Yosemite National Park

Visitor Centers: 
Visitor center hours vary by season. For current hours of operation, call the public information office which is open from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at (209)-372-0200. For more information about amenities offered by the various visitor centers and museums, visit the park's website. 

• Yosemite Valley Visitor Center: Open year round.
• Valley Wilderness Center: Open May to October.
• Yosemite Museum: Open year round.
• Nature Center at Happy Isles: Open May to October.
• Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center: Open late May to early September.
• Indian Village of Ahwahnee: Open year round.
• LeConte Memorial Lodge: Open summers only.
• Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center: Open summer only.
• Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center: Open summer only.
• Wawona Visitor Center: Open summer only.
• Big Oak Flat Information Station: Hours vary. Open from spring to fall.
• Wawona Information Station: Hours vary. Open from spring to fall.
• Pioneer Yosemite History Center in Wawona: Open year round.
• Mariposa Grove Museum: Open summer only.

Yosemite National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station is open only during daylight hours (approximately) and some roads are closed due to snow from around November through May or June. Visit the park's website to see current closures, conditions, and other park alerts. 

Visitors have their choice of recreation and sights to see depending on the season. Summer is the peak season in the park, and spring is the best season for the park's iconic waterfalls. The waterfalls reach their peak flow near the end of May and by August most waterfalls have little water or may be dry until after the next snowfall which is usually by November. Visitation tapers off in the fall and into the winter when the weather is consistently snowy and cold. Learn more about Yosemite in summer, fall, winter, or spring to help plan the best time to visit the park. 

Fees & Passes: 
To learn more about park fees, click here. 

• Purchase an annual pass for all national parks sites, $80

Camping: 
Yosemite National Park has thirteen campgrounds; some are reservable while others operate on a first come, first served basis. Reservations can be made online or by calling 1 (877) 444-6777. From about April through October, reservations can be very difficult to get, and the first come, first served campgrounds often fill up early each day. Please note that sleeping in your car or RV is not permitted within Yosemite except in individual campsites. To learn more about camping in the park as well as to see specific information for each of the campgrounds, visit the park's website. 

• Upper Pines: 238 sites. Reservations available from February 11 to November 30. Open year round.
• Lower Pines: 60 sites. Reservations available. Open late March to early November.
• North Pines: 81 sites. Reservations available. Open early April to early November.
• Camp 4: 35 sites. First come, first served. No RVs or trailers. Open year round.
• Wawona: 93 sites. Reservations available from April 11 to October 10. Open year round.
• Bridalveil Creek: 110 sites. First come, first served. Open July through mid September.
• Hodgdon Meadow: 105 sites. Reservations available from April 11 to October 10. Open year round.
• Crane Flate: 166 sites. Reservations available. Open mid July to mid October.
• Tamarack Flat: 52 sites. First come, first served. No RVs or trailers. Open July to mid October.
• White Wolf: 74 sites. First come, first served. Open July to late September.
• Yosemite Creek: 75 sites. First come, first served. No RVs or trailers. Open July to early September.
• Porcupine Flat: 52 sites. First come, first served. Open July to mid October.
• Tuolumne Meadows: 304 sites. Half of the sites are reservable. Open mid July to late September.

Backcountry Camping: 
With nearly 95% of Yosemite National Park designated as wilderness, backpacking and backcountry camping is also popular. A wilderness permit is required and can be obtained in advance with a reservation up to 24 weeks in advance. A limited number of permits can also be obtained on a first come, first served basis. For more information on wilderness permits and other backcountry camping regulations, visit the park's website. 

Lodging: 
Lodging options in Yosemite National Park range from simple tent cabins at the High Sierra Camps to deluxe rooms at The Majestic Yosemite Hotel. Visit the Travel Yosemite website for full descriptions, prices, and online reservations. Reservations are available 365 days in advance and are strongly recommended, especially from spring through fall and during holidays. 

A variety of lodging options are available in the gateway communities surrounding, and on private land within, Yosemite. In these areas, options range from luxurious to affordable, including hotels and motels, bed & breakfasts, vacation rentals, hostels, and tent cabins.

Yosemite has a variety of restaurants and other dining options available year round in Yosemite Valley and seasonally at Wawona, Badger Pass, Glacier Point, White Wolf, and Tuolumne Meadows. Groceries are also available all year in Yosemite Valley, Wawona, Crane Flat, and El Portal, and seasonally at Tuolumne Meadows. Visitors are also invited to use the picnic areas throughout the park which are available on a first come, first served basis. Most picnic areas have a picnic table, vault toilets, and garbage and recycling bins.

Guided Tours: 
Yosemite National Park offers a variety of ranger-led programs that vary by season. All programs, unless otherwise specified, are free and open to the public. In addition to these ranger-led programs, visitors can choose from a variety of bus tours, interpretive programs, self-guided programs, and custom hikes or birding outings. To learn more about these programs and to see the current events calendar, click here. 

Shuttles: 
Shuttle services are available within some (but not all) areas of the park. For visitors arriving in Yosemite Valley by public transportation, access to other areas of the park is possible. For more information on the park's shuttle services, website. 

• Yosemite Valley Shuttle: Free shuttle service. Provides service around eastern Yosemite Valley. Operates all year from 7 am to 10 pm.
• El Capitan Shuttle: Free shuttle service. Stops at El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, Four Mile trailhead, and the Valley Visitor Center. Operates from mid-June through early October from 9 am to 5 pm.
• Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area: Free shuttle service. Provides service twice daily between Yosemite Valley and Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area from mid-December through March.
• Glacier Point Tour: Many visitors purchase a one-way ticket on the Glacier Point Tour and take it from Yosemite Valley Lodge (formerly Yosemite Lodge) to Glacier Point, then hike back down to Yosemite Valley. This bus does not make stops at other trailheads. Service is available when the Glacier Point Road is open (typically late May through October).
• Tuolumne Meadows Shuttle: Provides access throughout the Tuolumne Meadows area during the summer (typically mid-June through early September).
• Yosemite Valley-Tuolumne Meadows Hikers' Bus: Provides service from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center. Service is available from late spring through late September.
• YARTS Highway 120 East Bus: YARTS (for a fee) provides service between Yosemite Village and Mammoth Lakes. Operates daily in July and August. Weekends only in June and September (conditions permitting).
• YARTS Highway 120 North Bus: YARTS (for a fee) provides service between Yosemite Village and Sonora. Operates daily from mid-May through September.
• YARTS Highway 41 Bus: YARTS (for a fee) provides service between Fresno and Yosemite Valley. Operates daily, year round.

REI Adventures: 
REI offers over 30 national park trips led by expert guides capable of taking you off the beaten path to discover hidden gems that many visitors never see. 

Check out REI Adventures' national park offerings here.

Yosemite National Park is a "mecca" for rock climbers. Known for its unrivaled sheer and towering granite domes, Yosemite is home to many of the most classic rock climbing routes in the world. Check out Mountain Project for all of the climbing beta on over 1,300 routes in Yosemite. Other great ways to enjoy the park include camping, birdwatching, fishing, horseback riding, and auto touring. In the warmer weather, visitors can also go swimming, boating, or rafting. Winter recreation is just as varied with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating all being popular winter activities. For those looking to extend their adventure outside of the park, opportunities for mountain biking abound, including at the nearby town of Mammoth Lakes and up the road at Buck Meadows.

To download a variety of free brochures to help plan your visit, click here.