Want to get to know Yosemite

Ben F.

@ben-firstenbergCleveland, Ohio, United States

Want to get to know Yosemite

Hi all,

I'm taking some time off in August and September for a 6-7 week road trip this summer. One of my goals is to really get to know Yosemite National Park. I envision spending 3-5 weeks in the area. I was hoping to get some tips on where to go, where to stay and anything else. I'm open to extended hikes and backpacking trips, although my backpacking experience is not extensive. Thanks for your help!

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Daniel Preda

@daniel-predaBerkeley, California, United States

While you should visit the Valley for a few days e.g. for the waterfalls / Half Dome / El Cap, I think the high country area is best in the summer (temperature wise & based on scenery) Tuolumne has easy access and then you can do hikes / backpacking north toward Bridgeport or south toward Mammoth Lakes. The whole Eastern Sierra is great for hiking / scrambling.

I think officially you can only camp in Yosemite (in a campground) a limited number of days per year (14 maybe?) but you can share a site with other people or get backpacking permits and then camp in the wilderness (need a bear canister). Right outside Yosemite there's free dispersed camping on most BLM or National Forest land.