Yosemite with 10 years old for 4 days
 

I booked a Curry Village canvas tent for 4 days to spend with my 10 years old daughter. Could you recommend an itinarary in Yosemite. We would like to do some mild hiking (1-2 hour long)as well as general site seeing and do some fan things for my kid (like rafting or just swimming ). I do not want to make this trip a chore for the girl. Could you please suggest a 4-day itinerary for us. Is 4 nights in this canvas tent too much?

Thanks.

dsmel

I don't think it's too much. 4 nights is just about enough - before I'm itching for a REAL shower. When we were at Yosemite earlier this year, we did quite a bit of hiking - even beyond some gates that said you couldn't go beyond. hehehe. Anyway - best hike was when we went up to Nevada Falls. Those granite stairs that take you up can be a killer - but so worth it! And, the water at the top is so beautiful! I'm sorry I forgot which trail we took - just go to the ranger station and they'll have the guides for you. I highly suggest having a breakfast at the Awhanee (sp?). Sure, it will probably cost about $30 for 2 people - but it's a lot cheaper than dinner there. And, there's no dress code for breakfast like dinner. This way - you get to experience the dining room - for less money. And, I admit - we had breakfast & dinner there, and I enjoyed breakfast a lot better. The servers were much more attentive at breakfast. I was shocked that we had to flag down a server for dinner - especially considering that it cost more than $100 for 2 people. Do breakfast - get a window seat (go early) and see wildlife right outside the window. Amazing!

Have fun!

I almost forgot - buy tickets as soon as you get there for the valley floor tour. And, do the afternoon tour, instead of the morning. The light is much better for photography in the late afternoon. Do the latest time. We have some wonderful pictures taken during the tour. This is good for the first day you're there - so you get a grasp of where everything is.

4 nights is not too long at Curry Village. Some things to do while in Yosemite would be taking a guided tour of the Valley as well as Glacier Point. A walk/hike to the base of Yosemite Falls is not too strenuous.

If you have bikes take them. They have miles of bike trails that are fun to ride. We took our boys to Yosemite since the were toddlers and now they go back as adults. 4 days is not long at all and if your daugher enjoys the outdoors, she will really enjoy the park. I wouldn't worry to much about an itinaray. Go and enjoy....you'll find plenty to do.

Utahtea

P. S. If you don't have bikes or can't take them, you can also rent them at the park.

Utahtea

At Curry Village, there are two shower facilities -- the one furthest away from the swimming pool is less crowded.

There is a swimming pool (as stated above) at Curry Village, but we prefer the pool at Yosemite Lodge, because it's huge and has such a great view of the mountains and Yosemite Falls. You can take the free shuttle bus there. The pool costs $2.00. There are bike rentals there as well.

The water in the Merced is icy, but refreshing in summer. You can rent rafts by the other bike rental place at Curry Village. That's a lot of fun for parents and kids.

I'd take the "short" hike to the bridge at Vernal Falls. Pack a lunch and eat there. Then you can continue on if you have the energy. In summer, it's best to do this early to avoid overheating.

As the others said, you can spend most of your time exploring on bike, stopping to check out the deer, the river, the beauty. You can ride to Mirror Lake or to Happy Isles.

In the evening, they have ranger programs in Curry Village at the amphitheatre tailored for kids of all ages.

And 4 nights in a canvas tent is NOT too much!

Everything I was going to suggest Surfergirl beat me to it! I agree with her on hiking to the bridge at Vernal falls. That's about all my 10 year old could take.
We love the slide shows at Curry in the evening after pizza for dinner on the outdoor patio. The drive to Glacier Pt. is well worth it also. I think kids get a better idea of the vastness of Yosemite after seeing it from that vantage point. Have fun.

A couple of other things to think about would be to visit the magnificent redwoods near Wawona - they have a tram ride that is fun and there are great spots for pictures. Also, a short horseback ride is fun (you can do a ride either near the Ahwahnee in the valley or at the Wawona stables - Wawona would be my choice). As previously mentioned, the rafts are fun near Curry Village. You can drift down the river at your own speed, stop when you want and then you are picked up by a bus at the end of the route and delivered back where you started. We took a small ice chest with us with drinks and snacks. My kids really enjoyed it.