Yosemite FAQ

Yes, at Wawona, Yosemite Valley, and Tuolumne Meadows (summer only). See the Lodging Page.

Yes, at at several locations along all park roads. See the Camping Page.

Yes, at Wawona and Yosemite Valley.

Yes, at Wawona, Crane Flat, and Tuolumne Meadows (summer only).

There are two main visitor centers, one in Yosemite Valley and one at Tuolumne Meadows. Both are open approximately 9:00AM to 6:00PM. Tuolumne Meadows is open only in summer.

Year round in the south end of the park up to Yosemite Valley. The Tioga Road and the high country are accessible only in summer. May and June are the best time for the park's world-famous waterfalls. July and August are best for the high country. The valley is crowded virtually all year, but is worst June through September.

No. The Glacier Point Road and the Tioga Road close in October or November and reopen some time between May and July, depending on the year's snowfall. The Wawona Road and the valley are open except for temporary closures due to snow.

A minimum of three days in summer to even scratch the surface of the park are needed. A full day for the valley, a full day for the Tioga Road, and a full day for Glacier Point are recommended. A truly complete visit would require at least a week.

There are 90 known species in the park. They include mule deer, black bear, bobcat, mountain lion, coyote, foxes, raccoon, bats, chipmunks, squirrels, and gophers. 12 amphibian and 22 reptile species inhabit the park. Common lizards include the western fence and the northern and southern alligator lizards. Snakes include three species of garter snake, mountain king snakes, rubber boas. Only the western rattlesnake is venomous. Amphibians include the western toad and its relative, the endemic Yosemite toad, and five species of frogs, along with salamanders and newts. Over 150 species regularly occur in the park, with around 80 additional species that have been seen in Yosemite only a few times. With such a number, listing them here is not practical, but the NPS has produced a PDF file of Yosemite's bird species.

The park's huge elevation range leads to five different plant zones. The Foothill Woodland Zone is found at the lowest elevations, gets almost no precipitation, and includes manzanita and blue oak. Next is the Lower Montane Forest which includes ponderosa pine, incense cedar, and white fir, along with the giant sequoias. The Upper Montane Forest lies further up and is characterized by red fir and lodgepole and jeffrey pine. The Subalpine Forest, just below treeline, is filled with western white pine, mountain hemlock, and lodgepole pine. The Alpine zone is above treeline and contains mostly herbaceous plants with quick growing seasons.

A bill passed through Congress and was signed by Abraham Lincoln on June 30, 1864, creating the Yosemite Grant. Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove were given to California as a state park. Scottish-born naturalist John Muir extensively toured the area, and became its most noted advocate. Increased damage, especially sequoia logging and grazing, created the need for federal protection. Congress created Yosemite National Park on October 1, 1890, but that did not include the valley or the Mariposa Grove. In May 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt camped with Muir near Glacier Point for three days. On that trip, Muir convinced Roosevelt to take control of the valley and the grove, and in 1906, Roosevelt signed a bill that did precisely that.

The total of its three drops is 2,425 feet, making it the seventh highest waterfall in the world. Its upper drop alone is 1,430 feet high.

Peak flow occurs in late May or early June, and is variable depending on the snowpack and melt times. Many of the parks falls, including Yosemite Fall, usually run dry by August, and stay dry until winter. Other famous falls, such as Bridalveil, Nevada, and Vernal, usually flow year-round, but at much reduced flows outside of May and June.

The Mist Trail is probably the best in the park, and in May or June one of the best hikes in the national park system period. It is, however, not easy. The hike to the top of Yosemite Fall is also spectacular, but even more difficult.

The final stretch of the hike to the summit of Half Dome is nearly vertical. To make the ascent possible, the National Park Service installs cables each year to help. They are usually installed in early May, and removed in early October.

A system of free hybrid-powered buses that serve all the main points in Yosemite Valley. They are not mandatory, as such, but there is virtually no parking at many of the valley's key attractions. The only realistic way to see the valley is to find a parking spot anywhere in the valley and take the shuttle to individual points.