Kerry392

My husband and I will be going to Yosemite for the day from San Francisco (we have a rental car) in August.

1) Is it possible to get a spot in a lot in Yosemite Valley? We plan to get there around 11 AM.
We've heard that it gets very crowded at this time of year. If the parking area is full, what do you do?
Are there alternatives to parking so that we can still get on the shuttle?

2) What are the roads like getting out of the park? (We will be staying at the Best Western Yosemite Gateway Inn in Oakhurst on Highway 41). Is it safe to drive this road in the dark?

3) Since we have only one day (We know it isn't enough!!), what are the must do's? We love to hike and enjoy nature; we would love to get some great pictures. We are both in our late 20's.

Thanks for your help!!

dbaker

1. Parking is not a problem. They have a huge lot at Curry Village and another one at Yosemite Village. You have to take the shuttle bus everywhere in the valley, but that is convienent and it goes most everywhere. We've been there year after year for 30 years and never had parking problems.

2. The road from Oakhurst is windy and mostly pretty slow (30 mph or less). It took my sis and I about 2 hours to get from Oakhurst to Yosemite Valley in the daylight. It is safe to drive the road at night, just go slower. Oncoming traffic will not be a big problem after dark, but watch for deer and go slow.

Depending on what you want to do, you could take the shuttle around and do the liesurely walks up to the bases of Yosemite and/or Bridelviel Falls - both nice but I don't know how much water there will be when you go.

If you want something that takes a little longer, take the tram to Happy Isles and hike the Vernal Falls trail. It takes about an hour to get to the base of Vernal Falls and the trail is nice (follows the Merced River) as you ascend. If you want more, you can go to the top of Vernal in about another hour or so. Some people even go even higher to the top of Nevada Falls, but I wouldn't recommend it since you will be driving home that night (been there, done that).

If you want to devote about 2 hours of your short day to something spectacular, then take the Glacier Point junction on the road from Wawona towards the Valley. The view from there is the best that you can drive to in the entire Sierra Nevada. You won't be disappointed although it would make your day in the valley shorter.

janisj

What day of the week? There is plenty of parking but if this is a weekend and you aren't getting there until 11:00 you may have a long wait at the entrance to the park. And w/ 140 closed it puts even more stress on the other entrances - especially Big Oak Flat.

On a week day - even in August you should be fine . . . .

Kerry392

ttt

Kerry392

dbaker-
Thank you so much for your input. We feel much better! Thanks for your input on the hikes. I guess we have some decisions to make!


janisj-
We will be going on a Wednesday so I guess we will be ok. Thanks for your input!

Suzie

I really like the official Yoesmite's site for hiking. Other than the hikes already mentioned here's a link to detailed information regarding common park hikes, the length of time they take and the level of difficulty:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/trip/valleyhikes.htm

J_Correa

One of my favorite hikes in Yosemite is just to walk the unpaved paths in the valley along the Merced River. You pass by meadows, see different views of the major landmarks as you walk, enjoy the coolness and sound of the river. It is really nice. And even with a busy park, it is amazing how easily you can get away from people this way.