Yosemite National Park is situated in Northern California at the eastern border of the state. It is a large park of incredible beauty, but with limited resources for lodging and transportation. In order to get the most out of your visit, plan your vacation date and lodging/transportation needs ahead of time.
Go to Yosemite Valley, the essential destination of Yosemite. Yosemite is open year-round. If you go in the spring, you will see the waterfalls flowing and the dogwood trees in bloom. The days are still short, the weather cool and some areas of the park (Tuolumne Meadows, Glacier Point) are inaccessible. Summer is an ideal time for a visit but the park is very crowded. Fall is a nice time but the waterfalls are dry or barely present. Winter is snow-covered and access within the park is limited.
Plan your trip according to Yosemite's four entrances -- north, south, east and west. The east entrance is only open in the summer. If you are flying into the area, you should consider using either the south or north entrances. If Yosemite is your only destination, then the Fresno airport is approximately 80 miles from the south entrance. Sacramento and the Bay Area airports are all about three hours from the park's north entrance.
Be aware that lodging is limited inside the park. Availability can be viewed on the National Park website. There is lodging outside of the park entrances but locations can be distant. Private rentals inside the park receive mixed reviews. Ideally, you should try to stay inside the park, but reservations need to be made early. Staying at more than one location inside the park would give you a nice variety if you do not mind changing locations.
Give yourself three days at least to see the standard visitor spots, but keep in mind that to see Yosemite completely could take a lifetime. Take one day to visit the south end of the park, an area that is frequently overlooked. It has the Mariposa grove of California redwoods, the largest and some of the oldest trees in the world. The beautiful Wawona Hotel, a historic and picturesque Victorian hotel completed in the late 1800s is at the south end of the park. Enjoy a meal in their charming dining room. Also in this area is an original settlement with a living history exhibit. Take a drive to Glacier Point and look down on Yosemite Valley below and view Half Dome on the right.
Spend your next day visiting Yosemite Valley. The park has a free bus system that allows you to hop on and off at all the important locations. You can see the falls, take some leisurely hikes, rent bikes, see the museum and visit the gorgeous, historic Awahnee Hotel. There is much to see in this area and it will take your full day. In the evening, attend the campfire with the ranger talk in Curry Village.
If you have a remaining day, you can visit the Tuolumne meadows area at the northeastern area of the park. Much of your time will be spent on the long scenic drive to get to the Meadows. You can stop and take a day hike or have a picnic. There is another, smaller grove of Redwoods on the way to the meadows that you might want to visit. At Tuolumne meadows are lodging and lovely trails.
