Alert: PARK OPEN: Reservation required to drive into or thru the park on weekends & holidays through Oct 27

National Park

Yosemite

Upper Yosemite Fall and Merced River in spring
Upper Yosemite Fall and Merced River in spring NPS Photo

Overview

Not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra. First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.

State: CA209/372-0200

Hours

  • Sunday: All Day
  • Monday: All Day
  • Tuesday: All Day
  • Wednesday: All Day
  • Thursday: All Day
  • Friday: All Day
  • Saturday: All Day

Fees & Passes

  • Entrance - Private Vehicle:  35.00

    This fee is valid for three consecutive days for a non-commercial car, pickup truck, RV, or van with 15 or fewer passenger seats. This fee covers the vehicle and everyone inside of it.


  • Entrance - Motorcycle:  30.00

    This fee is valid for three consecutive days for a non-commercial motorcycle (cost is per motorcycle, not person).


  • Entrance - Per Person:  20.00

    This fee is valid for three consecutive days for people entering on foot, a bicycle, a horse, or a non-commercial bus or van. People 15 years and younger are free.


  • Commercial Entrance - Sedan:  25.00

    The fee is $25 plus $20 per person, not to exceed $105. This fee is valid for three consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required.


  • Commercial Entrance - Van:  125.00

    This fee is valid for three consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required.


  • Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus:  200.00

    This fee is valid for three consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required.


  • Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach:  300.00

    This fee is valid for seven consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required.


  • Entrance - Non-commercial Groups:  300.00

    The per-person fee is $20 to a maximum of $300 per vehicle. People 15 years and younger are free


  • Entrance - Education/Academic Groups:  0.00

    An educational fee waiver is available for educational and scientific groups that are accredited or tax-exempt for educational purposes planning a trip for educational or scientific purposes related to Yosemite that is not primarily recreational.


  • Commercial Entrance - Per Person:  20.00

    The fee is $25 plus $20 per person, not to exceed $105. This fee is valid for seven consecutive days. A commercial use authorization is required.


  • Timed Entry Reservation - Park:  2.00

    A reservation is required to drive into or through Yosemite National Park between 5 am and 4 pm on weekends and holidays.


Map

Things To Do

Category

6 Results
    Icy, snowy road in Yosemite

    Winter Driving and Tire Chains in Yosemite

    Free

    Description

    Snowy or icy road conditions are common in the mountains of California, including Yosemite, from fall through spring. When these conditions exist, federal regulations (in Yosemite) and state law (outside Yosemite) require that you use chains or cables in order to reduce the chances of accidents. Chain requirements are strictly enforced.

    More info
    Pet Friendly
    Park Ranger looking at something in nature with kids

    Become a Yosemite Junior Ranger

    Free

    Description

    Kids can become a Yosemite Junior Ranger by taking a self-guided handbook with them as they travel around the park and complete the activities that are the best fit for them. The Yosemite Junior Ranger handbook is available for free at visitor centers. When you are done, share your booklet with a park ranger at any Yosemite visitor center during operating hours to receive your badge.

    More info
    Ages:4-12
    Bicyclists on bike paths in Yosemite

    Ride a bike in Yosemite Valley

    $

    Description

    Cycling is a great way to experience the park and allows you to cover more ground during your time here. You can rent a bike, bring your own, or borrow one through the bike share program (2-hour limit). Hand-crank and tandem bicycles are also available for rent. Over 12 miles of paved bike paths are available in Yosemite Valley (speed limit is 15 mph). In addition, bicyclists can ride on regular roads (if they obey traffic laws).

    More info

    Fees

    There is a fee associated with this activity if you choose to rent a bike. 

    Time:1-6 Hours
    Ski lift at Badger Pass with snow on the ground

    Go Skiing at Badger Pass

    $

    Description

    The Badger Pass Ski Area is open from mid-December through March (weather and conditions permitting). You can downhill ski, cross-country ski, go tubing, or snowshoeing all from this historic winter resort.

    More info

    Fees

    A fee is required to rent skis or snowshoes. A fee is required for a lift ticket. 

    Climber on ledge on rock face with ropes in Yosemite Valley

    Rock Climbing in Yosemite

    Free

    Description

    Yosemite is one of the world's greatest climbing areas. Climbers here can enjoy an endless variety of challenges--from the sustained crack climbs of the Merced River Canyon to pinching crystals on sun-drenched Tuolumne Meadows domes to multi-day aid climbs on the big walls of the Valley. Yosemite is not just a climber's playground, however: its walls and crags are an integral part of a larger ecosystem, protected as Wilderness.

    More info
    View of front of Yosemite Museum with dappled sunlight in fall.

    Visit the Yosemite Museum

    Free

    Description

    Open year-round, the Yosemite Museum has displays that interpret the cultural history of Yosemite's native Miwok and Paiute people from 1850 to the present, demonstrations of stone tool making, basket-weaving, beadwork, and traditional games. In front of the museum is a cross-section of a giant sequoia tree that visitors can touch and a re-creation of an umacha, a Miwok and Paiute cedar bark house. The gallery inside the museum is open periodically with rotating exhibits.

    More info
    Time:30 Minutes

More Images

Upper Yosemite Fall and Merced River in spring
Upper Yosemite Fall and Merced River in spring
Glaciated valley with vertical cliffs.
Glaciated valley with vertical cliffs.
A rainbow over a mountain in the distance.
A rainbow over a mountain in the distance.
A mountain reflecting in a lake.
A mountain reflecting in a lake.
A waterfall flowing down a granite cliff.
A waterfall flowing down a granite cliff.
Two tall waterfalls flowing down snow covered granite walls.
Two tall waterfalls flowing down snow covered granite walls.
Mountains reflecting in water
Mountains reflecting in water
Cluster of tall trees with cloudy sky.
Cluster of tall trees with cloudy sky.
Mountains surrounding a lake.
Mountains surrounding a lake.
Granite dome with trace amounts of snow.
Granite dome with trace amounts of snow.
El Capitan and reflection in Merced River with some low clouds
El Capitan and reflection in Merced River with some low clouds
El Capitan on left, Cathedral Rocks on the right, all covered in snow, low clouds and sun
El Capitan on left, Cathedral Rocks on the right, all covered in snow, low clouds and sun