SIERRA NEVADA · CALIFORNIA
Yosemite National Park
Granite cliffs, thundering waterfalls and ancient giant sequoias. A guide to one of America’s first and best-loved national parks.
Half Dome from Glacier Point. Photo: David Iliff, CC BY-SA 3.0
Welcome to Yosemite
Set in California’s Sierra Nevada, Yosemite protects roughly 750,000 acres of mountains, valleys and forest, nearly all of it designated wilderness. Most visitors spend their time in Yosemite Valley, a seven-square-mile, glacier-carved valley ringed by landmarks like El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. Beyond the valley are giant sequoia groves, high-country meadows, alpine lakes and miles of trails.
For the classic first look, stop at Tunnel View, open year-round, where El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall line up in one sweeping panorama. From Glacier Point, reached by a seasonal road, you look straight across at Half Dome, which rises more than 4,700 feet above the valley floor.
1890
Became a national park on October 1, 1890
~750,000
Acres of protected land, over 1,100 square miles
~4 million
Visitors in a typical year, most between May and October
1984
Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Highlights of the park
A few of the places that make Yosemite famous.
El Capitan
This sheer granite monolith rises roughly 3,000 feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley. It’s one of the world’s most famous big-wall climbing destinations, so look closely and you may spot climbers on its face.
Yosemite Falls
The park’s highest waterfall drops a total of 2,425 feet from the top of the Upper Fall to the base of the Lower Fall, and the Upper Fall alone plunges 1,430 feet. It’s most powerful in spring, when melting snow feeds it, and can slow to a trickle by late summer.
Mariposa Grove
In the park’s southern corner near Wawona, Yosemite’s largest grove of giant sequoias holds more than 500 mature trees, including the ancient Grizzly Giant.
Tuolumne Meadows
High in the park’s backcountry along Tioga Road, this broad subalpine meadow is a summer base for hikes to lakes, rivers and granite domes. The road usually closes for winter in late October or November and reopens in late May or June.
A brief history
Long before it became a park, the Yosemite region was home to Native American peoples, whose descendants keep close ties to the area today.
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, setting aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove for public use, an early milestone in American land preservation. After a campaign led by naturalist John Muir, Congress created Yosemite National Park on October 1, 1890, making it the country’s third national park after Yellowstone and Sequoia. In 1984, Yosemite was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Planning a visit in 2026
Yosemite is open 24 hours a day, year-round. Here’s what to know before you go.
Entrance fees
- Private vehicle: $35, valid for 7 consecutive days and covering everyone in the car
- Motorcycle: $30 for 7 days
- On foot, bike or horse: $20 per person for 7 days (under 16 free)
- Annual passes: Yosemite Annual Pass $70; America the Beautiful pass $80 for U.S. residents
- Non-U.S. residents (16+): since January 1, 2026, an extra $100 per person on top of the standard fee, unless entering with an annual or America the Beautiful pass ($250 for nonresidents)
- Entrance stations are cashless: cards and mobile payments only
Good to know
- No entrance reservation is required in 2026, but Yosemite Valley parking can fill early on busy days, so arrive early.
- All park entrances except Hetch Hetchy are open 24 hours a day.
- Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road typically close for winter between late October and mid-November and reopen in late May or June, depending on snow.
- Mountain weather changes quickly. Check current alerts and road status on the NPS website before you go.
Latest guides
Trail guides, seasonal updates and tips for planning your trip.
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From the Valley to Sentinel Dome: A Short Hike with a Giant View
I left Yosemite Valley before sunrise, drove up Glacier Point Road, and hiked a little over two miles to one…
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Hiking the Mist Trail to Nevada Fall: Your Route Options This Fall
How to reach the top of Vernal and Nevada falls: the Mist Trail out and back, the classic loop down…
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Bring Your Own Boat: Paddling the Merced River Through Yosemite Valley
How to float the Merced through Yosemite Valley in your own raft, kayak or canoe: where you can launch, when…
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Hiking Yosemite Falls This Spring: From the Lower Fall Loop to the Top
Yosemite Falls is roaring, and this year’s peak is coming early. Here’s how to see it, from the easy Lower…
Photo credits: Half Dome from Glacier Point by David Iliff, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Mariposa Grove and Tuolumne Meadows photos courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service (public domain).
This is an independent informational site and is not affiliated with the National Park Service. Fees and conditions change, so always confirm details at nps.gov/yose.