Complete Travel Guide for Yosemite Valley | Yosemite National Park

located in california and established in 1890 yosemite national park is one of america's greatest treasures with almost 760 000 acres it's best known for its towering granite cliffs waterfalls giant sequoia groves and pristine meadows this video will focus on the highlights located in yosemite valley itself the most popular section of the park let's begin with a classic america's park stop at the welcome center welcome to yosemite national park and for this video i want to show you some of the best things that you can do in the wintertime and the summer time in this amazing national park thanks for joining us boom tunnel view will be your first view of the park if you're arriving from the south entrance the actual tunnel was constructed back in 1933. the site you behold when exiting the tunnel is amazing there's a small parking lot to the left if you wish to spend more time at the overlook the location will provide you one of the best views of the entire valley and deliver a different perspective as the sun moves through the horizon if you wish to see glacier point backtrack just a little on wawona road highway 41 to glacier point road drive 15 miles uphill and you'll reach a parking lot from there you will be up over seven thousand feet in elevation of all the national park views that i have beheld this one probably stands out as my favorite you'll look down on the valley floor and be staring directly at the top of half dome that will dominate the landscape of this panoramic perspective you really can't miss el capitan el cap or as it's also known as the captain is located on the north side of the valley and is visible the moment you enter the park it's an iconic masterpiece towering over 3000 feet above the valley floor that's 2.5 times as tall as the empire state building in new york city it was named by mariposa battalion when he explored the valley look for climbers on the rock face and yes this is the location where alex honold did his amazing climb in the documentary free solo yosemite fall is not only the highest waterfall in yosemite national park but also the highest waterfall in all of north america and among the top 10 highest waterfalls in the entire world it drops a total of 2425 feet over its combined three sections in the summer it does dry up but at its peak flow in the late spring it produces roughly 135 000 gallons of water every minute upper fall can be seen from most places in the valley the base of the 320 foot lower fall can be seen up close by walking an easy 1.2 mile loop trail the park recommends beginning the valley loop trail at lower yosemite fall the full loop is 11.5 miles and the half loop is 7.2 miles the surface consists of rock sand dirt and old pavement and it basically follows most of the old east-west trails and wagon roads the trail is mostly level and it takes you through forests meadows and along the merced river the chapel designed by architect charles gettus and built in 1879 is located on the right more than halfway down the south side drive it still hosts sunday morning services and weddings directly across the street from the chapel is sentinel bridge along with swinging bridge these foot bridges in the lower valley provide easy access across the merced river get there at the right time and you'll enjoy the popular rock formations reflecting in the water the bridges on the east side provide incredible views of half dome the merced river runs through the middle and entirety of yosemite valley in the summer it's common for visitors to swim in the water by entering a cathedral beach to the west and sentinel beach to the east but be careful the currents can be strong and the water remains cold even in the summer here's my daughter and i back in 2009 looking for fool's gold although vernal fall can be seen from glacier point the best view of the fall is from up close you'll have to work a little hard to get there the trailhead is located at the far east end of the park near happy isles a steep 0.8 incline on a paved trail will take you up to the base of the fall ascend another half mile or so up about 600 granite steps to reach the top of the fall behold the water falling 317 feet to a tumbling cascade of granite boulders and rocks the winter route is longer and will require the john muir trail if you choose to continue nevada fall is your next destination like vernal fall it flows year round but varies in intensity depending upon the season be prepared for a steep 1.3 mile hike the nevada fall is 594 feet and the view from the top of the fall over the entire valley is absolutely breathtaking yosemite's crown jewel rock formation is known as half dome located at the far east end of the valley no trip to yosemite is complete without several views from different angles its distinct shape three sides smooth with one side as a sheer face makes it look as if the dome was actually cut in half look at the snow right here whipping on the top of half dome standing 4737 feet above the valley floor in 2017 i was honored to hike to the top with my daughter natalie the entire hike is a 17 mile round trip with the final 400 feet ascending steel cables if you wish to challenge yourself with this epic hike be sure to assess your fitness and secure a permit even if you're not lodging there a stop to yosemite village is definitely worth your time pick up supplies or souvenirs at the village store also in the village is a post office a few restaurants a fire station a museum the ansel adams gallery and a visitor center where you can learn about the park pick up a park brochure and speak with a friendly ranger also keep your eyes open for some of the lesser-known falls but noted in the park brochure one is ribbon fall located immediately to the left when you enter the park horsetail fall has become popular in recent years for its now famous firefall which occurs only when the sun hits the fall at just the right angle during sunset this only happens from mid to late february the iwani is the gem of all national park lodges it's housed presidents and queens its massive timbered walls 30 foot high ceilings wrought iron chandeliers make this place the perfect blend of history hospitality and elegance the windows led in the beautiful views of yosemite valley there's a gift shop sweet shop an outdoor pool that was even open when we visited in early march the dining room seats 400 people and here we enjoyed a mug of peppermint hot chocolate and relaxed on the comfortable couches in front of the fireplace that's a little bit perfect that's a lot bit oh oh that's good will be the first waterfall you see on the right when you enter the park it's incredibly beautiful named for the delicate appearance of its year-round cascade take the easy half-mile trail to the base of the fall and observe the 620-foot plunge up close the fall appears to drop sideways during strong winds well that will do it 16 great stops at yosemite national park that can be enjoyed regardless of the season you choose to visit eliminating the half dome height you can probably make all of these stops in this video in two very full days three days if you want to move at a more relaxed pace if you skip vernal and nevada fall you now have a full one-day itinerary before you go check to see if reservations are required to enter the park and please protect this national treasure and respect other people while you were there thanks for watching we'd really appreciate your subscription to this channel and have a wonderful day [Music] you

Channel: America's Parks

Views: 43,360

Keywords: yosemite national park travel guide, national parks usa, vernal falls, yosemite travel tips, tunnel view yosemite, yosemite travel, national parks in california, yosemite hikes in the winter, vernal falls yosemite, tunnel view, yosemite national park waterfalls, bridalveil falls, yosemite falls california, national parks, yosemite national park itinerary, yosemite national park, YouTube America Parks, americas parks, Complete Travel Guide Yosemite, Yosemite Winter

Id: 1Mz3xBjtHys

Length: 8min 59sec (539 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 26 2022