Last updated on August 18th, 2016 at 06:17 pm

A park as big as Los Angeles ‐ that’s Yosemite National Park.

Located in central California, this park covers 747,956 acres. Founded in 1890, Yosemite National Park is still mostly untouched with 95 percent of its area considered as wilderness.

Interesting Facts

• The park is popular for its 3,000 years old Giant Sequoia trees.
• It is also home to Yosemite Falls, the largest waterfall in North America.
• Every year, about four million tourists visit Yosemite National Park.

Activities to try in Yosemite National Park

Photo walk tour

The park offers a guided ‘photo walk’ that shows its beauty that has captured the hearts and lenses of photographers for years.

A trip down memory lane

A trip down memory lane can also be experienced at the historic Four‐Diamond Ahwahnee hotel. Visitors get a glimpse of Yosemite’s natural and cultural history through the Valley Visitor Center and Yosemite Museum.

Enjoy the views of the popular icons

Tours offer trips to popular Yosemite icons like El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and Sentinel Rock. El Capitan is considered the tallest granite monolith in the world. It is also a popular destination for rock climbing. The tour to this famous destination is scenery of lush meadows, breathtaking cliffs, and water rush along the Merced River.

Biking

Bikers are free to ride the roads that go through the park. There are more than 20 miles of paved, bicycle paths that are mostly flat. Bikes are available for rent in Curry Village and at Yosemite Lodge.

Hiking

The best way to experience Yosemite is to explore the park by foot. Whether it’s an all-out trek or just a day hike, hiking in Mirror Lake, an easy 2-mile walk is a good starting point. Start early in the morning to beat the crowd.

Experience Yosemite National Park after dark

Evenings in Yosemite are full of amazing activities and wonder. For those spending several nights in the park, they can participate in sunset talks given by park rangers.There are also tours that include Moonlight Tours and “Stars Over Yosemite” at Glacier Point. Full moon bike rides is also an option. The park also offers fireside storytelling and Yosemite’s food and wine events at The Ahwahnee on winter nights.

Fun activities for kids

Yosemite also offers a lot of fun for kids (and kids at heart) with a laughter‐filled Children’s Theater. They are also treated to a day of fun as Junior Rangers that allows them to explore the Valley onboard free shuttle buses.

Camping

For those who want to go camping, the park offers 13 lovely campgrounds with wonderful views. You can choose from traditional tent camping, RV camping, or camping in the wild.

Things to be considered when preparing for a camping trip

Weather

It is important to check weather forecast daily when you are visiting the park especially when your activities include hiking or backpacking.Yosemite National Park has a diverse altitudes which ranges from 2,000 feet in the valley to 13,000 feet at the peaks which cause the temperature to vary from place to place throughout the park.

Connectivity

Cell phone service is limited and uncertain in and around the park as the towering mountains blocks the signals from cell phone towers. To know more about cell phone service and coverage, click here.

Wi-fi signal is available for guests staying at Yosemite Valley Lodge. Non-guests can pay a fee for an Internet Access Pass good for 24 hours. Other accommodations such as Yosemite Village, Half Dome Village, and The Majestic Yosemite Hotel also provide internet access to guests.

Wildlife

Keep food away from all wildlife as animals may become aggressive in all their effort to access park visitor’s food. It is also advisable to store your food in bear-resistant containers if you’re camping at Yosemite National Park. Also for your safety, always remember to keep your distance from bears and all wildlife animals.

Pets

Pets are allowed in selected places throughout Yosemite National Park. It is important that pet owners abide by park regulations to protect their pets, other park visitors, and the wildlife in Yosemite. For more information about pet regulations, you may visit this site.

Tips for planning camping trips

• Campers are advised to obtain a reservation beginning March 15 to November. This reservation schedule covers Yosemite Valley’s car campground.
• From summer through fall, reservation starts for Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat, Wawona, and Tuolumne Meadows.
• Campground reservations are announced and opened each month up to five months in advance, and usually on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time. For reservation details, click here.
• A wilderness permit is required if you want to stay at the backcountry campgrounds (Little Yosemite Valley and near the High Sierra camps (Glen Aulin, May Lake, Sunrise, Merced Lake, and Vogelsang). These areas are not part of the campground reservation system.

There are plenty of fun activities you can do in Yosemite. Whatever you choose, you can be assured of a holiday well spent.

Resources:

https://www.nps.gov
http://www.travelyosemite.com/
http://www.nationalparks.org/
http://experience.usatoday.com