The Greatest Free Stuff in Yosemite

Our Local Expert Says:

Consider doing this hike as a 2-day backpacking trip, camping in Little Yosemite Valley. You'll get a get an early start and have the summit to yourselves, avoiding some of the dayhikers. Plus, you'll enjoy the Yosemite backcountry and won't have to submit to a single 16-mile day.

Description:

Don't try this incredible trail unless you're truly ready for a very challenging adventure.  You can do it as one-day epic or as a backpack trek but either way, you need to be in top condition, with comfortable walking shoes, start up early in the morning and take in plenty of water and food as you go.  If there's any chance of rain or lightning, do not go above treeline. 
This is a tough day not just because it is 16 miles round-trip, but because it is 4800' up and then down.  Large numbers of people are whipped before the top, almost everyone is completely thrashed when they do make it. 
Be aware that you'll need to have a new kind of permit for dayhikes every day of the week in 2011.  Get these via www.recreation.gov.  No one can go up the trail and the cables without either a day use permit or a Wilderness permit for overnighting en route.
The trail starts at Happy Isles and climbs quickly up along the Merced River, past 100m Vernal Fall, then 200m Nevada Fall and into Little Yosemite Valley at about the 4.5 mile mark.  If you reserved a Wilderness permit, or got in line at the Wilderness Center early the day before, you can pitch your tent in the campground here.  The trail then climbs up through more forest until you come out on the steep stone stairs of the 'sub-dome' and the views of the landscape below you are astonishing.  This elevator shaft does in many people, but the legendary cables come next.  There are two steel cables, held up by steel posts every 5m or so; 2x4's across the base of the posts help for resting.  Haul yourself up here and you've earned something special.  Hopefully you've saved some juice for the long descent...

Description:

In a neat demonstration of sedimentary processes, Mirror Lake has been gradually filling up with sand, so (except in the springtime) it is not as mirror-like as it once was.  Nonetheless, the lake's banks do provide a glorious view straight up Half Dome's face. Start from Shuttle Stop 17. This is considered an easy walk, with a mild uphill grade. The distance is just about a mile, and if you didn't care about fully experiencing this nice part of Tenaya Canyon you could complete the round-trip in about an hour. This area can get crowded in summer. In winter hikers must start from Shuttle Stop 19, which adds another mile to the trip. In summer months, there is access for vehicles with current disability placards.

Our Local Expert Says:

A great education can be had between exhibits, the bookstore, the film and talking with rangers.

Description:

The Yosemite Valley Visitor Center is the heart of Yosemite Village and is open daily, with hours varying with the season. The visitor center is immediately west of the main post office in the park at shuttle bus stops #6 and #9. You'll find information, maps, books, a series of great natural and cultural history exhibits, and helpful rangers to get you oriented to visiting the park.  Every half hour the park's award-winning film is shown in the Theater out back.  The Indian Museum and Indian Village are adjacent. 

Description:

The original visitor center for Yosemite National Park, this lodge is now an educational center. The emphasis is, of course, on the park. The children's corner has a variety of interactive, mostly environment-oriented activities, as well as a library. On many evenings, the lodge is used for club gatherings, which may be open to the public, and environmental education events, which are always open to the public. The lodge itself is a good example of Yosemite's original buildings. Admission to the lodge is free.

Description:

Backpacking is probably the very best way to experience the incredible beauty of Yosemite, but you will need a permit, and this place has them. This is also the place to find out everything you need to know about trekking though the backcountry. Here you can find maps, guidebooks, displays and information for pre-trip planning, as well as practical tips and techniques on how to minimize your impact on this wonderful valley. Day hikers as well as overnight trekkers will find valuable information here.

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If you want to learn about the flora, fauna and geology of the Yosemite Valley, this is the place to visit. Created with both children and adults in mind, the center has both static and interactive displays on the area's natural history. Nearby you can explore four short trails, each one devoted to a different ecological niche: forest, river, talus and fen. The center also has a good bookstore, geared toward exploring the nature of the valley. Admission to the center is free.

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The non-profit Yosemite Association operates the Yosemite Art and Education Center in cooperation with DNC and NPS.  All summer (May-September) there are free art classes taught by a different visiting professional artist each week.  You can sign up beforehand, or just show up (and hope it's not filled); classes run from 10-2, Wednesday through Saturday.  The YAEC has pretty much everything you need for art supplies for painting/sketching en plein air, as they say.  Few studios are as remarkable as Yosemite and this center helps beginning and experienced artists alike to take a bit of Yosemite home on paper.  The center relies on donations, so consider a little something for the effort. 

Our Local Expert Says:

A genuinely superb way to avoid parking hassles and to spare the air.

Description:

Yosemite's popularity means there's potential for traffic problems and the air pollution that goes with it.  The park service and concessioner have arranged an easy solution in the Valley's shuttle system.  Leave your car in the Day Use Parking at Yosemite Village or Curry Village, and take a shuttle to 90% of the places you want to go: campgrounds, stores, restaurants, shops, trailheads, lodges, etc.  The shuttles are free.  They're hybrid fueled so produce few emissions.  In summer they run every 10 minutes.  Seasonally, there are even special buses that go direct to the Visitor Center from the Yosemite Village day use lot and one that'll take you all the way down-Valley to El Capitan Meadow.  You'll find a map and schedule in the park's newspaper, the Yosemite Guide.  Great deal!

Description:

If you have a zest for adventure and a flair for photography, then this walk organized by Ansel Adams Gallery is a must-do for you. A group of 15 is taken around some of the most scenic spots of the park, where photographs can be taken. The walk is conducted four times a week in summer and twice a week in winter. Make sure to sign up well in advance. So, no matter what kind of camera you have, this is a great chance to test your photography skills and let the results speak for themselves. Happy Clicking!

Description:

After hiking around the valley all day, this is a good place to sit down, relax, and learn about Yosemite and its inhabitants (plant, animal or human). Park rangers conduct the programs here, usually nature talks, and also act as commentators for the films they show. One of the favorites has been a film depicting Ansel Adams and his famous photographs of the park. Other programs have included a discussion on animals idigenous to the park and how they survive—as well as what to do if you see one of them in the wild. Program subjects and times vary; however, most start at 8:30p daily.