David from Yosemite Outfitters was an excellent guide. My wife and I were brand new to fly fishing,…read moreand he made everything simple and fun. He had us catching fish right away and made the whole trip a great experience. Highly recommend!

We did a family fishing tour with Rick (the owner) who met us in Yosemite. Rick was great and right…read moreoff the bat asked if we're ok driving a little longer, but he said it would be worth it because of the weather, but more importantly so we could have a better chance at actually catching fish. We went north to just outside Yosemite to a nice calm and quiet river where we spent the next 4 hours learning to fly fish. We were a family of 4, with two girls ages 13 and 10 and none of us had fly-fished before, but after about 45 minutes of Rick we were experts and having a blast. I had told the family to not get hopes up before we went out and didn't think we'd even see a fish, forget about actually catching one. Well...i was wrong! 3 of us all caught fish and we caught 4 total! Amazing! Rick is super knowledgeable, friendly and very patient. He helped us with everything and we ended up even running later than we were supposed to as he was trying to make sure each of us caught a fish. Really recommend Rick, it's worth the $$$ and we're already looking forward to being able to go back out again.

I was staying in the town of Mariposa while visiting Yosemite National Park in June and right next…read moreto where I was staying was this adorable art park. Location is right off of the CA-140 and parking is located on the side streets. Not big at all, but has so much to offer. The Mariposa creek runs through the park and there are large trees to offer plenty of shade. During the summer, they offer live music concerts on the weekends that are free to all. For kids, there are spring break and summer day camps here. The park features beautiful sculpture made of four I - beams from the World Trade Center. The sculpture is not randomly created. It is intended to pay homage to all that perished in the towers and the Pentagon on 9/11. While standing there and viewing this sculpture and the description, I found myself getting a little emotional. I was very impressed and touched by this wonderful tribute. There are benches to sit on along side the creek and you can just listen to the water. There is also a lawn area to lay a blanket on and read or sleep. This little park is so relaxing. Definitely a hidden gem and I am glad I had the pleasure to visit.

We had an excellent day with David. We booked a private tour for my wife and me. We are not so…read moreyoung so David tailored it to our pace and abilities (still made it to the top of Sentinel Dome- well worth the effort!). Literally went from the valley floor to the peak of sentinel dome. His knowledge of the park is outstanding. He picked us up at our lodge and dropped us there at the end of the day- even gave us the picnic we couldn't eat during the trip because clouds blocked the astrophotography portion. He even apologized for the clouds! An all day adventure; we were happily exhausted when we got back to Evergreen Lodge. Highly recommend.

Dave is AMAZING! We had the best day with him on our private tour of Yosemite. He is so fun,…read moreknowledgeable, a great conversationalist and made the day fabulous. I had the best time and felt like we got to really see Yosemite and get to know the park. I would 100% recommend booking with him and his company. Hands down the BEST!!

I have gone skydiving 6 times and I still think THIS was one of the best experiences ever! I went…read morehere years ago, but the experience was one of a kind and something I will never forget because of the views and the kind instructor. I went by myself but the instructor made me feel comfortable and so excited to jump! I want to do it again.

Great people & amazing skydiving experience. Although we had to wait over 2 1/2 hours because they…read morebooked a group at the same time as me. It was hotter than Hell. It was frustrating. Sarah was apologetic. It was worth it. An overall great experience.

If you're visiting Sequoia, book the Big Trees Telescope Tour with Scott. It was one of the…read morehighlights of our trip. Scott is a former park ranger, and his knowledge is incredible. He shared fascinating stories and facts about the park (including black bears!), and you can tell he genuinely loves what he does. He's kind, patient, and made the whole experience feel personal and special. The telescope tour was amazing -- seeing the planets under Sequoia's dark skies was unforgettable. He explained everything in a way that was engaging and easy to understand. His company may be new, but it won't stay a hidden gem for long. Highly recommend.

