Welcome to Just Ahead’s Yosemite Trip Planner—our guide to what you need to know to plan your trip to Yosemite National Park. Click here to see the complete series—and be sure to download our Just Ahead smartphone audio tour of Yosemite before you leave. We’ll steer you to and through the park and point out its inspiring viewpoints and scenic wonders—plus we share entertaining and educational stories all along the way. It’s like having a friendly tour guide along for the ride.
Yosemite Falls from Glacier Point. Photo: Kenny Karst/DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, Inc.
Yosemite National Park is a place of awe-inspiring beauty, where you’ll see granite monoliths towering 3,000 feet above placid meadows…giant sequoia trees nearly 300 feet tall and 25 feet in diameter…and waterfalls as high as 2,400 feet. Yosemite Valley is by far the most popular part of the park, but it represents less than one percent of its land area. There’s much more to see in Yosemite, and Just Ahead’s Yosemite audio tour guides you to all the best places in the park.
Yosemite is open year-round, though the higher-elevation roads—Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road—are closed during the snowy months, and chains may be required on any park road in winter. You can click here to check on seasonal road closures. Be aware that Mariposa Grove, home to the park’s largest forest of giant sequoia trees, is closed for restoration work until spring 2017.
The trip planner that follows is divided into three segments. Click below to read:
What Are the Best Sights to See in Yosemite? — including don’t-miss sights and some personal favorites.
Where Should I Stay in Yosemite? — including its historic lodges and some options just outside the park.
Where Should I Camp in Yosemite? — including all 13 of the park’s campgrounds.