Hiking

Over 800 miles of hiking trails cater to hikers of all abilities. Take an easy half-mile stroll on the valley floor; venture out all day on a quest for viewpoints, waterfalls and lakes; or go camping in the remote outer reaches of the backcountry.

Some of the park’s most popular hikes start right in Yosemite Valley, including the most famous of all, the top of Half Dome (17 miles round-trip). It follows a section of the John Muir Trail and is strenuous, difficult and best tackled in two days with an overnight in Little Yosemite Valley. Reaching the top can only be done after rangers have installed fixed cables. Depending on snow conditions, this may occur as early as late May or as late as July, and the cables usually come down in mid-October. To whittle down the cables’ notorious human logjams, the park requires permits for day hikers, but the route is still nerve-racking as hikers must ‘share the road.’ The less ambitious or physically fit will still have a ball following the same trail as far as Vernal Falls (2.6 miles round-trip), the top of Nevada Fall (6.5 miles round-trip) or idyllic Little Yosemite Valley (8 miles round-trip). The Four Mile Trail (9.2 miles round-trip) to Glacier Point is a strenuous but satisfying climb to a glorious viewpoint.

Driving

Driving is hardly the proper way to see Yosemite Valley (unless you enjoy craning your neck in traffic to see the sights otherwise blocked by your roof), but it’s an undeniably superb way to experience the high country – and beyond – via the spectacular Tioga Rd. This is the only road that bisects the park between its eastern and western borders. All park roads, however, are lined with beautiful scenery, so really you can’t go wrong. If you’re going to drive within Yosemite Valley, try to avoid doing it on weekends.

Cycling

Mountain biking isn’t permitted within the park, but cycling along the 12 miles of paved trails is a popular and environmentally friendly way of exploring the valley. It’s also the fastest way to get around when valley traffic is at a standstill. Many families bring bicycles, and you’ll often find kids doing laps through the campgrounds. Hard-core cyclists brave the skinny shoulders and serious altitude changes of the trans-Sierra Tioga Rd.

Rock Climbing

With its sheer spires, polished domes and soaring monoliths, Yosemite is rock-climbing nirvana. The main climbing season runs from April to October. Most climbers, including some legendary stars, stay at Camp 4 near El Capitan, especially in spring and fall. In summer, another base camp springs up at Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Climbers looking for partners post notices on bulletin boards at either campground.

The meadows across from El Capitan and the north-eastern end of Tenaya Lake (off Tioga Rd) are good for watching climbers dangle from granite (you need binoculars for a really good view). Look for the haul bags first – they’re bigger, more colorful and move around more than the climbers, making them easier to spot. As part of the excellent ‘Ask a Climber’ program, climbing rangers set up telescopes at El Capitan Bridge from 12:30pm to 4:30pm (mid-May through mid-October) and answer visitors’ questions.

Horseback Riding

The park’s concessionaire runs guided trips to such scenic locales as Mirror Lake and Chilnualna Falls from Wawona’s Big Trees Lodge Stable, as well as four- and six-day guided trips to the park’s high sierra camps. The season runs from May to October, although this varies slightly by location. No experience is needed, but reservations are advised, especially at Yosemite Valley Stable. The high sierra camp trips operate by lottery. Some mounts are horses, but most likely you’ll be riding a sure-footed mule.

Stock Camps

If you’re bringing your own pack animal, you can use the stock camps at Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona and Bridalveil Creek campgrounds; you can reserve sites on www.recreation.gov. Stock are allowed on all Yosemite trails except those posted on the closure list, which also includes detailed information and restrictions (www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/stock.htm).

Swimming

On a hot summer day, nothing beats a dip in the gentle Merced River, though if chilly water doesn’t float your boat, you can always pay to play in the scenic outdoor swimming pools at Half Dome Village and Yosemite Valley Lodge; the price of admission includes towels and showers. With a sandy beach, Tenaya Lake is a frigid but interesting option. White Wolf’s Harden Lake warms up to a balmy temperature by midsummer.

Rafting & Kayaking

From around late May to July, floating along the Merced River from Stoneman Meadow, near Half Dome Village, to Sentinel Bridge is a leisurely way to soak up Yosemite Valley views. Four-person raft rentals for the 3-mile trip are available from the concessionaire in Half Dome Village and include equipment and a shuttle ride back to the rental kiosk. Children must be over 50lb. Or bring your own raft and pay $5 to shuttle back. This activity is suitable for the mobility impaired.

Winter Sports

The white coat of winter opens up a different set of things to do, as the Valley becomes a quiet, frosty world of snow-draped evergreens, ice-coated lakes and vivid vistas of gleaming white mountains sparkling against blue skies. Winter tends to arrive in full force by mid-November and peter out in early April.

A free shuttle bus connects the Valley and the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area. Roads in the valley are plowed, and Hwys 41, 120 and 140 are usually kept open, conditions permitting. Tioga Rd (Hwy 120 E), however, closes with the first snowfall. Be sure to bring snow chains with you, as prices for them double once you hit the foothills.

Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiers can explore 350 miles of skiable trails and roads, including 90 miles of marked trails and 25 miles of machine-groomed track near the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area. The scenic but grueling trail to Glacier Point (21 miles round-trip) also starts from here. More trails are at Crane Flat and Mariposa Grove. The ungroomed trails can also be explored with snowshoes.

Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding

California’s oldest ski slope, Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area sits at 7300ft on Glacier Point Rd, about 22 miles from the Valley. Known as a family-friendly mountain geared toward beginners and intermediates, it features an 800ft vertical drop, nine runs, two terrain parks, five lifts, a full-service lodge and equipment rental ($37 for a full set of gear). For great money-saving deals, check out the stay-and-ski packages at the Big Trees Lodge, Yosemite Valley Lodge and Majestic Yosemite Hotel, and note that lift-ticket prices drop considerably midweek. It also rents tubes for snow tubing.

The excellent on-site Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area School is highly regarded for its top-notch instruction, particularly for beginners. Group lessons start at $80 and private lessons start at $89.50 per hour for one. Badger’s gentle slopes are well suited for first-time snowboarders.

In winter, a free daily shuttle runs from the Valley to the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area in the morning, returning to the Valley in the afternoon.

Snowshoeing

It wouldn’t be difficult to argue that Yosemite Valley is at its very best just after a fresh snowfall. Snowshoeing around the Valley, past icy monoliths, frozen waterfalls and meadows blanketed in snow, is a truly magical activity. The John Muir Trail, which begins at Happy Isles, is a popular destination.

You can rent snowshoes ($23/18 per half-/full day) at the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area, and sometimes at the Half Dome Village Ice Skating Rink, where rangers lead two-hour naturalist treks that are informative, fun and cheap ($5). Check the Yosemite Guide for schedules. Rentals are also available at the Crane Flat gas station. From January to March, rangers offer two-hour ‘Full Moon Snowshoe Walks’ (with equipment rental $35) on nights of, and leading up to, a full moon. Sign up at the Yosemite Valley Lodge Tour Desk or call 209-372-1240.

Ice-Skating

A delightful way to spend a winter’s afternoon is twirling about on the large outdoor Half Dome Village Ice Skating Rink. Daily sessions begin at 3:30pm and 7pm, with additional sessions at 8:30am and noon on weekends and holidays.

Snow Camping

There are no quotas or reservations for winter camping, but you still need to get a wilderness permit.

Destinations accessed from Glacier Point Rd are some of the most popular places to enjoy snow camping. There are restrictions on staying at overlooks, and you must camp at least 1.5 miles from the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area. See www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildwinter.htm for more information as well as a winter trail map.

Sledding & Tubing

If tubing down a hill is more your fancy, there’s a snow-play area located in Crane Flat. The Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area also has a tubing area for younger kids, with two-hour sessions ($17) starting at 11:30am and 2pm, tubes included. In the Sierra National Forest a mile south of the South Entrance, the free Goat Meadow Snow Play Area is another good location if you have gear.

Fishing

Yosemite may not be the sort of place you go to catch whopping trophy trout, but the setting is fabulous, and wettin’ a line, so to say, in the Merced or Tuolumne Rivers is pretty darn satisfying. Stream and river fishing is permitted only from the last Saturday in April until mid-November; lake fishing is OK year-round. In Wawona, the South Fork of the Merced offers some of the best stream fishing in the park. In and around the park you can fish the Merced River between Happy Isles and the Foresta Bridge in El Portal, although if you catch a rainbow trout, you’ll have to throw it back. In Yosemite Valley, you’re allowed only five brown trout per day, and bait is prohibited (artificial lures or barbless flies only).

Hang Gliding

You can actually hang glide from Glacier Point for a mere $5, provided you’re an active member of the US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association, have level 4 (advanced standing) certification, and you preregister online with the Yosemite Hang Gliders Association. On weekend mornings from late May to early September, weather permitting, qualified hang gliders can launch from the overlook between 7am and 9pm, well before any thermal activity rolls in, and float down to Leidig Meadow, just west of Yosemite Valley Lodge. One of the best free shows in the park is watching the colorful gliders sprint off the edge and soar over the Valley like tiny paper airplanes.

Boating

Easy-to-access Tenaya Lake is hands down the best place for a motorless boat in the park. Lounging at the foot of John Muir’s beloved Mt Hoffmann is tranquil May Lake, a lovely place to paddle an inflatable; that is, unless you want to hoof anything heavier for the 1.2 miles from the trailhead along Tioga Rd.

Golf

If you find the need to smack the ol’ tiny white ball around, head to Yosemite’s nine-hole, par-35 Big Trees Golf Course, which was built in 1917. The course hails itself as one of the country’s few ‘organic’ golf courses, meaning no pesticides are used on the lawn and everything is irrigated with grey water. Cart and club rentals are available.