TRIP PLANNING
CAMPING

LODGING
WILDERNESS TRAVEL
TRIP PLANNING

Planning Your Visit

The Best Way to Visit Yosemite

Transportation to Yosemite

Driving Directions to Yosemite

Entrance Fees

Visitor Activities

Important Phone Numbers

Park Rules

 

 

 

 

Yosemite Association Logo


Visit our online
Yosemite Store
for park guides, maps and more.
The Best Way To Visit Yosemite

There is no "best way" to visit Yosemite National Park. Your enjoyment of the park depends on the time you have available and your interests.

Park stores and the visitor center sell many fine maps and books to help plan your visit. Visit our online Yosemite Store to browse through some of these books, including The Complete Guidebook to Yosemite National Park by Steven P. Medley.

Or contact:
Yosemite Store
PO Box 230
El Portal, CA 95318
(209) 379-2646
FAX (209) 379-2486

Transportation to and from Yosemite

To reach Yosemite National Park, you may fly, drive, or travel by train, or bus to major cities such as San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, or Modesto, then pass through smaller gateway communities such as Merced and Mariposa en route to Yosemite. From these cities visitors enter the park by bus or private vehicle via Highways 120, 140, or 41.

Roads in and around Yosemite are generally clear of snow throughout the winter season except for the Tioga Pass Road from Crane Flat to Lee Vining, and the Glacier Point Road beyond Badger Pass Ski Area, which are both closed in winter.

Although all major roads are kept well-plowed throughout the snow season, the National Park Service requires that drivers of private vehicles carry tire chains. Of all the entrance roads, Highway 140 from Merced is the lowest in elevation and is the least likely to require chains.

BY AIR

To Fresno:

There is air service to Fresno from several cities throughout the U.S., but at this time there is no regular bus service between Fresno Yosemite International Airport (5175 E. Clinton Way, 559-498-4095) and Yosemite Valley. Visitors arriving in Fresno will need to arrange their own rental cars. Airlines serving Fresno include Allegiant, American, America West, Horizon, United, and U.S. Airlines.

To Merced:

The only commercial airline available is Sky West. Some charter airline services are offered through Noble Aviation (209-722-7300), and tie-down space is available for 38 private planes. Contact the Merced Municipal Airport, 20 Macready Drive, 209-385-6873.

BY BUS

From Merced:

The VIA/Gray Line offers bus service from the Merced Airport daily, as well as from the Merced Amtrak station and Transportation Center to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center and Yosemite Lodge. The bus stops in Mariposa, KOA Campground, Midpines, Cedar Lodge, El Portal and the Parkline Motel and Restaurant. Deluxe coaches run several times a day between Merced and Yosemite, with additional trips between Yosemite and Mariposa. Wheelchair-lift available with advance notice. Obtain a schedule from the Yosemite Lodge Tour Desk, Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, or by calling VIA at 209-384-1315, or in California 800-369-PARK. Tickets may be purchased from the driver.

The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) offers similar bus routes daily, as well as from locations along Highway 120. Click here for the YARTS schedule. Their phone number is 1-877-989-2787.

BY TRAIN

AMTRAK serves San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento to and from Merced/Riverbank, and connects with VIA bus lines for direct service to Yosemite Valley. Fares include bus travle and park entrance fee. For fares, schedules, and information, call 800-872-7245.


TRANSPORTATION WITHIN YOSEMITE:

Yosemite Concession Services provides free shuttle bus service throughout the eastern portion of Yosemite Valley year-round. During the summer, free shuttle buses run from Wawona to the Mariposa Grove, and from Tuolumne Meadows to Pothole Dome and Tenaya Lake. Hikers' buses run daily to Glacier Point from the late spring through autumn, and to Tuolumne Meadows from late June through Labor Day. Call 209-372-1240 for hikers' bus reservations, or stop by a hotel tour desk.

