A road trip through the Yosemite Valley is an unforgettable experience. As you drive through the valley, you’ll be bombarded by iconic sights that people around the world will recognize.
I have traveled to the Yosemite Valley many times throughout my childhood and adulthood and it’s one of my favorite places!
The Yosemite Valley and Yosemite National Park as a whole have exploded in popularity, partially because they’re not far from several big cities. Fresno is just over an hour away, and you can get to Yosemite from the Bay Area in about four hours. This means there are several activities that now require permits so the park isn’t overrun.
From April through October, reservations are often required to drive into or through Yosemite Valley. All of the campgrounds in the Yosemite Valley require reservations, and you need a permit to hike Half Dome as well.
If you want to escape the crowds at Yosemite, try coming on weekdays in the fall, winter, or spring. Fall still has mild weather that allows hiking and other activities, and winter means sledding, ice skating, and skiing.
Sites to Stop and See in Yosemite Valley
Traffic in the Yosemite Valley can be high, especially in warmer months. If you’re headed to the Yosemite Valley for the day, parking may be full by 9 am.
RVs are allowed in Yosemite Valley, but parking for RVs is even more challenging than for other vehicles. There is a free park shuttle that travels throughout the Yosemite Valley, and your best bet is to park your vehicle (if possible) and take the shuttle around the park for the day. If you are camping in the valley, shuttles come close to most campground entrances so you don’t need to drive your vehicle.
There are many sights to see in the Yosemite Valley. Here are a few of the most noteworthy.
Waterfalls
There are several awesome (in the most literal sense of the word!) waterfalls throughout the Yosemite Valley. The falls are usually at their peak in May each year.
Yosemite Falls actually consists of three separate waterfalls – the Upper Fall, the Middle Cascades, and the Lower Fall. It’s just a short walk from the parking area to the bottom of the falls.
Bridalveil Fall was always one of our first stops after we arrived at the park, because it’s one of the closest falls to the Valley entrance. It’s not as large as Yosemite Falls, but it’s very pretty and an easy walk from the parking lot. Ribbon Fall is the longest single-drop waterfall in North America. From mid-to-late February, Horsetail Fall looks like it’s on fire when the orange glow of the sunset reflects off the water.
Views
Be ready for breathtaking views just about anywhere in the Yosemite Valley! However, there are a few spots with iconic views. You may even recognize them from postcards or pictures of the park.
If you’re approaching the park from the South Entrance, you can experience The Tunnel View. The Tunnel View overlook next to Wawona Road encompasses the Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and Half Dome in the distance.
Valley View is a spot along Northside Drive on the west end of the Valley. You’ll be next to the Merced River, which is framed by El Capitan on one side and Bridalveil Fall on the other.
Sentinel Bridge is a pretty spot along Sentinel Drive. Half Dome is right in front of you, and you can often see its reflection perfectly mirrored in the Merced River below.
El Capitan Meadow
El Capitan is a 3,000-foot rock that’s become a famous destination for elite rock climbers. If you prefer to keep your feet firmly on the valley floor, El Capitan Meadow is a great spot for viewing the cliff. It’s hard to overstate the impressiveness of staring up at El Capitan from the ground. You can also watch as night falls, and see climber’s headlamps as they ready themselves for bed on the sheer cliff face.
Happy Isles
The Happy Isles area has an Art and Nature Center where you can see natural history exhibits or participate in art workshops. There are short trails nearby that focus on the area’s four different environments – the forest, the river, the talus, and the fen.
Happy Isles is also the trailhead for several hikes of varying difficulty. The Mist Trail will take you first to a bridge – about 3/4 mile from the start of the trail. It crosses the falls, and makes a nice, easy hike for families. You can continue on from there to Vernal Fall, then Nevada Fall, and eventually, to the top of Half Dome. You do need a permit to hike Half Dome, and those can be hard to come by! I have done the Half Dome Day Hike – it’s strenuous, and requires preparation and careful planning ahead of time.
Merced River
The Merced River flows throughout the Yosemite Valley, sometimes meandering and sometimes rushing along. There are a variety of water activities to do along the river. You can fish, swim, or raft throughout the valley.
Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake is an easy-to-moderate two-mile trail from the trailhead at shuttle stop #17 to the lake. The lake doesn’t have a lot of water, and in the summer it’s known as Mirror Meadow since most of the water has dried up. But it’s a pretty hike along Tenaya Creek and across two bridges.
Ahwahnee Hotel
The majestic Ahwahnee Hotel was built in the 1920s in hopes of attracting wealthy visitors. It worked! Presidents, royalty, and other celebrities have stayed at the hotel in the Yosemite Valley. The hotel was built with an eye for the Yosemite Valley views, and you’ll be surrounded by picturesque scenery when you walk the grounds. The Ahwahnee Dining Room features floor to ceiling windows so guests can see the sights of the valley. A large fireplace and comfortable seating make the Great Lounge a wonderful place to relax.
Yosemite Village
Along with the Ahwahnee Hotel, you can find lodging in Yosemite Village. You’ll also find restaurants, a village store with groceries and camp items, and a pool. The Ansel Adams Gallery is worth a stop to see the works of Yosemite’s most famous photographer. The Yosemite Museum and Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center can both teach you more about the park, and the Valley Wilderness Center is where you’ll learn about backcountry safety and pick up permits.
Curry Village
Curry Village is the other main village in the park. Like Yosemite Village, there are restaurants and a camp store. You can find cabins and tent cabins for lodging. Curry Village also has ice skating in winter and a pool to enjoy in summer.
RV Rentals Nearby
There are several options for RVshare rentals near Yosemite National Park. If you can’t find what you want close to the park, you can also search Fresno, the closest big city which is just over an hour away. If you plan to stay only in Yosemite Valley, you can likely rent any size of RV. However, roads including Glacier Point Road, Mariposa Grove Road, and Hetch Hetchy Road have restrictions on RV lengths. Many campgrounds also limit RV sizes.
There is parking in the park for RVs and trailers, but it fills up quickly.
If you think you’ll be driving winding roads out of Yosemite Valley, you’ll want either a smaller camper van, a trailer you can unhook so you can use the tow vehicle, or you’ll want to tow a car along for day trip driving.
Camping Nearby
Yosemite National Park has ten campgrounds that can accommodate RVs and trailers. However, the park is so popular that the campgrounds fill up very quickly. Reservations are required for all campgrounds in the park from about April through October and are difficult to get. There are also three first-come, first-served campgrounds in fall, winter, and early spring. These also fill up quickly, especially on weekends and holidays.
There are no hookups available in the park. There are dump stations with fresh water available at Upper Pines Campground year-round, near Wawona Campground in summer, and near Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Generators are allowed, but must be used during designated two-hour time blocks during the day.
There are campgrounds that can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet and trailers up to 35 feet, but only eight sites are available. Other campgrounds in the park can take RVs up to 35 feet and trailers up to 24 feet.
Campgrounds Inside Yosemite National Park:
Upper Pines Campground
Address: Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Flush toilets, drinking water, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage locker. Yosemite’s free shuttle stops at the campground entrance. Curry Village nearby has showers for a fee, a general store, and restaurants.
Lower Pines Campground
Address: Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Flush toilets, drinking water. a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage locker. The free shuttle stops at the campground entrance. Curry Village is within walking distance and has showers for a fee, a general store, and restaurants.
North Pines Campground
Address: Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Flush toilets, drinking water, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage locker. The free shuttle stops near the campground entrance. Curry Village is nearby and has showers for a fee, a general store, and restaurants.
Wawona Campground
Address: Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Wawona Campground is in the national park, about 45 minutes from the Yosemite Valley. The campground has flush toilets, drinking water, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage locker. A general store and gas station are about a mile from the campground.
Bridalveil Creek Campground
Address: Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Bridalveil Creek Campground is 26 miles from Yosemite Valley. The campground has flush toilets, drinking water, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage locker.
Hodgdon Meadow Campground
Address: Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Hodgdon Meadow Campground is 25 miles from Yosemite Valley. The campground has flush toilets, drinking water, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage locker. There is a gas station and small general store eight miles away at Crane Flat.
