Yosemite National Park guides
12 in-depth guides to Yosemite National Park, in reading order: what to see, how to get around, and what to know before you go. Back to the Yosemite National Park overview.
Two Rivers, One Crowded Valley: Yosemite's Layout
Yosemite Valley covers about 12 square miles, roughly one percent of the park, yet most of the more than five million yearly visitors spend their time there.
Snowpack, Elevation, and When Roads Open
Yosemite has a Mediterranean climate, so nearly all of its precipitation arrives during the mild winter while the long summers stay almost dry.
Half Dome, El Capitan and the Valley's Icons
Half Dome is perhaps the most recognized symbol of Yosemite, a granite formation rising nearly 5,000 feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley.
Mariposa Grove's Giant Sequoias
Giant sequoias are the largest trees on Earth by volume, and Yosemite holds three groves of them.
Driving the Tioga Road Across the High Sierra
The Tioga Road carries Highway 120 across Yosemite for 46 miles, climbing from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass on the park's eastern edge.
Yosemite Trails, from Bridalveil Fall to Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley has several short, gentle walks. Bridalveil Fall Trail is a half-mile round trip with about 80 feet of climbing, and the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail is a one-mile loop with only 50 feet of gain.
Granite Climbing and the Yosemite Mountaineering School
Yosemite is a world-famous rock climbing destination, and the release of the Free Solo documentary has only spread that reputation further.
Sierra Nevada Batholith: How Yosemite's Granite Formed
Nearly every landform in Yosemite is cut from the granitic rock of the Sierra Nevada Batholith, a huge mass of igneous rock that hardened deep below the surface.
Ahwahneechee, Miwok and the Gold Rush
People have lived in what is now Yosemite for nearly 4,000 years, and visitors may have passed through as long as 8,000 years ago.
From Tent Cabins to The Ahwahnee
Every room, cabin and tent bed inside Yosemite is run by Yosemite Hospitality. The choices stretch from simple tent cabins at the High Sierra Camps to deluxe rooms at The Ahwahnee.
Tuolumne Meadows and High-Country Domes
Tuolumne Meadows lies at 8,600 feet along the Tioga Road and ranks among the biggest high-elevation meadows anywhere in the Sierra Nevada.
Glacier Point Road and Its Viewpoints
Glacier Point sits at the end of Glacier Point Road, about 30 miles and an hour's drive from Yosemite Valley.
