Emily & Johnny
Things To Do
Yosemite National Park -- REQUIRES ADVANCE RESERVATION!!!
Our venue is just half a mile from the Big Oak Flat Entrance to Yosemite National Park! If you are planning to enter the park during your trip, please note that RESERVATIONS WILL BE REQUIRED for this summer through September. Reservations can be made at recreation.gov. Visit this website for more info: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/reservations.htm If you do not have a reservation, you can still visit the park if you enter before 6:00 AM or after 4:00 PM, or if you choose only to visit the Hetch Hetchy area of the park. Read on for some of our favorite spots and hikes in the park. Feel free to ask us for other recommendations based on your energy level!
Hiking in Yosemite
These are some of our favorites, sorted by energy level and hiking experience. There are a million more options that we haven't tried yet, so check out yosemitehikes.com for more ideas. Easy: - Tenaya Lake (2.5 mi loop around lake, flat) - Tuolumne Grove (2.5 mi out & back; downhill in, uphill out) -- Giant Sequoias; convenient to Rush Creek Moderate: - Wapama Falls (5.5 mi out & back) -- in Hetch Hetchy, underrated and much less crowded than other areas of the park. Downside is the falls may be dry in Sept, but the views are still lovely. - Mist Trail (3-7 mi) -- a Yosemite Valley classic to Vernal and Nevada Falls Hard: - 4-Mile Trail (actually 9 mi out & back; steep) -- a gorgeous, thigh-busting trail from the Valley to Glacier Point and back. Since Glacier Point Road is closed this year, here's your only route. - Clouds Rest (14 mi out & back) -- best views of the valley, hands down. - Glen Aulin (10 mi out & back) -- beautiful trail in the high country with a waterfall payoff
Low Energy Things to Do in Yosemite
There is plenty to see in Yosemite without a hike -- just drive around! Maybe bring a picnic, although there are several options to buy food in Yosemite Valley. In the high country, which is closest to Rush Creek, Tioga Pass Road will take you past stunning vistas like Olmstead Point, through Tuolumne Meadow, and skirting along Tenaya Lake. Any or all of these are worth a visit and breath of relaxing mountain air. Down in the Valley, take your time driving the scenic loop. Stop at the visitor center, stroll along the boardwalks in Cook Meadow, admire Bridalveil Falls, and try to spot the climbers on El Capitan. There are lots of places to turn out and park along the way. After a loop around, turn off toward Glacier Point Road for a stop at the iconic Tunnel View. In Hetch Hetchy you can see the dam and much of the reservoir with just a short walk from the parking lot. Some of these roads are twisty through the mountains, so if you are prone to motion-sickness, pack Dramamine!