Having never tempted your family from this direction, I stopped at the visitor center in Mariposa…read more So glad I did, Jacob was full of information, knowledge, and tips for both things local and for Yosemite. Got a bunch of brochures which I always love, and save, and got to look at and purchase some cool merch. Bonus: there is an awesome looking escape room right there. Do not miss this stop!!!

READ FOR PRO TIPS!!!…read more DO THE SCAVENGER HUNT! It's super fun (did it with our 9 & 10 year olds). It is normally $15 but you get a $5 discount if you ask for one. PLUS you get a free coupon per participant for ice cream at Happy Burger Diner and the ice cream scoop is HUGE!!! And 10% off your entire meal if you get anything else :) STAFF IS FRIENDLY They will hook you up! :) Enjoy!

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?

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.

Great Welcome Center on the South entrance of YNP. Stop by if you need maps, guidance on how to…read morenavigate the park or other information. If you're not familiar with the park- I highly suggest you stop by and grab a map so that you can coordinate your stops.

Pro tip: Take the shuttle (approximately $15 per person round-trip). You take it from the Main…read moreLodge and they run every 20-30mins from 7amish to 730pmish (as of Aug 2025). You want to get off at Red's Meadow and hike to the falls. It's easy-easy/moderate and is the shortest distance to the falls. Do not take it from Devil's Postpile because it will add 1.5 miles of open sun hike to the falls. Once there, reward yourself with glass of wine and lunch. The water is cool to cold (depending on the time of year) and refreshing. Highly recommended

There's almost a guaranteed rainbow and maybe even a double rainbow if you're lucky at Rainbow…read moreFalls! From the shuttle stop, it's a 1.6 mile exposed hike to the falls, then some stairs to the bottom. We were prepared wearing our swimsuits to take a dip in the frigid water! Totally worth it. So beautiful!

The Wawona entrance to Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias was a new to me area of…read morethe park, when I visited in Mid-June 2026. Without the reservation system this year, even a weekday brings lines at the entrance kiosk. It was about a 45 minute wait. But, once entering the park, the Mariposa Welcome Center parking area had ample parking. The grove's gateway is just a couple of minutes from the Wawona entrance where there's a gift shop, restrooms and the shuttle bus to the grove (only runs seasonally.) I found the shuttles to run efficiently, albeit crowded. However, unless you want to hike up a steep paved road and add 2 miles to your hike, they're the only way up to the grove, as private vehicles are not allowed to drive or park there (those with disabilty tags are the exception.) The lower grove was packed and features the popular and iconic trees such as the Grizzly Giant and Tunnel Tree. It was too chaotic to really enjoy fully, but I was on my way to Wawona Point and the upper grove, so didn't linger in the main area too long. Once past the Grizzly Giant loop, the crowds exponentially thinned out and the forest became peaceful. It's a beautiful area and has a decent length hike to the upper grove, where the Guardians Loop trail was the standout along with Wawona Point (featuring a scenic overlook of the Wawona area.) The upper trails reminded me of a shorter version of Sequoia National Park's "giant forest loop." The trails were well kept and featured an array of wildflowers, green meadows and of course the iconic sequoias. You can make a longer loop or out and back and see most of the area in a longer day hike. It's a quieter and beautiful area of Yosemite that gets overlooked in comparison to the touristy lower grove and the valley. It is about a 45-50 minute drive to connect back down to the valley so you can visit both in one day, but I decided to linger and take my time in the beautiful upper grove areas. Either way, Mariposa Grove is a worthwhile stop in your Yosemite itinerary

Half day at Mariposa Grove. Parked at the visitor center and took a shutter. This will be the only…read morelocation for parking and shuttle ride. 6mins and you will reach the groves. We did the grizzly giant loop trail. Very easy and we took our time and enjoyed the trees. The trail is nicely kept and very easy to walk on. The end of the loop has a slight incline and it is all down hill from there and it peas straight out to the shutter.

