Yosemite National Park  Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

Parks and Outdoors Destinations Near  Yosemite National Park

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Aerial view of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California (Weststock)

Yosemite National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Tips

By Ann Marie Brown
  • Yosemite Valley is the centerpiece of the park. Sprayed by thousand-foot waterfalls and framed by monumental granite spires—including Half Dome, which is to the High Sierra what the swoosh is to Nike—it's perhaps the most famous glacially carved landscape in the world.
  • And of course there's lots more to this marquee national park than just the valley. From the peak-ringed and wildflower-studded Tuolumne Meadows to the Mariposa Grove's gargantuan sequoias, from the rushing waters of the Merced River to the huge views from Glacier Point, you'll find cause for wonder in every corner of Yosemite.
  • At 10,087 feet, Saddlebag Lake is the highest lake to which you can drive in California. Set in a stark landscape high above treeline, the lake and its neighboring 20-site campground are only five miles from the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. A boat taxi shuttles hikers and anglers across the lake to the 20 Lakes Basin in the Hoover Wilderness.
  • If you seek the seclusion of a grove of aspen trees or the convenience of a fish-filled stream just a few feet from your tent, you'll love Boulder and Aspen Campgrounds in Lee Vining Canyon, just east of Tioga Pass. Camp here in autumn for an unforgettable fall color show.

Yosemite National Park

In 1851, in an attempt to subdue a group of Indian people, the state-sanctioned Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley. They became the first group of non-Indians to record their entry into the Valley, but their descriptions of it ensured they would not be the last. One man later wrote, "None but those who have visited this most wonderful valley can even imagine... the awe with which I beheld it. ... As I looked, a peculiar exalted sensation seemed to fill my whole being, and I found my eyes in tears with emotion."Read More

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Hotels


from: $497

Ahwahnee Hotel - Hotel

Best Resorts & Lodges
1 Ahwahnee Road
Yosemite National Park95389

Distance: 12.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
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from: $165

Blackberry Inn Bed & Breakfast - Hotel

7567 Hamilton Station Loop
Buck Meadows/Groveland95321

Distance: 28.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
expert favorite hotel
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
from: $100

Wawona Hotel - Hotel

Best Resorts & Lodges
8308 Wawona Road
Yosemite National Park95389

Distance: 21.8 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
4_0
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Attractions


Yosemite Association

(P. O. Box Box 577)
Yosemite Village
Yosemite, California 95389

Distance: 9.6 mi. (from destination center)
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

Mariposa Grove

Park at the Wawona Store parking area and walk east 0.25 miles to Forest Dr. The trail head is on the right
Yosemite, California

Distance: 10.4 mi. (from destination center)
Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
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Glacier Point

above Yosemite Valley at the end of Glacier Point Road


Distance: 7.7 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Often referred to as "the grandest view in all the West," Glacier Point is a 7,214-foot overlook... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0
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Airports

Major Airports near Yosemite National Park

Distance (mi.)
Reno/Tahoe International Airport 115.5map
Sacramento International Airport 127.5map
San Jose International Airport 134.6map

Other Smaller Airports near Yosemite National Park

Distance (mi.)
Merced Municipal Airport 65.9map
Fresno Airterminal Airport 74.8map
Modesto Municipal Airport 79.3map
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Flight Deals to Yosemite National Park

Originating From
Los Angeles (LAX) to Reno (RNO) $146
Phoenix (PHX) to Reno (RNO) $204
Tampa (TPA) to Reno (RNO) $356
Boston (BOS) to Reno (RNO) $359
Baltimore (BWI) to Reno (RNO) $360
See all flight deals to Reno (RNO)

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