Things to do in Yosemite National Park
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Half Dome
According to Native American legend, one of Yosemite Valley's early inhabitants went down from the mountains to Mono Lake, where he wed a Paiute named Tesaiyac. The journey back to the valley was difficult, and by the time they reached what was to become Mirror Lake, Tesaiyac had decided that she wanted to go back down to live with her people at Mono Lake. However, her husband refused to live on such barren, arid land with no oak trees from which to get acorns.
With a heart full of despair, Tesaiyac began to run toward Mono Lake, and her husband followed her. When the powerful spirits heard quarreling in Yosemite, they became angry and turned the two into stone: he became…
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Hiking Trails
With over 800 miles of hiking trails, Yosemite is a delight for trekkers of all abilities. You can take an easy half-mile stroll on the valley floor; venture out all day on a quest for viewpoints, waterfalls and lakes or go wilderness camping in the remote outer reaches of the backcountry.
Some of the park's most popular hikes start right in Yosemite Valley, including, the most famous of all, to the top of Half Dome (17-mile round-trip). It follows a section of the John Muir Trail and is strenuous, difficult and best tackled in two days with an overnight in Little Yosemite Valley. Reaching the top can only be done after rangers have installed fixed cables. Depending on sn…
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Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Wawona, about 27 miles south of Yosemite Valley, is the park's historical center, but the main lure really is the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias the biggest and most impressive cluster of big trees in Yosemite. The star of the show - and what everyone comes to see - is the Grizzly Giant, a behemoth that sprang to life some 2700 years ago, or about the time the ancient Greeks held the first Olympic Games.
You can't miss it - it's a half-mile walk along a well-worn path starting near the parking lot. Beyond here, crowds begin to thin out a bit, although for more solitude you should arrive early in the morning or after 18:00.
The big attraction in the upper grove is the Fal…
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Glacier Point
Soaring 3200ft above the valley floor, Glacier Point (7214ft) presents one of the park's most eye-popping vistas and practically puts you at eye level with Half Dome. To the left of Half Dome lies U-shaped, glacially carved Tenaya Canyon, while below you'll see Vernal and Nevada Falls. Glacier Point is about an hour's drive from Yosemite Valley via Glacier Point Rd off Hwy 41.
Along the road to Glacier Point, hiking trails lead to other spectacular viewpoints such as Dewey Point and Sentinel Dome. You can also hike up from the valley floor to Glacier Point via the thigh-burning Four Mile Trail. If you've driven up to Glacier Point and want to get away from the madding cro…
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Yosemite Falls
Yosemite's waterfalls are mesmerizing, especially when the spring runoff turns them into thunderous cataracts (most are reduced to a trickle by late summer). Yosemite Falls is considered the tallest waterfall in North America, dropping 740m (2425ft) in three tiers. A slick new trail leads to the bottom or, if you prefer solitude, you can also clamber up Yosemite Falls Trail, which puts you atop the falls after a grueling 5.5km (3.4mi).
No less impressive are nearby Bridalveil Fall and others scattered throughout the valley.
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Ahwahnee Dining Room
The formal ambience (mind your manners) may not be for everybody, but few would not be awed by the sumptuous decor, soaring beamed ceiling and palatial chandeliers. The menu is constantly in flux, but most dishes have perfect pitch and are beautifully presented. There's a dress code at dinner, but otherwise shorts and sneakers are OK. Sunday brunch is amazing.
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Mirror Lake
Any aspiring Ansel Adams should lug their camera gear along the 1-mile paved trail to Mirror Lake early or late in the day to catch the ever-shifting reflection of Half Dome in the still waters. The lake all but dries up by late summer.
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El Capitan
The most famous chunk of granite is, of course, the monumental El Capital, one of the world's largest monoliths and a magnet for rock climbers.
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Tuolumne Meadows
Beyond Tioga Rd, about 55 miles from Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows is the largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra. It provides a dazzling contrast to the valley, with its lush open fields, clear blue lakes, ragged granite peaks and domes, and cooler temperatures. If you come in July or August, you'll find a painter's palette worth of wildflowers decorating the shaggy meadows.
Tuolumne is far less crowded than the valley, though the area around the campground, lodge store and visitors center does gets busy, especially on weekends. Some hiking trails, such as the one to Dog Lake, are also well traveled. Remember that the altitude makes breathing a lot harder than in the …
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Hetch Hetchy
In the park's northwestern corner, Hetch Hetchy (which is Miwok for 'place of tall grass') gets the least amount of traffic yet sports waterfalls and granite cliffs that rival its famous counterparts in Yosemite Valley. The main difference is that Hetch Hetchy Valley is now filled with water, following a long political and environmental battle in the early 20th century. It's a lovely, quiet spot and well worth the 40-mile drive from Yosemite Valley, especially if you're tired of the avalanche of humanity rolling through that area.
The 8-mile long Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, its placid surface reflecting clouds and cliffs, stretches behind O'Shaughnessy Dam, site of a parking …
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Rock Climbing
With its sheer spires, polished domes and soaring monoliths, Yosemite is rock-climbing nirvana. The main climbing season runs from April to October. Most climbers, including some legendary stars, stay at Camp 4 near El Cap, especially in spring and fall. In summer, another base camp springs up at Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Climbers looking for partners post notices on bulletin boards at either campground.
Yosemite Mountaineering School offers top-flight instruction for novice to advanced rock hounds, plus guided climbs and equipment rental. All-day beginners classes are around US$120 per person if the group size is at least three people, more if there are fewer.
