Yosemite National Park
Introduction
Yosemite National Park is one of the most visited parks in theU.S.A. It is here where Ansel Adams shot his most famousphotographs after he fell in love with the awe inspiringlandscape, the steep cliffs and the magnificent waterfalls.While most of the over 4 million visitors only see YosemiteValley, the park has much more to offer. Mountain Climbers trytheir skills on the 3593 foot (about 1100m) vertical granitewall of El Capitan and Rafters ride the wild waters of theMerced River. The park draws a large crowd of professional andhobby nature and wildlife photographers.
Location
The park is located about 200miles (3 hours) east of SanFrancisco (Airport Code: SFO) in the heart of the High Sierras.From San Francisco take I-580 east, I-205 East, I-5 North(2.2mi), CA-120 east. Follow CA-120 into the park. From thewest, take CA-120 to enter Yosemite National Park. If you arecoming from L.A. you will most likely enter the Park on CA-140.CA-140 meets CA-120 in Yosemite Valley. From the east, you canenter on CA-120. You have to cross Tioga Pass, which is notalways open (see below). The park entrance fee is $20/car. Ifyou plan to visit at least 2 other parks within a year, youshould consider buying a National Park Pass for $50. It does notinclude State Parks.
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is unquestionably the most visited part of thepark. During the summer month of June, July, August and maybeSeptember the valley is full of visitors. Traffic jams are acommon occurrence. Dont let this discourage you from visitingthe Valley. If you take a short hike along the many trails youcan avoid the crowds easily. If you have only one day to visitYosemite, this is definitely the place to go. It is also theonly place in Yosemite where you can buy food. Free shuttlebusses are available to get around. The bus stations are markedin the Newspaper that you will get at the entrance station. Thebest time to visit the Valley is February through late May. InFebruary the roads may not always be open due to snow. Call209-372-0200 for current conditions (209-372-4726 for recordedinformation). Most likely you will not be allowed access withoutcarrying snow chains.
Glacier Point Road and Mariposa Grove
Glacier Point Road
Glacier Point Road usually opens in late May (later in years ofheavy snow fall) and closes in November. It is a 32-mile drivefrom the visitor center to Glacier Point itself (the end of theroad). Plan for many stops and hikes though, as you will havesome of the most spectacular views from up here. You could alsohike up here, on the four-mile trail. Believe me, you dont wantto try this. The elevation is not to be underestimated. If youdont have wings, you should be here by car anyways and if theroad is not open so be it, but dont take my word for it.
Mariposa Grove
Mariposa Grove is Yosemites largest grove of giant sequoias. Inwinter it is not easy to reach, as the 2-mile road into thegrove is closed. You have to hike on the snow. Mariposa Grove isdivided into upper and lower Grove. The largest tree (GrizzlyGiant) is about 1800 years old and has seen the rise and fall ofempires. If you ever wanted to feel like an insect standing nextto a tree, this is the place to go.
Tioga Pass
If you visit Yosemite in June or July, you should considercoming up here. Actually this area should be referred to as
thebackcountry. CA-120 crosses Yosemite from East to West and leadsover Tioga Pass. The Road usually opens in late May and closesin October, but there are years when the Road is closed untilJuly. Massive amounts of Snow make this area inaccessible inwinter. If you come here in June or July you could experiencethe blooming of the Wildflowers, making the Meadows a wonderfulpatch of colors. Tioga pass itself is 9945 feet (3031m) high andoffers some of the most spectacular views of the park. If youdrive through the park from East to west, take CA-120 towardsTioga Pass instead of driving towards Yosemite Valley at theintersection near Crane Flat. Immediately after theIntersection, you will come to Tuolumne Grove, another place tosee giant sequoias. Even though it is not as big and magnificentas Mariposa Grove, it is still well worth the visit.
Tips
If you are all by yourself in the backcountry, consider thathelp may not be close. A large population of Black Bears livesin Yosemite. Bears have been known to break open cars to getfood. Always wrap your food and pack it in such a way, that thebears cannot smell it. If you are camping and leaving open foodcontainers around, thats just asking for trouble. Remember,Bears can run faster then you and climb trees. If you see amother with cups, dont approach them. Mountain lions are scaredof anything really big. If you have children, pick them up andput them on your shoulders to prevent them from being attacked.Bring enough film or memory cards. More than once have I seenpeople asking desperately around to buy them when all of asudden the beautiful setting sun bathes the cliffs in red lightand they ran out. On better days I shot a few hundred exposures.Gas up. The park is big and gasoline is not availableeverywhere. If you come from San Francisco, get gas in Oakdale.There are still opportunities later if you dont mind spendingmore money.
Accomodation
As usual, traveling during the weekend has its price. If you canafford to come here during the week you will get better deals,as less people will compete for the same room. I have been ableto get some good deals in El Portal (on CA-140 just outside thepark). There are a bunch of Hotels on CA-120, but they are muchfarther away from the park. If you can bankroll a stay in thePark, it is obviously the better choice.
Hotels on the east side
If you exit Yosemite on the East towards Mono Lake you will getto the city of Lee Vining. The only Hotel I would stay in hereis the Best Western. If you have no reservation, well good luck.If you go south for about 40 minutes you will get to the town ofMammoth Lakes, offering plenty of Hotels. Alternatively you cango north towards Bridgeport.
Restaurants
The Restaurant that belongs to the Yosemite View Lodge is prettygood, but you have to wait to get a seat. They also have aPizzeria if you cannot wait. Next to the Visitor Center inYosemite Valley there is a small Burger place and a Sandwichplace. Both are not very good, but I bet after a day of hikingyou wont care much and a nasty burger will sound just as good asFilet Mignon. Much more information about Yosemite National Parkcan be found in my article http://www.opentravelinfo.com/ynp.
About the author:
Andre Gunther (http://www.aguntherphotography.com)is the owner of http://www.opentravelinfo.com awebsite dedicated to travel writing.
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