Dont hesitate to take advantage of this tour experience with Scott. Worth evey dollar spent…read more.. You will be rewarded with great photo stops overlooked by most , fact and stories that will deepen your appreciation of Park and Tree highlights. Thank you Scott for bringing our attention to the lesser known contributors to this beautiful National Park... Al and Dee, Chicago

Our tour guides were absolutely amazing (John and Mia) and they were very knowledgeable and helped…read moreanswer all of our questions (about Yosemite in general, specific famous features on our hike, and even random questions about birds and plant life). The hike is as advertised (in terms of ratings and what features you will see). They always put safety first and even offered to help carry our back packs when we got tired or were crossing a small stream! They treated us like close family/friends, were encouraging us along the way, and adapted to our pace and schedule. Our group ranged from age 6 to adult and we couldn't have made it to the end of the hike without them! Book them for your tours and have fun on your Yosemite Vacation!

Will definitely be booking again with John and Y Explore!!! Honestly when we booked the guided half…read moredome hike I went into it thinking we were just utilizing the purchased permits as hadn't won the lottery ourselves but as the day progressed I became more and more grateful for the wisdom and knowledge of our guide. From breathing techniques and tips for ascending and descending the cables to the order of of our group and perfectly timed rest breaks this was worth every penny as we had not only a successful summit but an overwhelming positive experience! Hubby and I are excited to travel again to more destination with Y Explore in the near future!

An excellent place to volunteer!…read more This is a review of Coexist with Wildlife Day, which was awesome: a bio blitz, some volunteer work and tacos from a food truck with a band. Also free Otter Pops!

I really enjoyed visiting the River Pky. We gathered for a meeting and for some attendees, it was…read moretheir first visit and the atmosphere was amazing for all. I have been back just to enjoy the grounds. So pretty!

Had a great experience with David, caught some fish, learned a lot and had interesting talks.read more

David took my husband and I on a wonderful fishing and hiking excursion! He is knowledgeable, kind…read moreand professional. We learned a lot about fishing techniques, and saw some amazing views!

The trip lead, Dana, was super well-organized and knowledgeable, regularly checking in on how…read moreeveryone was doing - a great natural leader. Our guide, Kylen (?) was a MASTER oarsman (best I've ever seen...), giving us clear instructions when we came upon some unusually challenging rapids. In some sticky situations that other boats got into, he was right ON IT to help them without hesitation, often seeing a problem before anyone else had. I felt completely safe in his care. He also "read the group" really well, connecting easily with everyone. Despite his amazing professional skill and emotional intelligence, he was very low-key and humble... to me, that's a sign of a lifelong learner. This was our 4th trip with OARS. There's so much care into the preparation, the selection and training of the guides and the well-oiled execution on these trips. We're already planning our next!

I've done a couple trips with OARS now: two on the South Fork of the American River and a 2 day…read moretrip on the Tuolumne. OARS does not disappoint! From incredibly attentive and knowledgeable guides to luxurious camping accommodations, they take care of you. All you have to do is show up and paddle. Maybe you don't even have to paddle if you're sitting in the gear boat. The American River trips are an easy day trip from Sacramento or the Bay Area. If you're looking for a little more adventure, a multi-day guided whitewater trip is so fun, with lots of downtime to swim, look at the stars, play games, and eat yummy food. There's no freeze dried camp meals here. Everything is boated in and prepped on the beach for you. So good. All around, so good.

An awesome family tour of Sequoia National Park enriched with an excellent tour guide, Pani of…read moremountain trekking adventures! We all learned so much about the history and geology of this vast Park. Having a knowledgeable tour guide really eliminates any stress of searching for features you want to see! Our party of 10 agreed we had the best park trip ever with Pani guiding us through the exceptional features of Sequoia national park. We are spoiled now and highly recommend mountain trekking adventures for anyone going to the Sequoia national Park or Kings Canyon national parks.

What an incredible experience! It's truly a gift to have a guide who has spent their life living in…read moreand exploring these mountains. It's a rare and priceless opportunity to be shown this special area by someone so connected and committed to the place. Pani's guidance is truly from the heart, and when you add his lifetime of experience exploring here, you have a guided tour that cannot be matched elsewhere. His love of the place is infectious and he's fun, flexible and kind. So thankful to have had him as our guide!