A day of driving down Highway 180. Found scenic turnouts, a beautiful river, Boyden Cavern, lovely…read moreplants, scenic views and of course giant sequoia trees! Boyden Cavern has a super steep walkway entrance. So for those of you with any physical issues it could be a huge problem. (We didn't go inside this trip) The view of the river from this area is lovely. They also have a gift shop with various treasures and bathroom stalls near the parking lot. This part of the road is only open part of the year. From late April to mid November depending on the snow fall level. Definitely bring your own water, snacks and a bag lunch. Can't beat the view!

I haven't been to Sequoia National Park in 15 years, and the last time we were here we were on the…read moreother side of the park. This time we entered through the Visalia side and planned to see Crystal Cave & go for the Stargazing experience in the evening. Sequoia is a beautiful park. We spent all day in the park. Our Cave tour was at 3pm and our Stargazing was at the lodge at 9pm. They had a separate line at the entrance for guests who prepurchase or had NP passes which was nice and cut down entrance times. Though we only visited a small section of the park on this trip it was all beautiful. We drove around, visited Crystal Cave (advanced tickets required), The General Sherman Tree, Stargazing Night Talk at the Lodge, as well as the general store. We saw some of the biggest trees we have ever encountered. Walked many different trails, saw a beautiful sunset, and spent an hour watching stars with an astronomer who pointed out many constellations and provided insight on them. Overall it was an incredible experience, and I can't wait to be able to explore more at a later date.

My husband, my son, and I spent four unforgettable days hiking in Yosemite National Park. We…read moreabsolutely love hiking, and being surrounded by nature always brings out the best in us. Day 1: We hiked 7.2 miles exploring several smaller trails. We also took the train ride for about an hour, which was so relaxing. The highlight of the day was seeing a black bear. Day 2: We hiked Half Dome all the way to the cables a total of 17 miles. It was by far the hardest hike we've ever done, but every step was worth it. Along the way we passed Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, both absolutely breathtaking. The hike back was tough on our knees, but we kept a positive attitude and finished strong. Day 3: We hiked Tuolumne Grove Trail and then Glacier Point to Union Point. The round trip was 8 miles, with plenty of uphill climbing on the way back. That night we stayed to watch the shooting stars around 10 p.m., and it was magical. We also saw an adorable baby bear cub. Day 4: We hiked Mariposa Grove Trail to Wawona Point, completing 8 miles. Walking among the giant sequoia trees was an incredible experience that I highly recommend. The trail is moderate and absolutely beautiful. We also spotted a deer. By the end of our trip, we had hiked 40.2 miles in four days. Our legs were exhausted, but our hearts were full. Every mile, every view, and every wildlife encounter made this adventure unforgettable. Yosemite reminded us why we love hiking nature has a way of bringing out the best in us.

Haven't visited in late spring or early summer in years, and it was absolutely breathtaking. The…read moremeadows were lush and green, the waterfalls were flowing, and the weather was perfect. Yosemite never gets old. It was such a nice change after visiting the park in the winter for the past several years. Already can't wait to be back again soon! We visited Father's Day weekend and got into the park around 6:30 AM. We parked near Yosemite Falls Lodge, and there was plenty of parking at that time. It didn't start filling up until after 8:00 AM, so getting there early was definitely worth it. We pretty much had Lower Yosemite Falls to ourselves while we ate breakfast. We took the shuttle to Mist Trails and ended up doing the hike up to the top of Nevada Falls.

What a great experience at Devil's Postpile NP. Easy 1/2 mile hike with some climbing, steep…read moreportions of trail. What an incredible experience. Steep climb to top but worth it. Ample parking in dirt lots. Cool info signage about the area. Seeing this phenomenon was amazing. Two miles further to Rainbow Falls. Devil's Postpile is closed 10/6-10/11, major road work repairs.

We came here in July and really enjoyed this monument. It is so interesting with all the columnar…read morebasalt. The columns tower over 60 feet and these columns were formed approximately 100,000 years ago from a volcanic lava flow that cooled. The lava flow cracked into these multi sided columns. When you stand on a column you will see it forms a perfect octagon. WOW! Nature is so incredible. To get here, we took the shuttle from the main Mammoth Lakes Lodge. It was an easy ride down here and back. Parking is available at the lodge. The only vehicles that were allowed on the road besides the shuttles were for campers who had reservations and sites. Take your time when you are here to really study these structures. I highly recommend when visiting Mammoth Lakes.