Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is located in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Yosemite contains the spectacular Yosemite Valley which has many spectacular waterfalls including Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Valley is at an elevation of about 4,000 feet.

Yosemite National Park also includes back country, mountains, redwoods and high mountain meadows.

The best time of year to visit Yosemite Valley to see the waterfalls is in the spring and early summer. This is when the falls have the most water in them.. Often many of the higher elevation locations aren't accessibly until later in the year. The road through Tioga Pass usually opens sometime in May. However, the Tioga Pass road has opened as late as July 1.

Keep reading this document for hiking and other information. I also have a Hiking Yosemite Page with day hikes and backpacking excursions.

Yosemite is well known for it’s rock formations. Many of Yosemite’s rock formations are popular with rock climbers Yosemite’s most famous rock formation is Half Dome.

Half Dome - Click picture to enlarge.

NEW Yosemite National Park - Travel and Nature Video with Spectacular Mountains and Waterfalls - TV Special on Amazon.com

We have created a new Yosemite TV special for Amazon. You can watch this spectacular Yosemite video for free at this link - click here

Looking at Yosemite Falls from Yosemite Valley floor. Click image to enlarge. Read more about Yosemite Falls and hikes in my article about Yosemite Falls.

More pictures and information follows:

Yosemite Falls and reflection in Merced River. Picture taken from the "Swinging Bridge" which no longer swings...

While Yosemite Valley is the most well known and most visited part of Yosemite National Park, the park also include back country, mountains, redwoods and high mountain meadows. Tuolumne Meadows is at an elevation of about 8,600 feet.

Lembert Dome in Tuolumne Meadows - You can hike to the top..

Climbing Lembert Dome in Yosemite National Park. Our 4 year old daughter made it to the top! Not recommended for most 4 year olds.

The climb up Lemburt Dome isn't a technical climb (it doesn't require ropes) if you climb the correct way.

I have a page with more details and maps of the Lemburt Dome Hike.

Yosemite contains many hiking trails. Trails range from easy short walks to multi day backpacking treks.

One very easy but spectacular hike is the NATURE LOOP TO THE BASE OF YOSEMITE FALLS

One spectacular backpacking trip is BACKPACKING FROM TENAYA LAKE TO CLOUDS REST, HALF DOME, AND YOSEMITE VALLEY we did this trip many years ago.

A long hike or backpack from Tuolumne MeadosI is WATER WHEEL FALLS

John Muir lived in Yosemite, explored the area and wrote about it in his book "The Yosemite" You can read more about John Muir and read his book for free here.