Driving Directions to Yosemite

From San Francisco:

1. Take the Oakland-Bay Bridge to Highway 80 East.
2. Take Highway 580 East, following signs for Tracy/Stockton to Highway 205.
3. Follow Highway 205 to Highway 120.
4. Take Highway 120 into Yosemite National Park.
5. From the park entrance it is approximately one hour to Yosemite Valley and Village.

Drive time: 4 hours

From Sacramento:

Via Highway 120 East

1. Take Highway 99 South to Manteca.
2. Exit onto Highway 120 East and follow directly into Yosemite National Park.

Via Highway 140 East

1. Take Highway 99 South to Merced.
2. Exit onto Highway 140 East in Merced and follow directly into Yosemite National Park.

Note: Highway 140 is known as the All-Weather Highway because it is the lowest elevation route into the park. During heavy snowstorms, this route is usually a better alternative to Highway 120.

From Los Angeles:

South Entrance Route

1. Follow Interstate 5 North towards Bakersfield.
2. Just beyond the "grapevine" follow Highway 99 North to Fresno.
3. From Fresno, follow Highway 41 to Yosemite National Park.

Alternate Winter Route

 1. Follow Interstate 5 North towards Bakersfield.
2. Just beyond the "grapevine" follow Highway 99 North to Merced.
3. From Merced follow Highway 140 East to Yosemite National Park.

Drive time: 6 hours (+/-)

From the Central Valley:

Northern Central Valley

1. Take Highway 99 to Merced.
2. From Merced follow Highway 140 East to Yosemite National Park.

Southern Central Valley

1. Take Highway 99 to Fresno
2. From Fresno follow Highway 41 North to Yosemite National Park.

From the Monterey Peninsula:

1. Take Highway 1 to either Highway 156 East or Highway 101 to Highway 152 East (also known as the Pacheco Pass Road).
2. Follow signs for Highway 99 North towards Merced.
3. Exit Highway 99 to Highway 140 East at Merced.
4. From Merced follow Highway 140 East to Yosemite National Park.

 From Reno:

Summer

1. Take Highway 395 South to Lee Vining.
2. Turn west onto Highway 120 and follow up and over Tioga Pass.
3. Follow signs along the Tioga Road to Yosemite Valley.

Winter (the Tioga Road is closed in winter)

1. Take Highway 50 West to Highway 99 South.
2. Travel south on Highway 99 to Manteca.
3. Exit onto Highway 120 East and follow directly into Yosemite National Park.


Entrance Fees

Yosemite is open 24 hours-a-day, year-round

Vehicle: $20 - Valid for 7 days.

Individual: $10
In a bus, on foot, bicycle, motorcycle, or horse. Valid for 7 days.

Yosemite Pass: $40 - Valid for 1 year in Yosemite ONLY.

National Parks Pass: $50 - Valid for 1 year in all national parks.

Golden Eagle Pass: $65
Valid for 1 year in all national parks and other federal fee lands.

Golden Age Pass: $10 - For U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 and over.

Golden Access Pass: Free
For blind or permanently disabled U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Visitor Activities

Programs and Exhibits
Take a ranger-led or self-guided walk to learn about wildlife, geology and the history of Yosemite.

If you are interested in photography, Yosemite Concession Services and The Ansel Adams Gallery offer free camera walks in Yosemite Valley.

The Yosemite Art Center & Gallery sponsors free art classes during the summer months. Click here for the Yosemite Art Center & Gallery schedule.

To discover Yosemite on your own, browse the exhibits in the Valley Visitor Center, the Yosemite Museum, the Indian Cultural Exhibit, The Ansel Adams Gallery, and the Wilderness Center.

As night falls, enjoy one of the evening programs offered throughout the park. Check your Yosemite Today (a free newspaper distributed at Yosemite entrance stations and the Valley Visitor Center) for program information and times.

Tours
Take a self-guided auto tour with The Yosemite Road Guide or the Yosemite Valley Tour cassette tape, each available for purchase at the online Yosemite Store, or at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.

