happytrailstoyou

We will be in Yosemite for two nights in early September.

1. What are the not-to-miss-highlights?
2. Is there any tour that is important to take?
3. Can we drive to Glacier Point?
4. Is there a restaurant so good we should reserve a table?

bear900

A lot depends on your physical condition. You can see a lot by driving the valley floor, but will see more by hiking falls such as Vernal, Nevada falls which are on the same trail out of Camp Curry. Touring the giant Sequoais at the entrance is fairly easy and I would put on my "must see" list.

For fancy dining in the valley, try the Awhannee Lodge. here is a link to view:

http://www.nationalparkreservations....e/ahwahnee.htm

nez

If you get the chance, definitely drive to Glacier Point; the view from there is amazing!!!

Dbacks

The trail up to Vernal & Nevada falls leaves from Happy Isles (not Curry Village as mentioned in another post). Again it depends on the shape you are in. It is listed as not strenuous, but my wife, son & myself had a problem just because we are lazy & sit around alot. But we made it & the views were wonderfull. It is a part of the park that you cannot seefrom the main valley area. It is called the mist trail because most times of the year you will get wet from the mist of the falls. We were there last week & the falls are still roaring.

Yes you can drive to Glacier Point. It is about a 28 mile windy drive up from the valley - but the view is the most amazing you will see.

Also as mentioned, try to see the Giant Sequoias near the south entrance of the park. This is about 36 miles from the valley. You can park in Wawona & take the free shuttle in the grove. Once there you can walk a couple miles thru the trees or take an open air tram ride thru them. (I think is was 12.00 per adult & less for kids). It makes a couple stops where you can get off.

Also be mindfull of where you enter the park. If you are coming in the south entrance, the Giant sequoias will be right there - see them before you go down to the valley. Same with Glacier Point, you can stop there on your way into the valley if you are coming in from the south entrance.

As far as the valley goes, they also have an open air tram tour that takes you around to the famous views & has a live guide telling you things. (I am not sure of the cost of this tour).

Also again depending on the shape you are in, riding bikes can be the most enjoyable part of the trip. You can rent them from the Lodge. The nice thing about the bike path is that it goes off by itself, where even the free shuttle bus does not go. It will just be you, the trees & the dwindling river. There are a few hills but nothing too steep & going down the hills is fun.

There is a free shuttle bus that takes you around the valley. One stop is Mirror Lake. Skip that - it is a mile walk uphill & there is no lake to see any more.

They also have horse rides. $51.00 for a 2 hour loop ride, up to 94.00 per person for a full day ride.

Both Curry Village & the Lodge have swimming pools.

As far as eating goes, there are not many restaurants. The Awhanee dining room is nice - too nice for us - men need to wear a jacket (which defeats the point of being in a National Park).

There is another nice restaurant at the Lodge - the Mountain Boiler Room I beleive (Haven't been there in years). You can make a reservation while you are there.

The main food in the valley is a cafeteria at the lodge (brkfst/lunch/dinner) & a deli at the village & the Pizza Patio & a buffet at Curry village.

The best part of being in Yosemite is the beautiful views, the blue skys, the green trees & the fresh air.

Just walking around, biking & taking the shuttle around would be a fun 2 days.

Of course they also have the Visitors Center with an Indian Museum next door. Also they have a neat Pioneer Cemetary next door with some of the founders & explorers of Yosemite burried there.

It may sound confusing, but it is a real small area if you are in the valley. Just one mile by aprox 3 miles. And you will get a map on the way in.

Other parts of the park are beautiful as mentioned, but would require some driving.

bear900

As Dbacks mentioned, the trail to Vernal Falls starts at Happy Isles. Assuming you are driving, to get to Happy Isles, you will need to first park at Camp Curry and take a shuttle to the trail head at Happy Isles, thus my reference. This may help:

http://www.thecaliforniahikingpage.c...da/nevada.html

You may want to take some water and a snack, and plan to spend some time just enjoying Emerald Pool at the top.

KathrynT

Even though the waterfalls might not be very full by September, with the large snowpack this year they should still be worth seeing. Be sure to take the short walks to Yosemite Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.

If you don't want to dress for dinner, you can always go for breakfast or lunch at the Awahnee as the room is beautiful with nice views during the daytime. The historic hotel's public areas are fun to stroll though as well.

happytrailstoyou

This information is heightening my excitement for our stay in Yosemite. I walk at least three to four miles a day at a a good clip, so I guess I'm fit enough for the hike you suggest, but I haven't been on a bike in years.

utahtea

You don't have a lot of time. I'd spend my time in the Valley on your one full day.

