Experience Yosemite

The park's visitor newspaper, the Yosemite Guide, contains general information trip planning information, park rules, current schedules of interpretive programs, facility hours and services, as well as hiking, biking, shuttle bus and developed area maps. The non-profit, Yosemite Association offers numerous programs and activities for park visitors.

Waterfalls
There are several waterfalls that can be seen in Yosemite Valley. The best time of the year to view Yosemite's falls is late spring and early summer, when snow-melt and run-off are at their height.

Yosemite Falls: This is the tallest waterfall in North America (2425 feet) and perhaps the most popular one in Yosemite. It consists of three falls: Upper Yosemite Fall, Middle Cascade, and Lower Yosemite Fall. One of the easiest places from which to view the falls is the Yosemite Falls Parking Area across from Yosemite Lodge. A short paved trail (0.5 mile roundtrip) leads from the parking area to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall and is wheelchair accessible. To get to the parking area: (1) Take the free shuttle bus, OR (2) From the Valley Visitor Center, walk 0.5 mile to the west on the bicycle path, OR (3) Drive your own vehicle to the parking area (VERY limited parking).

Bridalveil Fall: The trailhead for the 0.5 mile roundtrip walk to the base of this fall is located in the Bridalveil Fall Parking Area just off the Wawona Road (Hwy 41). This short trail is not suitable for wheelchairs.

Vernal and Nevada Falls: The trailhead is located near Happy Isles. Only private vehicles displaying a permanent disability placard can drive to Happy Isles. In summer, visitors can take the shuttle bus. From the bus stop, continue on the road a short distance across the vehicular bridge and pick up the trail. From the trail head there is a steep 0.7 mile (400-foot gain) climb to a bridge where Vernal Fall can be viewed. An additional 1.2 miles (1,000-foot total gain) will bring the hiker to the top of Vernal Fall. The top of Nevada Fall is 3.5 miles (1,900-foot total gain) from the trailhead.

Other waterfalls can be seen, but not easily accessed from the Valley floor.   The best waterfall book for any national park is Yosemite's "Granite, Water and Light" by ranger and photographer Mike Osborne.  The all new edition is available from our webstore or any park visitor center.

Limited Site Seeing Time
Suggest a few options and let visitors make their own decisions. Here are a few suggestions:

• Find a quiet place to sit, look over the Yosemite Guide and read the Yosemite Guide: they are full of suggestions for things to do and places to see!
• Watch the film, "The Spirit of Yosemite" in the West Auditorium behind the Valley Visitor Center.
• Tour the reconstructed Indian Village of Ahwahnee behind the Valley Visitor Center.
• Tour the Yosemite Museum, which consists of the Indian Cultural Exhibit and Museum Gallery, near the Valley Visitor Center.
• Join an interpreter for a walk - topics and times are printed in the Yosemite Guide and posted at visitor centers.
• Take a few short walks on your own - to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall & Bridalveil Fall.
• Purchase the Yosemite Road Guide and tour the park in your own car.
• Take a guided two-hour Valley Floor Tour.

Main Points of Interest
Find out what the visitor means by "points of interest" or what s/he enjoys doing (e.g., roadway sightseeing, walking, hiking, wildlife watching, etc.). Remember, the Yosemite Guide covers this quite well and the Yosemite Guide has maps of each major park area. You might mention some well-known destinations: the Valley waterfalls, Half Dome, Mirror Lake, El Capitan, Glacier Point, the three groves of giant sequoias, Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona, and Hetch Hetchy.
 

Valley Visitor Center Attractions

• Watch the film "The Spirit of Yosemite."
• Tour the reconstructed Indian Village of Ahwahnee.
• Visit the Yosemite Museum (Indian Cultural Exhibit and the Museum Gallery).
• Visit Yosemite Falls (trail to Lower Fall).
• Attend an evening program or Yosemite Theater production. Times and locations in the Yosemite Guide.
• Walk to the nearby Yosemite Cemetery. The Guide To The Yosemite Cemetery is an excellent resource for interested visitors. Copies are available for sale at the Yosemite Association bookstore or on loan from the information desk in the Valley Visitor Center.

International Visitors
The "One Day In Yosemite" video in the Valley Visitor Center is presented in English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese (and captioned for hearing-impaired people). For the film "The Spirit of Yosemite" cassettes and headsets in foreign languages are available. There are foreign language brochures in French, German, Spanish, and Japanese. The Yosemite Association also sells a picture guide to Yosemite in each of these languages and a video tape in German. Some YCS retail outlets have foreign language videos. In the event of an emergency, various park employees/residents are available as translators (remember, this is for true emergencies only, contact dispatch for a translator).

The Pioneer Yosemite History Center
Located in Wawona, the Pioneer Yosemite History Center is a collection of historic buildings which were relocated from around the park. In summer, volunteers dress in period costume and interact with visitors. Check the Yosemite Guide for details. The center is self-guided fall through spring.

Indian Village of Ahwahnee & Indian Cultural Exhibit
The Indian Village of Ahwahnee is located in Yosemite Valley behind the Valley Visitor Center. The Indian Cultural Exhibit is in the Yosemite Museum next door to the Valley Visitor Center.

The Nature Center at Happy Isles
This family-oriented nature center includes wildlife dioramas, wildlife tracking tips, interactive exhibits, and a bookstore geared to nature-exploring families. Nearby are short trails focusing on the area's four different environments: forest, river, talus, and fen. You can also see substantial evidence of the 1996 rockfall from the Glacier Point cliff far above the Nature Center. Admission is free. Open summer.

Yosemite Cemetery
The Yosemite Cemetery is located in Yosemite Valley across the street from the Yosemite Museum. The Guide To The Yosemite Cemetery is an excellent resource for interested visitors. Copies are available for sale at the Yosemite Association bookstore or on loan from the information desk in the Valley Visitor Center.