giggles36kd

Hi-I am planning a trip to Yosemite for the summer of 2008 with my son. We have no problems "roughing" it by staying in one of the tents in the park. My question is how doable is it to fly into San Francisco, spend a few days there, and then hop a bus to the park? I'd like to avoid renting a car if at all possible but want to make sure we can enjoy all the park has to offer. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

PaulRabe

> want to make sure we can enjoy
> all the park has to offer.

If by "all the park" you mean the Valley and the parts that are reachable by the shuttle, you will be fine. As these URL's will show, you can get just about anywhere on the YARTS and Yosemite shuttles; there's almost no reason to use a car once you are there.

www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bus.htm
www.yarts.com/map.html

HUGE warning, just in case you don't know. Lodging within the Valley is EXTREMELY tight, get your lodging reservation before you make any other reservations.

janisj

To see the Valley you don't need a car. To see much of the rest of Park, it is better to have one.

cd

It is a 4-5 hr drive to Yosemite from SF. There are buses that will take you for a day trip, or longer see: http://jrabold.net/yosemite/transp.htm It would probably be cheaper to rent a car but both options are open to you.

Otis_B_Driftwood

Another option is taking Amtrak.

http://www.amtrakcalifornia.com/rail...park/index.cfm

If you can schedule it, the best time to visit Yosemite Valley is the Spring, May and June. Early July can still be good but the falls "dry" up later in summer.

Fot the high country though, late July and August are best. Or early September.

giggles36kd

Thank you so much for your tips. I am going to reserch each one. Happy Travels.

charnees

You say you don't mind roughing it in one of the tents in the park. Be advised that the "housekeeping tents" that are offered in Yosemite Valley are jammed together in a dusty, noisy, crowded area that we tried once and swore never to use again. they are not at all like one's vision of a tent in a green leafy area close to nature. It made me think of being in a refugee camp. Your neighbors are within 3 feet of you. I have been going to Yosemite since the 1950s and I thought the housekeping camp was one of the worst places I had ever stayed in my life. ( I have backpacked, car camped, etc. for many years, so I am not averse to real camping by any means.)

Charnee

Ag3046

Your comment about staying in the tents makes me think you mean staying in a tented camp, not bringing a tent, sleeping bags, etc to stay in a campground. If so, it is imperative you make reservations soon. If you have visited the nps.gov website, you have now found out that a tented camp costs about $90 a night, and are booked up, often a year in advance. The park does have a bus system, of sorts. The best tented camps, to me, are White Wolf and Tuolmne Meadows. If, and ONLY IF, you get a reservation at these places, you can find some way by bus to get there. It won't be direct. You need to check the nps website to get more specific information. You could also stay the first night outside the park in The Yosemite Bug hostel, which gets good reviews, and then use their transport to get into the park. Having said all of this, I think you should certainly go for it, because Yosemite is a wonderful place. I much prefer the high country to the valley floor, but it's worth seeing the stuff on the valley floor. Again, check www.npg.gov for more information.

J_Correa

I've stayed in the Housekeeping Camp a few times and found it fine. Definitely not a backcountry experience - lol - but then nothing in Yosemite Valley is. It is a crowded place. But at least with the Housekeeping camp, you have a picnic table and a fire ring so you can sit out, cook, or whatever and if you get a cabin by the river, they aren't nearly as close together as up closer to the road.

Kelford

Stay at the Yosemite view lodge in El Portal, ca. just outside the Park. (very nice place,restaurant, store, gas. reserve early and request a river view room).
Amtrak will take a long time, better off renting a car. A bus trip would be fine with the obvious drawbacks.

Surfergirl

You will not be equipped for Housekeeping if you don't bring a sleeping bag, and I agree with Charnee's comments -- except that I haven't stayed in Housekeeping for about 25 years, so my opinion is really mouldy! On the other hand, I tried the tent cabins -- where blankets and sheets are provided -- 2 years ago, and I found it just fine, even though people get pretty bent out of shape if you are playing cards and giggling after 10 p.m. (at least the people in the next cabin did, sheesh). I've also camped almost every year in the Valley, as well as stayed at the Ahwahnee. Obviously all different experiences, but we like variety.

Like everyone said, make those summer reservations NOW!

win2ski

How old is your son? "Housekeeping tents" are great with kids, though roughing it by many people's standards (must bring own sleeping bags, cooking gear, etc. but not a tent), but it's our favorite...bears roam at night (exciting!), get a tent ON the Merced River...BEST spot in all of Yosemite...see the falls from there, and hear the rushing river...you campfire cook, make s'mores, beautiful views & sounds...and many kids around...a great "family area" I would say. The tent "cabins" in Curry Village are also wonderful & one step "up" in comfort...lots of families, but no need for camping gear there. However, you feel like you are really with the rest of humanity not really "camping". There's a restaurant, TV & they provide bed & linens if I'm not mistaken. But you are not on the river which made us feel as if we were not really sleeping in the "outdoors". Bring lots of mosquito repellent for dusk! No real need for a car in the valley of Yosemite, but I would definitely choose to have one. There are great drives/views that you can choose to go on whatever time you want that way (sunset at Glacier is a favorite). We have usually gone spontaneously & been lucky enough to get spots (even in the Awahnee) at all different times of the year but you must call the week you are going, because that's when people cancel last minute. If you don't like to be spontaneous & like things definitely planned out, then book a year ahead! Yosemite is spectacular, particularly in May/June (Spring snow melt so the falls are full) or in Winter when the snow is gorgeous, but there is less to do (and too tough to camp).