is a tree.  How many more do you need to look at?’  Well, that was before California...

March 31 is the deadline for reserving permits for one-day hikes up Half Dome for this season.  If you’re thinking about trying this daunting route as a dayhike this year, now’s the time to invest some time on the park’s website, and invest some money in a chance at the lottery. On...

Some people will tell you that Degnan’s Deli in Yosemite Village is the heart of the park.  During the lunch hour hundreds of people flow through and are quickly served with a salad, soup or a sandwich made to order.  It’s a place that buzzes with visitors and locals; you’re as likely...

Almost every visitor to Yosemite goes to Yosemite Valley where the scenic highlights have been artfully concentrated into a few miles by the action of mountain uplift, erosion along fracture zones, river carving and glacial re-decorating.  Millions drive in and out of the Valley’s developed east...

One of the easiest, most popular walks in Yosemite is the simple stroll to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls.  If you haven’t been to the park before, this is an obvious destination for any time of year.  If you were thinking of avoiding it because it’s too easy or too crowded – or...

Valentine’s Day approaches again and our thoughts turn to romance with a special someone.   Yosemite is a marvelous place for human relationships; thousands of weddings and honeymoons happen here every year.  The landscape is uniquely grand, with Bridalveil Fall and Cathedral Spires adding to...

There’s always a lot going on in Yosemite.  It’s not like San Francisco “going on” but it keeps us locals and the bears hopping in our own way.  We had some snow over the weekend and it’s really changed the park to finally feel like winter.  Yosemite Falls in Snow For...

Once in a lifetime!  The remarkably dry winter of 2012 in the Sierra Nevada has created unheard-of experiences for Yosemite visitors.  The high-country corridor of Tioga Road is open to vehicles later in the season than it’s ever been in history, and people can access the summertime playground...

All national parks that charge an entry fee are FREE to visitors for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday weekend.  The usual entry fee is $20 per car, no matter the number of passengers; that fee is good for a week of coming and going.  Compare this with $22/person to go up the Empire State Building...

Mild and dry is Yosemite’s winter story for the past few weeks.  Tioga Road is open past record late dates, and even if there’s a return to a normal storm cycle, it’ll be a short winter.  If the road re-opens (assuming that it does eventually get snowed under) in it’s usual...