Maybe try to hit Glacier Point if you can do it on the day you arrive or leave. Unless you are coming in the southern entrance, I would do the Tuolomne grove on Hwy 120

Utahtea

NorCal_Jo

I guess you have approx. three days since you're staying two nights? Driving to Glacier point for the view of the valley is a must-see IMO. Also, at least one hike is in order during your short time there. The vernal falls trail is beautiful - along the creek and up to the falls. If you want more valley views, the Yosemite Falls trail is also great - even if you don't go the full 3.2 miles up to the top, you can go approx. 1 mile to Columbia rock for great valley views and a bit further for views of the base of the upper falls. They were still running as of last week when I was there due to the big snow pack this year. As another poster said, renting cruisers is a great way to see the valley floor as you'll be amazed at how fast you can get around the valley on bikes compared to in a car even! They rent these comfy cruisers that are super easy to ride and a lot of fun. I've never taken the valley floor tour but I've heard it's nice. There is also a bus/tour that runs to Glacier point. One option you should really consider is to take the early morning bus (8am) leaving Yosemite Lodge one-way to Glacier point. You can then hike back down from Glacier point on the Panorama trail (approx. 8 miles) which gives simply amazing views of the valley PLUS drops you right down on the vernal falls trail so you get to see the falls AND of course the whole trail is net downhill! Of course, this will pretty much take one full day but you will cover off the Glacier point view, an awesome downhill hike with some of the best views, and end up at the trailhead close to Curry village where you can have some well deserved pizza/beer at their outdoor pizza patio located right below Glacier point(which is the best food for value in the valley in my opinion)! If you are looking for a nicer restaurant, your choices are the mountain room restaurant at Yosemite Lodge and the Awahnee restaurants. The Mountain room is nice and casual attire is fine. For casual, there are some cafeteria options as other posters mention as well as pizza places at both Yosemite lodge and Curry village. If you haven't already, check out the yosemitepark.com website plus yosemitefun.com. You'll love Yosemite!

MileKing

FYI to all. The Ahwahnee Dining Room no longer requires that men wear jackets. The dress code was relaxed sometime earlier this year. We were there first week of June and made a reservation 2 months ahead (I think that is when they begin taking reservations for dinner). You really need a reservation for dinner; we saw numerous people without reservations turned away. At dinner, about half of the men in the dining room had a jacket. The other half, including me, were in nice business casual attire (khakis and a button down shirt).

The Ahwahnee Dining Room, both food and service, is exceptional, and a step up from the Mountain Room which is also nice and much more casual (you could wear jeans there). The Ahwahnee is more expensive, but very much in-line with restaurants of this caliber.

iamq

I was going suggest what NorCal Jo did. Take the bus up to Glacier Point and then hike down the Panorama Trail. You will get to see some glorious views of Nevada and Vernal Falls from a unique perspective. Another mind-blowing experience is to watch as the views constantly change as you descend and come back around and down into the valley. This is one of my all-time favorite hikes and it is not that strenuous since it is downhill most of the way.

Don't forget to just walk around the meadows and along the Merced river when you are down in the valley. This is a most unforgettable experience as like before the views of the valley change with each step you take. You will not be able to peel your eyes away from the Valley Walls.

Have a great time.

-Bill

happytrailstoyou

Thank you, all. Your comments have helped me to get a much better grip on all Yosemite has to offer. I was aware of the valley and the Tuolumme Meadows, but I didn't have a handle on Wawona and the Mariposa Grove area. I have made notes on your suggestions, and will use them as a guide to my visit in early Septembeer.

Surfergirl

Keep in mind that if you decide to drive up to Glacier Point (beware of hair pin turns!), you will want to make sure you have sufficient gas in your car since there are no gas stations in the valley any longer.

No need to make a reservation unless you are going to Yosemite over Labor Day, but aside from the Ahwahnee (which, in my view, is better to dine at during the day when you can actually see it in its full glory), try the newly remodeled Mountain Room at Yosemite Lodge. Great ambiance and really good food!

If it's still warm, and it should be, rent one of the river rafts at Curry Village and float down the river 3 miles -- it's so much fun! And get back on that bike!

sequoia370

1. OK, there's the valley itsef, which has lots of Must Sees, which you can't see all even with three weeks--El Capitan, Tunnel View, Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite Falls, view from halfway up Yosemite Falls, the Ahwahnee, Happy Isles Nature Center, the Mist Trail, Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls, Little Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, the Arches--then along the road to Glacier Point you can hike out not too far to the edge of Yosemite Valley, to Sentinel Dome, the Fissures, Glacier Point; then there's the road down south to Wawona and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, and the Tioga Pass road past Tenaya Lake into Tuolumne Meadows and over, Tioga Pass. yes.

2. No, none important.

3. Yes, in September the road will still be open all the way, and the trails less crowded.

4. The Ahwahnee.