Granite cliffs, waterfalls and giant sequoias in the Sierra Nevada, one of the first landscapes set aside for public protection
Yosemite Valley is the heart of the park: a glacier-carved trough some 3,000 feet deep where El Capitan rises sheer above meadows and the Merced River, Half Dome closes the view to the east, and waterfalls pour over the rim. Yosemite Falls, made up of three separate drops, is among the tallest in the world, with the upper fall alone measuring 1,430 feet. The National Park Service notes that the valley is accessible by car all year.
Beyond the valley the park reaches up into the High Sierra. Glacier Point looks down on the valley and Half Dome from above, the Mariposa Grove near Wawona holds over 500 mature giant sequoias, and the Tioga Road crosses the sub-alpine Tuolumne Meadows in summer. Hetch Hetchy, in the quieter north-west corner, and a large designated wilderness make it possible to escape the crowds of the valley floor.
People have lived in and travelled through the Yosemite region for thousands of years. The Ahwahneechee lived in the valley, and the Southern Sierra Miwok are one of seven tribes traditionally associated with the park. After the California Gold Rush, the Mariposa Battalion, a militia formed to drive the Ahwahneechee onto reservations, became the first non-native group to enter the valley in 1851. Early tourists followed within a few years, and in 1864 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, setting the valley and the Mariposa Grove aside for public use, with Galen Clark as their first guardian.
The naturalist John Muir campaigned for wider protection, and Yosemite National Park was established on 1 October 1890; the valley and grove were later added to it. Buffalo Soldiers were among the first to patrol the park, and photographers such as Ansel Adams and painters such as Thomas Hill made its scenery famous. UNESCO inscribed Yosemite as a World Heritage Site in 1984, and the park now receives more than four million visitors a year.
Yosemite's story includes the Ahwahneechee and other Native peoples whose descendants remain part of the park's history today, alongside Chinese workers who helped build its early roads and Basque shepherds who once grazed sheep in the high meadows. The historic Wawona Hotel and the Yosemite History Center at Wawona preserve something of the stagecoach era. Gateway towns on the approach roads, such as Mariposa and Lee Vining, supply most of the lodging, food and fuel outside the park.
Most first-time visitors spend their time in Yosemite Valley, driving or taking the shuttle between viewpoints, walking the short trails to Lower Yosemite Fall and Bridalveil Fall, and watching climbers on El Capitan. Longer day hikes climb to the top of Yosemite Falls or past Vernal Fall to Nevada Fall, and the cables route up Half Dome requires a permit issued by lottery when the cables are up. In summer, when the higher roads open, visitors drive to Glacier Point, walk among the sequoias of the Mariposa Grove, or cross the Tioga Road to the meadows and lakes of the high country. Overnight hikes require a wilderness permit, and camping and lodging are popular enough to need planning well ahead.
The National Park Service says waterfalls are at their best in spring, with peak runoff typically in May or June; by August some, including Yosemite Falls, may be a trickle or dry. The Tioga, Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove roads close in winter, and Tioga Road usually opens in late May or June. Summer is the busiest season, so weekdays bring easier parking. In mid to late February, Horsetail Fall on El Capitan can glow orange at sunset.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Hetch Hetchy, Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows are all within the park but far from the valley and much quieter. Mariposa and Merced lie on the western approaches, with rail and bus links into the park via YARTS, and Lee Vining sits at the eastern end of the Tioga Road. San Francisco is a few hours' drive to the west.
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United States · 9 nights4★ HotelUnited States · 8 nights3★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image.