Crane Flat Campground
Address: Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Crane Flat Campground is 17 miles from Yosemite Valley. The campground has flush toilets, drinking water, a picnic table, a fire ring, and a food storage locker. There is a gas station and small general store nearby.
White Wolf Campground
Address: Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: White Wolf Campground is about an hour from Yosemite Valley. The seasonal campground has flush toilets, drinking water, trash and recycling collection, food storage lockers, fire rings, picnic tables, and an on-site host. There is no cell service, camp store, ice, dump station, or showers.
Porcupine Flat
Address: Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Porcupine Flat is in the national park, but is more than an hour from Yosemite Valley. RVs and trailers are not recommended because of the narrow roads. This is a primitive campground with no cell service. It has vault toilets, trash and recycling collection, food storage lockers, fire rings and picnic tables.
Tuolumne Meadows
Address: Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone: (209) 372-8502
Amenities: Tuolumne Meadows is a popular campground, although it will be closed for the 2024 season. It has picnic tables, fire rings, food storage lockers, flush toilets, and drinking water. The visitor center, a general store, and a gas station are within walking distance of the campground.
Campgrounds Outside Yosemite National Park:
Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes
Address: 31191 Hardin Flat Rd.
Groveland, CA 95321
Phone: (209) 962-0103
Amenities: Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes has full hookups and WiFi. There’s laundry, restrooms, showers, a clubhouse, fishing, and games including shuffleboard and basketball. Pets are welcome.
Dimond O Campground
Address: Evergreen Rd.
Groveland, CA 95321
Phone: (209) 962-7825
Amenities: This is a primitive National Forest Service campground. There are no hookups. Potable water is available for drinking, but filling RVs is prohibited. Campsites have a picnic table, a bear box, and a campfire pit with a grill. There are vault toilets nearby.
Yosemite RV Resort
Address: 34094 CA-41
Coarsegold, CA 93614
Phone: (559) 683-7855
Amenities: This campground has full hookups and WiFi. There are back-in and pull-thru sites, and the campground has a pool, showers, and laundry facilities. There is a playground and an on-call concierge, and the campground is pet-friendly.
Yosemite Valley FAQs
Is Yosemite Valley and Yosemite National Park the same?
Yosemite Valley and Yosemite National Park are not the same. Yosemite Valley is inside Yosemite National Park, but there are lots of areas of the park that extend beyond the valley. In fact, Yosemite Valley is only 1% of the national park, even though it’s where most visitors stay.
Where is there to stay in Yosemite Valley?
Along with the campgrounds mentioned above, there are a few other places you can stay in Yosemite Valley. There is lodging at the Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite Lodge at Yosemite Village, and in Curry Village.
How was Yosemite Valley formed?
Yosemite Valley was formed as rivers cut a deep canyon. Researchers at U.C. Berkeley believe most of the formation began between 10 to 4 million years ago. Glaciers made the canyon deeper and wider and carved the basin. Half Dome and other impressive rock formations were carved out by rain and rock.
What is the best time to visit Yosemite Valley?
The best time to visit Yosemite Valley is in the fall. Weather in the park is usually still mild, you can see the leaves turn colors, and the summer crowds have lessened.
Of course, Yosemite Valley is fascinating year-round. In May and June, waterfalls are at their peak and you can likely do the most activities in the valley. Winter brings ice skating, sledding, and skiing. Spring can be muddy, but you’ll also have fewer crowds.
Is Yosemite Valley accessible by RV?
Yosemite Valley is accessible by RV. There are some roads in the national park, including Glacier Point Road, Mariposa Road, and Hetch Hetchy Road that have length restrictions for RVs and trailers. Some campgrounds in Yosemite Valley have restrictions on RV lengths, so you’ll want to check those before making a reservation. RV parking in Yosemite Valley is limited, and it can be a challenge to find parking in summer.
Yosemite National Park is an astonishing place to visit. In recent years, crowds have made getting around Yosemite more of a challenge, but the sights you’ll see at the park are worth it.
If you need an RV to camp while you’re at Yosemite, be sure to check out all the different possibilities at RVshare. And if you haven’t rented an RV before, be sure to check out our rental tips for newbies.