Climbers…
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Skiing
As the days shorten, the valley becomes a quiet, frosty world of snow-draped evergreens, ice-coated lakes and vivid vistas of gleaming white mountains sparkling against blue skies. Winter tends to arrive in full force by mid-November and whimper out in early April. Most of the action converges on the family-friendly Badger Pass Ski Area.
Cross-country skiers can explore 350 miles of skiable trails and roads, including 90 miles of marked trails and 25 miles of machine-groomed track near Badger Pass. The scenic but grueling trail to Glacier Point - 21-mile round-trip - also starts from here. More trails are at Crane Flat and the Mariposa Grove. The nongroomed trails can als…
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Rafting
From about late May to July, floating the Merced River from Stoneman Meadow, near Curry Village, to Sentinel Bridge is a leisurely way to soak up Yosemite Valley views.
Raft rentals for the 3-mile trip are available at Curry Village and include equipment and a tram ride back to the rental kiosk. Rafting above Yosemite Stables or below Cathedral Beach Picnic Area is forbidden.
River rats are also drawn to the fierce Tuolumne River, a classic Class IV run that plunges and thunders through boulder gardens and cascades. Both Oars and Zephyr Whitewater Expeditions run a variety of trips.
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Tioga Road
Tioga Road, the only road to traverse the park, travels through 56 miles of superb high country at elevations ranging from 6200ft at Crane Flat to 9945ft at Tioga Pass. Heavy snowfall keeps it closed from about November until May. Beautiful views await after many a bend in the road, the most impressive being Olmsted Point, where you can gawp all the way down Tenaya Canyon to the backside of Half Dome. Above the canyon's east side looms the aptly named 9926ft Clouds Rest.
Continuing on Tioga Rd soon drops you at Tenaya Lake, a placid pond framed by pines and granite cliffs.
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Yosemite Museum
Places of cultural interest in the valley include the Yosemite Museum , which has Miwok and Paiute artifacts, including woven baskets, beaded buckskin dresses and dance capes made from feathers. Renowned local basket-weaver Julia Parker is often around for a demonstration and to answer questions. There's also an art gallery and, behind the museum, a reconstructed Indian village c 1870.
A self-guided interpretive trail winds past pounding stones, an acorn granary, a ceremonial roundhouse and a conical bark house.
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Yosemite Valley
This meadow-carpeted valley is 11km (7mi) long, bisected by the Merced River and hemmed in by some spectacular chunks of granite. The most famous are the monumental El Capitan (2307m/7569ft), one of the world's largest monoliths and a magnet for rock climbers, and Half Dome (2695m/8842ft), the park's spiritual centerpiece, whose rounded granite pate forms an unmistakable silhouette. For the classic photo op head up Hwy 41 to Tunnel View.
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Horse-Riding
Yosemite Stables runs guided trips to scenic locales such as Mirror Lake, the Chilnualna Falls and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias from three bases. The season runs from May to October, although this varies slightly by location. No experience is needed for the two-hour and half-day rides, but reservations are advised, especially at the Yosemite Valley stables.
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Yosemite Stables
Yosemite Stables runs guided trips to such scenic locales as Mirror Lake, the Chilnualna Falls and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias from three bases. The season runs from May to October, although this varies slightly by location. No experience is needed for the two-hour and half-day rides, but reservations are advised, especially at the Yosemite Valley stables.
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Pioneer Yosemite History Center
In Wawona, about 6 miles north of the upper grove of Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, wander around the manicured grounds of the elegant Wawona Hotel and the rustic Pioneer Yosemite History Center, where some of the park's oldest buildings were relocated. It also features stagecoaches that brought early tourists to Yosemite.
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Grizzly Giant
The star of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias - and what everyone comes to see - is the Grizzly Giant, a behemoth that sprang to life some 2700 years ago, or about the time the ancient Greeks held the first Olympic Games. You can't miss it - it's a half-mile walk along a well-worn path starting near the parking lot.
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Happy Isles & Happy Isles Nature Center
South of Mirror Lake, where the Merced River courses around two small islands, lies Happy Isles, a popular area for picnics, swimming and strolls. It also marks the start of the John Muir Trail and Mist Trail to several waterfalls and Half Dome. The Happy Isles Nature Center features kid-friendly hands-on exhibits.
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Raft Rentals
Rentals for floating the Merced River from Stoneman Meadow, near Curry Village, to Sentinel Bridge (a 3-mile trip) are available at Curry Village and include equipment and a tram ride back to the rental kiosk. Rafting above Yosemite Stables or below Cathedral Beach Picnic Area is forbidden.
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Bracebridge Dinner
About a quarter-mile east of Yosemite Village, the Ahwahnee Hotel is a graceful blend of rustic mountain retreat and elegant mansion dating back to 1927. Around Christmas, the Ahwahnee hosts the Bracebridge Dinner, sort of a combination banquet and Renaissance faire. Book early.
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Ostrander Ski Hut
Ostrander Ski Hut, on Ostrander Lake, is operated by the Yosemite Association. It is staffed throughout winter and open to backcountry skiers and snowshoers for around per person, per night. The 10-mile trip (one way) requires experience and a high fitness level. The website has details.
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Yosemite Theater
The fascinating life and philosophy of John Muir is brought to the stage by actor Lee Stetson several times weekly. His wife, Connie, does a humorous yet poignant program portraying a 19th-century pioneer woman. There are also special children's shows and the occasional guest performer.
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