If it is your first time visiting Yosemite, I definitely recommend making a stop here. There is so…read moremuch staff throughout the center to help you find what you want to do while exploring this part of the park. Plus, they are experts in what is the most popular thing to do during your visit. I highly recommend stopping at all the exhibits throughout the center, the Ansel Adams gallery, and the museums about the history of the park. Plus, there are two gift shops to buy all your souvenirs. There is a theater that will go through the history of the park, which was pretty cool and informative. Once you are done exploring the exhibits, make sure to follow the trails to the nearest trail to capture some cool photos in nature and even walk over to Yosemite Falls. All in all, definitely a must-see and can be spent in one day to hit all the landmarks in this area. You will be entertained and amazed by the beauty of Yosemite National Park. Happy trailing and sight-seeing! Embrace the nature!

The visitor center and the Ansel Adams gallery are must-visit stopping points on anyone's tour of…read morethe Valley! We were lucky to arrive at the tail end of an outdoor presentation (on 3/8), where a very nice employee let everyone pet a bear skin. It was really interesting, as the fur was a lot rougher than I imagined. He was friendly and answered a few of our questions about the Yosemite wildlife. Lovely guy. The inside was airy and had some fun things to buy. Most employees we met were nice. The one star off was for the rude man who worked at the info desk (along with the nice presenter I mentioned earlier after he was done with the presentation outside... unfortunately, he was helping someone else). I asked Rude Man a few questions about some trails, and he was just not friendly. At. All. He answered in monosyllables with a low-key mean, impatient attitude. I've no idea if it's race-related (we're Asian), or if he just didn't want to be there. Either way, it didn't belong in a welcome center and he was pretty unsuited for customer service. Why work at an info desk, in a customer-facing role, if you're going to be grumpy?

I love Visitor Centers but I think this one's focus is more on preserving you over heightening your…read moreexperience on your visit. I gave a friend a hand drawn map to a waterfall. My friend traveled 250 plus miles to see it. The staff here discouraged her from going because it's "dangerous." Next: I ask them about a waterfall near Nelder Grove. The employee tells me she's been there one hundred times. There is no waterfall! The map from the Friends of Nelder Grove website said it existed. I went out there, followed a trail that started next to a creek bed and found the Fall! Unless you want a restaurant recommendation, pass this Center by!

The folks that work here are probably the friendliest greeters I've experienced at a Visitor's…read moreCenter. Their knowledge and tips made our trip to Yosemite more enjoyable, without the hassle of getting lost or wondering what are the most significant views at Yosemite. Definitely, Mariposa Grove sounded like the best to drive, if you have a handicapped placard and other notable sites with waterfalls or majestic views. It's worth stopping into visitor centers to screen out difficult walks or those locations which may not be as worthy, such as the swinging bridge.

The Yosemite Welcome Center was a fun little spot to check out while we were in Yosemite last week…read more It is located in Yosemite Village next to the Museum and Post Office. It was a nice big open building with different counters to stop and ask about different information regarding Yosemite and the surrounding areas. They also sold t-shirts, magnets, books and even puzzles. My daughter picked up a Junior Rangers activity book for free which was really! They had all the information on different hikes, plus different programs each day like the Ranger Walk, Bear Walk and the Family Ranger Talk. We only stopped in briefly, but next time we will be staying longer to check out more of the programs. I highly suggest stopping in next time you visit Yosemite! We'll be back next time!

This welcome center is nice and big with plenty of information about the park. My kids ran into a…read morePark ranger at Glacier point and were asked if they wanted to become a junior ranger of course they agreed . A book for them to complete was handed to them and once done they can bring it into the welcome center. They had a mini ceremony it was such a great cute experience for the kids. You need to do this for your little ones when in yosemite. Note to self always have a map with you. They have some here.

Friendliest guides ever. There were three seniors who were very delightful and informative in…read morehelping us out when we had questions. Maps after maps and markings were given and discount coupons offered to make use of and good with conversations. I'm glad we stopped over at this visitor information to gather information on the nearby parks all over central CA

Nice little pit stop if you need any information and there is also a small gift shop in there.read more

Although small, I found Foothills Visitors Center to be a good initial pitstop before driving…read moredeeper into the Sequoias. There was plenty of parking near the entrance but it fills up quickly after 10AM. There was a small patch of greenery out front along with trash cans and bathrooms. There was free wifi provided. There was a small exhibit indoors sharing some of the wildlife and history of the Sequoias. There was also a section dedicated to significant female figures involved with the national park in light of Women's History Month. There were a few souvenirs for sale, most of them being similar to those found at the Giant Forest Museum. There was also a stamp station for those collecting them for their passports. Good starting station to urinate and wash up before the long drive.

