A First-Timer’s Guide to Visiting Yosemite National Park

Visiting Yosemite National Park for the first time

Yosemite is one of the United States’ most famous national parks. Heck, they even named an iconic cartoon character after it (Yosemite Sam). This stunning national park is on the travel bucket list for Americans and international travelers alike. I recently visited Yosemite National Park, and in this guide, I’ll walk you through what you need to know for a successful first-time visit there.

Where is Yosemite National Park?
Yosemite National Park is located in Central California, toward the eastern side of the state. If you’re heading there from Los Angeles, it’s about a 4-hour drive (without traffic). You may encounter some traffic delays departing from LA, but it shouldn’t be as bad the further north you get. It will also depend on the day and time you leave. We left for Yosemite on a weekday around 9:30-10 am, so we missed the morning rush hour traffic, and we returned to LA on Saturday in the late morning/early afternoon.

Where to Stay in Yosemite
One thing to keep in mind is that Yosemite is HUGE, and where you’re traveling from will determine the Yosemite entrance you’re closest to, as well as where you should stay.

For those coming to Yosemite from Southern California, your nearest Yosemite entrance is the south one. The closest town to that entrance is Fish Camp, but I recommend staying in Oakhurst, which is just a bit farther but still just a 30-minute drive to the park entrance. Oakhurst offers more hotels, restaurants, and local shops. It’s also right off the highway, so it’s convenient for heading back home.

As far as hotels near Yosemite National Park, we stayed at the Oakhurst Inn at Yosemite. This motel-style lodging offers free breakfast, and since the hotel property is off Road 41, it’s a straight shot on Road 41 to the park, making things super easy to navigate. The Oakhurst Inn is also pet-friendly, has free guest parking, and has a pool. 

Learn more about the Oakhurst Inn in my full-length Oakhurst Inn Review.

For those on the more adventurous side, you also have the option to camp inside Yosemite Park. You can learn more about Yosemite campground reservations here.

Yosemite Weather
Yosemite may be in California, but it’s also up in the mountains, which means you can encounter snow in winter. I do not recommend going in winter since more areas are closed during this time. 

Instead, I recommend going from late spring to early fall when the temperatures warm up and the park is fully open. We visited in late May, and the weather was perfect. It was sunny and around 70 degrees, so not too hot or too cold. 

Yosemite National Park Tickets
If you plan to drive through with your own car, tickets are $35 per vehicle. On the park’s website, it says the $35 ticket is good for three consecutive days, but the park ranger said we could use ours for a week. This may have been because we were there before Memorial Day Weekend and the start of the summer season, but I’m not sure. 

Annual park passes are $70. You can visit their official website for a full breakdown of Yosemite’s ticket prices. 

Yosemite Reservations
For those who plan to visit Yosemite Memorial Day Weekend or during summer, you will need a reservation. Please do not forget to do this since this is Yosemite’s busiest season. They can book up quickly, so the sooner you reserve, the better. Yosemite reservations are $2.

What to See in Yosemite
Like I said earlier, Yosemite is huge, so there’s only so much you can see in a limited amount of time. If you’re staying for 1-2 days, here are my recommendations based on what we saw:

• Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias - Parking is right by the south entrance. A free shuttle will take you to the trailhead where the sequoias are, and the shuttles run about every 10 minutes until about 7:30-8 pm. If you’re interested in wildlife, I did see some squirrels and deer here.
• Glacier Point - A scenic view where you can park your car to get photos and look out.
• Tunnel View - Like Glacier Point, it’s a scenic stop that’s very pretty. 
• Lower Yosemite Falls Trail - This pet-friendly trail is located in the Yosemite Valley. You can find the trailhead from the Yosemite Valley Lodge.
• Cooks Meadow - Also in the Yosemite Valley and near the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail.

Additional Yosemite National Park Travel Tips

• Go in Late May/Early September - For those with flexible schedules, I highly recommend going just before Memorial Day or just after Labor Day. This way, you won’t need a reservation, will still get good weather, the park is still fully open for the season, and you’ll beat the very busy summer crowds. 
• Plan to Drive (ALOT) - Coming from our hotel in Oakhurst, it was a 30-minute drive to the park entrance. While the shuttle to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is right by the south entrance, I was taken aback at just how much driving we did on our second day to see Glacier Point and Yosemite Valley. It’s at least another hour's drive into the park, but the upside is that the views along the way are great!
• Be wary of speed-demon drivers - Yosemite has speed limit signs and the mountain roads are windy, but that still doesn’t stop some folks from driving like maniacs there. During our stay, we saw one car get pulled over by a park ranger, and then we got stuck in a traffic jam because they had to tow a car that had driven off the cliff a few days earlier. Seriously, be safe and don’t let other drivers intimidate you into driving recklessly. 
• The roads are windy - Like I said, the roads are windy. Even Road 41 to the park entrance is windy. If you’re not a good night driver, make sure you’re heading back to your hotel by dusk at the latest, and don’t speed!
• More bathrooms than expected - While I can’t speak to the off-the-beaten-path trails, there were plenty of bathrooms available where we visited. Some were working bathrooms while others were glorified outhouses, but I will say the outhouse I used was well-maintained, and the scented devices they put in there were very appreciated!
• Bring lots of water - I immediately noticed how much drier the air is there, so pack and drink lots of water to avoid getting dehydrated. I’d also suggest a strong moisturizer, since it can dry out your skin too.
• Plan accordingly if you’re bringing your dog - While Yosemite is a great place to bring your pet, you are limited to what you can see or do there. Pets are generally only allowed on paved road areas, such as scenic views and paved trails. My husband stayed with our dog when I went to see the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, but everything else on my recommended list above was pet-friendly.

Transparency Disclosure — The opinions on this website are independent and based on my own personal experiences. I may receive a referral fee for stays booked through the links on this site.