I’m not particularly athletic, but I love to get out in nature and go on hikes that take me away from everything. I’m the world’s worst at relaxing once I get to a spot; I seem to relish the getting there more.
Yosemite is an amazing place to get out into nature. There are easy hikes for folks who are not as mobile, and then there are super strenuous hikes that I can’t really tell you about since I don’t go on those. I like hikes that range from Easy to Moderate. Though sometimes those Moderate ones can still be tricky.
The first things to decide are when to go, how long to stay and where to stay. Every season has something to offer in Yosemite. My favorite is the spring. Temperatures are nice, the waterfalls are flowing, and you may even run into some snow on the hikes higher up. Of course, you may have so much snow that you can’t get to some of the most popular areas.
My second favorite is fall. On the downside, the waterfalls aren’t all flowing (though Yosemite Falls is always going at least some). On the upside, you can get to all the various areas including Glacier Point, which is always closed when we go in the Spring. And again the temperatures are good for being outside hiking.
I’ve never been in the winter – we have other spots we like to visit for snow and winter activities like skiing and snowboarding. We’ve also never been in the summer. It is very crowded in the summer. When I go to Yosemite, I’m trying to get away from people, not move with the herd. The wildflowers that bloom during this time are supposed to be a sight to see, and the waterfalls are at their fullest in the summer. It can also get very hot in the Valley, so make sure you have plenty of water and that you are OK being that hot and sweaty all day.
How long you stay is really up to you and how much you like to hike. I can easily fill 7 days from dawn to dusk. I don’t usually have that much to time to give it as it’s a pretty decent drive from here. I’m happy with 3 – 5 days in the valley.
To maximize my time, we always stay in the Valley itself. Otherwise, it’s a 30-minute drive (much longer in the summer months) just to get to the Valley. There are 4 basic options. The cheapest is to bring your own camping experience whether that’s a tent or RV. I’ve never taken that route. On the high end you can opt for a luxury hotel, The Majestic Yosemite Hotel (used to be the Ahwanee). That’s way outside my price range, especially as a get back to nature adventure. That leaves the middle two options – my sweet spots.
My favorite place to stay is Yosemite Valley Lodge. It’s all about location! There is nothing fancy about the hotel, but it is clean and you have your own restroom. And you don’t have to worry about bear lockers or any of that stuff. You are safe and sound each night. There is also a pretty good place to eat right there.
My second favorite place to stay is Half Dome Village (used to be Curry Village). This is sort of camping. They have canvas tents set up year round. They have wooden floors and cots with sheets and blankets provided. There is even electricity so you can see your way around at night. The bathrooms and showers are clean, but not necessarily close to where your tent ends up being. It can get down right chilly at night, so bring plenty of extra blankets if you go for this option. Everyone calms down pretty early, so you don’t have to worry about raucous parties or anything. With that said, you can hear folks in other tents snoring. I always take ear plugs just in case we end up close to log sawer.
The only bear we’ve ever seen was walking through our area of tents in Half Dome Village. The Rangers weren’t too happy about it, but we were thrilled to see a bear!
To stay in the Valley, you’ll want to make your reservations well in advance. I usually try to call 3-4 months before we want to go. Even with that, it helps if you can be flexible with your days. The Lodge is generally harder to get into than the Village. I guess a lot of folks prefer their own bathroom and 4 walls. Sometimes you can get really lucky and land a last minute room because of cancellations. It never hurts to try!
Traveling with Trisha 