Devil's Postpile is real underappreciated gem in the Mammoth Lakes area IMHO. It is a great entry…read morepoint to hike out to some gorgeous sites like Rainbow Falls and prisine lakes like Superior Lake. Unfortunately for those who are visiting, one must be aware of shuttle service that does not run all week. The schedule details are on the NPS site. I wanted to leave this review to recognize the heroic actions of a few of the crew from the NPS. Our backpacking party (including my two small children) were stranded on a Tuesday because of the suspended shuttle service back to the Main Lodge. Crow (one of the NPS staff manning the facilities at the ranger station) really saved our butts and invited us to stay at one of their private campgrounds (with nice facilities) for a night until they could be allowed to drive up in a convoy at 3pm the next day. Crow and his crew drove a party of six hikers up to the Main Lodge that afternoon. He really is my family's biggest hero this summer!

Construction on Thursdays = Major Delays. Not recommended for families with babies or toddlers…read more We arrived at the Village at 8:30 a.m. to catch the 8:45 shuttle to Devils Postpile, only to be told the first shuttle was delayed until 10:05. Since we were already committed, we drove to Main Lodge instead, where we found a huge line from everyone waiting on the delayed shuttles. At every step, we asked staff for updates, but no one warned us how bad the delays would be. We were told the shuttle ride would take about 20 minutes, but it ended up taking over an hour because of stop-and-go traffic from construction. The return trip was even worse. We boarded the shuttle at 1:30 p.m. and didn't get back to Main Lodge until after 3:00 p.m. The shuttle was hot, overcrowded, made multiple stops, and even returned to Devils Postpile before heading back. Staff seemed just as uninformed as visitors, and no one could provide accurate wait times or expectations. Our timeline: * Arrived at the Village: 8:30 a.m. * First shuttle departed: 10:05 a.m. * Reached Devils Postpile: Just after 11:00 a.m. * Boarded return shuttle: 1:30 p.m. * Returned to Main Lodge: Just after 3:00 p.m. The ticket agent refunded our shuttle tickets and admitted they didn't realize how severe the delays were because multiple agencies are involved. If you're traveling with young children, especially babies or toddlers, I'd avoid visiting on Thursdays during construction. It turned what should have been a simple outing into an exhausting, all-day ordeal.

On a dark and snowy day....Okay so it wasn't snowy...and the roads were clear, but the snow was…read moredefinitely piling up on this late December day. The visitor center was a welcome respite with working and open restrooms (clean!), and the visitor center in full swing. In this center, there is a desk with topographical maps and a park ranger available to answer questions. I had a few and the ranger patiently and fully answered every question I had...once again proving why National Park staff are the best! There is a really nice but small gift show (I'm thinking it is run by the conservancy, but I didn't really pay attention. Lovely mugs, stuffed animals (called stuffies if you're Gen A), socks, beanie hats, earrings and many books. Beyond the desk and gift show, there's a wonderful space to watch educational videos and learn more about the area, and a hands-on museum for kids of all ages to teach you about the history and nature of the area. My child loved the brass statues of animals, and made me pet every single one before we left. Make sure you head all the way to the back--there's an activity room that has an amazing mural. Take your time and see how many animals you can spot--pika, yellow bellied marmot, mountain lion, black bear, woodpecker, rattlesnake, frog, ringtail and so many more...that you may see when you are out exploring the park. There is more than enough parking....well for today anyways. I've been here in the summer when parking is hard to find. Across the way, there's the official park gift shop, a restaurant (fairly newly refurbished but closed for the winter), a post office, and a general store with basic camping supplies, food, snacks, and a few other items. If you are entering the Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park from Hwy 180, or if you've driven up from the southern part of this tri-park system, this is a really good place to stretch your legs, learn a little, stock up on supplies, and grab a snack. 5 stars!

Great visitor center, shop, museum, and overall facility. Helpful ranger helped us plan our 1.5…read moredays to help us get the most out of the SEKI area - their advice helped us avoid the majority of crowds and gave us the best flavor for such a short time. A must-stop before you go along on your adventure. Nice restrooms are attached to the VC and there is a separate restaurant, gift store, and small grocer across the street.

The staff member working this past weekend was knowledgeable about the area, fun to talk to, and…read morevery helpful with suggestions for places to go for whatever you wanted to see during your visit to the area. He had lots of interesting anecdotes and was, overall, very pleasant to converse with.

9/29/2022 Stopped to…read moretake a bathroom break... Always clean and friendly staff! I love all the cool merchandise... Today's purchases: Baseball hat, and shea butter for cuticles. Sales clerk was friendly and asked if we wanted to become members of the Mono Lake ? If you purchase $25 worth , $25 would go towards the Mono lake protection... Why not... of course! Now, this will be another must stop to support Mono lake! Also got a free dvd about Mono Lake...

A must see for any art enthusiast…read more A small but mighty visitor center filled with various souvenir's and books available for purchase. Plus a small restroom and a generous exhibit of Thomas Hill paintings. They also have an information desk and Wilderness permit desk.

I had never been e-biking before and have to admit I was pretty intimidated. I was weary at first,…read morebut it was seriously so much fun. Zooming through the sierras and exploring all the back roads in Mariposa County is a unique experience everyone should partake in. Chris takes care of his riders like family. He made sure I was dressed appropriately for the wind, made sure I had enough water, and fed me snacks. I'd recommend anyone traveling to the area to book a e-bike tour through Yosemite E-biking!

I had a fun time E-Biking with Chris. He took me down an awesome trail that had great views.read more