For a relaxing and informative experience, take a sightseeing tour on an open-air tram (weather permitting) or bus. These tours, narrated by informed guides, operate daily to most points of interest in the park including Yosemite Valley (year-round), Tuolumne Meadows (summer), Glacier Point, Wawona, and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias (spring through fall). Two-hour moonlight tours show Yosemite in a different light during summer months. During winter, tours are conducted on heated and enclosed motor coaches, with stops at the most popular scenic locations in Yosemite Valley. There is a fee for all sightseeing tours. For reservations and more information, call 209-372-1240. or stop by any hotel tour desk.

Recreation
Skiing and Snowshoeing
During the winter, Yosemite offers downhill skiing at Badger Pass, in addition to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Badger Pass, Crane Flat and the Mariposa Grove. These areas all have marked winter trails. Badger Pass offers approximately ten miles of groomed track at no charge. Purchase ski trail maps and topographic maps from the online Yosemite Store or at park visitor centers. For downhill and cross-country ski school information and conditions, call 209-372-1000. For Ostrander Ski Hut reservations call 209-372-0740, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Ice Skating
Ice skate outdoors at the Curry Village Ice Skating Rink from early November through March, conditions permitting. Rental skates are available. For more information, call 209-372-8341.

Bicycling
More than eight miles of bikeway wind through the eastern end of Yosemite Valley. Rent bikes at Yosemite Lodge (all seasons) and Curry Village (summer months), conditions permitting. Helmets are recommended for all riders, and are available at no charge with rental bikes. California law mandates bicyclists under 18 years of age wear a helmet.

For your safety and to protect Yosemite National Park, please follow these rules: bikes are allowed only on paved bikeways and park roads (unless the road is closed to bicycle use). All bikes are prohibited from pedestrian and hiking trails. Bicyclists must obey all posted traffic signs and travel with the flow of traffic when on roadways used by automobiles. Rental bikes may not be ridden to either Mirror Lake/Meadow or Lower Yosemite Fall.

Horseback Riding
From spring through autumn, two-hour, half-day and full-day rides depart daily from stables in Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and in summer, from Tuolumne Meadows. Call 209-372-8348 for information.

Hiking
For ideas on where to hike, see the Wilderness Information section. Remember to know your limits, be prepared for changing weather conditions, and carry plenty of drinking water and a flashlight. Trails are not regularly patrolled or maintained.

Backpacking
For information on backpacking and wilderness permits, see the Wilderness Information section. For guided trips in the backcountry, consider a naturalist-led trip with the Yosemite Association Field Seminar Program (209-379-2321), or an adventure with the Yosemite Mountaineering School and Guide Service (209-372-8344).

Rock Climbing Classes
The Yosemite Mountaineering School and Guide Service offers beginner through advanced classes in Yosemite Valley during the spring and fall, and in Tuolumne Meadows each summer. Call 209-372-8435 for information. Several federal laws and regulations pertain to rock climbers in our national parks. These laws protect the park area, its wildlife, and natural beauty.
Important Phone Numbers

For recorded information, call the general park information line at:
209-372-0200
TTY 209-372-4726
TTY 209-372-0294 (voice only)
This number offers road and weather conditions, and popularly requested park information.

For wilderness trail conditions, call
209-372-0308 (summer only)

Reservations
For lodging reservations, call
559-252-4848
24-hour fax: 559-456-0542
TTY 559-255-8345
Website: http://www.yosemitepark.com/accommodations.aspx
For High Sierra Camp reservations, call
(559) 253-5674

For campground reservations (U.S. and Canada), call
(877) 444-6777

For campground reservations (international callers only), call
(518) 885-3639

For wilderness permit reservations, call
(209) 372-0740

To purchase park maps and books, call the Yosemite Store
(209) 379-2648

Park Rules
Protect Yosemite by following these rules: