Planning a trip to Yosemite > opinions

[Tsmith]

The wife and I are looking into visiting Yosemite this coming Spring (early May) or Fall 2006 (late September or early October). We just haven't decided on which might be better in terms of weather, colors of the season and namely crowds ... want to avoid the summer masses for sure. We thought about flying into San Francisco and staying for a couple of days then renting a car for the trip there and hopefully staying at either one of these places: LODGING OVERVIEW (http://www.yosemitepark.com/lodges2col.cfm?SectionID=22&PageID=36).

Guess I should ask too how long of a drive is it between the two locations and points of interest along the way.

Thanks in advance!

[Sean-Mcr]

I've never been, so can't give any advice but here's a few tips by Fred Miranda to read (if you've not read them already)

http://www.fredmiranda.com/article_4/

[primoz]

We were over there last summer. Yes I know it's not best time but going over there for holidays from Europe you have to make some compromises (we were traveling around National parks on Southwest).
If I could choose and visit just Yosemite I would probably pick spring not fall. Actually fall might be good too because of colors, but I'm sure spring would be nicer with all those flowers and water from melting snow. Ok this is my personal opinion but still. We stayed in Camp4 since we all prefer tents over hotels, not to mention once in lifetime experience when waking up in middle of night, taking look through tent net, seeing bear on other side of thin net staring at you :) When we were leaving, we went to San Francisco, so we were going opposite way as you are planning. Driving to SF wasn't really bad at all, and it's about 4hours drive, if you are in hurry I'm sure you can be even faster.
Concerning crowd... I was actually surprised to see so many people there. Everywhere else people just dissapeared once when we were less then 10min walk of the road, but in Yosemite they were everywhere, even if we were walking for hour or two, there were still bunch of people. It might be better earlier or later (we were there in July) but it was really bad for me. This was one reason why I wasn't really impressed with Yosemite. Another is that I'm living in pretty much same landscape here, so personally I was much more impressed with deserts and canyons then with Yosemite. But it's still really beautiful place... especially if you are lucky and there's less people.

[jgjulio]

Yosemite is one of my favorite places in the world. I have been going there for over 25 years. We now visit every winter in January. I don't like the summer because of the crowds of people. In the spring and fall it is also very beautiful. However it is difficult to predict when the spring flowers will appear and the fall colors will be at their hight. I always has to do with how much rain and snow they get each year.

In the winter there are many less people and Yosemite valley is quite beautiful.

We stay at Yosemite Lodge. The rooms are nice but not fancy. The major attraction is that the lodge is right in the valley. The Ahwahnee Hotel is also in the valley and it is very very distinctive and elegant. It is expensive to stay there. We spend a lot of time in the hotels sitting room and eat in their dinning room which is also very distinctive and beautiful.
Curry village is a camp like experience with tent cabins. That is wooden floors and fabric walls and ceilings. Very rustic, no baths (communal baths are available) and it is closed in the winter.

The other options are lodges that are miles away from the valley which is the "main attraction" to Yosemite.

Whenever you go I think you will be impressed with this "wonder of the world" and do yourself a big favor... bring a camera! Wide angle shots are everywhere!

Oh and make reservations early!!!! These places fill up very fast and you will not be able to get lodging anywhere near the valley.

[defordphoto]

From SF to Yosemite Village is 190 miles and about a 3 hrs 41 mins drive. Other than SF itself and then once you reach Mariposa, there really isn't too much exciting in the way of scenery.

As for Yosemite itself, there is no wrong time of the year to go. Each season offers its own beauty. Here is a link to a live cam in the valley... http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/index.htm

[Tsmith]

Thanks for the input so far guys. Starting another Favorites Folder for Yosemite Links.

[Tsmith]

So am I guessing right that most of the Big Falls are dried up during the early October time of the year?

[thomascanty]

Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls are pretty much dried up by the end of summer. If you want to see them in their full glory, spring is the best time to go.

[Maureen Souza]

The best waterfall time is the 2nd week of May until the end of June. Last year they were astounding due to the huge amount of snowpack.
The wild flowers vary, they bloom in June in Yosemite valley and into August in the higher country, up by Tuolomne Meadows. The lovely thing about Yosemite is every season has it's glory. it is one of the most beautiful parks in the country. Go when you can and enjoy it for the moment.

[robertwgross]

Yosemite is a very special place, and it is probably one big factor that caused me to move to California many years ago.

Yosemite Valley occupies less than 10% of the entire national park, yet that is where 90% of the park visitors spend their entire time. The high country of the park, mostly 3000 feet above Yosemite Valley, is inaccessible by vehicle for the months of November to about May, so the high country is a good place to go in winter only if you are a cross-country skier. The big thaw starts around March and continues through May each year, so the biggest waterfall activity is about late April to late May. The waterfalls continue into the summer months, but the flow will vary a lot year-by-year. The dogwoods flower around April-May. The autumn colors can be nice around October. Yosemite Valley can be pretty neat in mid-winter if you enjoy snow, and one small downhill ski resort is around 7000 feet elevation.

Personally, I prefer to sit on top of one easy peak that overlooks Yosemite Valley, and it has the best panoramic view of the place that would be of interest to photographers.

---Bob Gross---

[Tsmith]

Excellent firsthand knowledge guys and gals ... its definitely turning into a matter choice now, early May or early October. Is it a pretty given that one can expect Fall colors the first week of October?

[jgjulio]

My experience with Yosemite and trying to predict what 3-4 day period to go and get the fall colors or spring flowers is hit and miss. I don't know if you will get lucky and get your colors but I will tell you that whatever nature has in store for you when you get there you will be happy and impressed.

[Tsmith]

My experience with Yosemite and trying to predict what 3-4 day period to go and get the fall colors or spring flowers is hit and miss. I don't know if you will get lucky and get your colors but I will tell you that whatever nature has in store for you when you get there you will be happy and impressed.

I believe you 100% ... biggest issue of thought is trying to avoid the masses.

[robertwgross]

Is it a pretty given that one can expect Fall colors the first week of October?

Yes, absolutely. But the question is: Where, exactly?

The entire park has several different vegetation zones since it goes from less than 3000 feet up to over 13,000 feet elevation. First of all, you have to ask: Where are the trees?

Trees grow up to around 11,000 feet elevation. However, the best ones for yellow color are found on the East Side of the park and just outside the boundary in Lee Vining Canyon and Lundy Canyon. About October 15-30 is best. There are broadleaf trees that grow in Yosemite Valley, which is only 4000 feet elevation. Trees lower than that, in my opinion, are not colorful. Note that it is a long drive from Lundy Canyon to Yosemite Valley, and that assumes that it is still early enough in the fall that the road is open. This year, the road closed around the end of October.

---Bob Gross---

[Tsmith]

Bob ... whats the elevation at Yosemite Lodge and for a change of season question: are many of the wild flowers in bloom during the first part of to mid May? How are the crowds during this time?

Thanks for you time

[johnnybfan]

Hi Blue, my family and I went there in early August,2004. The park was beautiful and really awesome but......Yosemite Falls was just barely a trickle - Bridalveil about the same. We stayed in the Housekeeping Camp and loved it. Gotta watch out for those bears, though!!
Really, we had a great time, The only thing I would change next time is that I would go earlier in the summer/late spring. Oh! another will be to have the proper camera equipment (not p&s). We were going to go back this past summer but my wife had some serious health problems & had to cancel. She's just about 100% now so we've rescheduled for next June.
No matter what time of the year you go to Yosemite you'll understand the word "awesome".
Our first time was breath-taking and so will out next, and our next, and our - well you get the idea. Have fun and enjoy. :):):):):)

[robertwgross]

Bob ... whats the elevation at Yosemite Lodge and for a change of season question: are many of the wild flowers in bloom during the first part of to mid May? How are the crowds during this time?


How many flowers? That is sort of like asking how many stars are in the sky.

Yosemite Lodge is in the middle of Yosemite Valley, which is 4000 feet elevation. The upper rim of Yosemite Valley is around 7000-7500 feet, so the "high country" kind of starts from the rim and goes up from there.

I will wager that I can find blooming flowers somewhere in the park at any month from March until September. However, to do that, I will be jockeying around in elevation a lot. As a general rule, the spring season begins around March-April at the lowest elevations, below Yosemite Valley in the Merced River Canyon. Keyword here is "Hite Cove." Then the flowers will start up in Yosemite Valley around April and May, but the ground will be swampy. By mid-June, I am searching for flowers to photograph up along the lower sections of the valley rim, so maybe 7000 feet on the sunny slopes, and a month later on the north-facing slopes. The road through the high country opens by June, as a general rule. By early July, I will be shooting around 9000-9500 feet. By late July, the flowers will be blooming around 10,000 feet. Then a few will last off into August and September. I have flower shots from 12,500 feet in August. So, the flowers you will see depends on when you get there. I'm up there all the time, so I kind of know what to expect.

Crowds tend to concentrate into Yosemite Valley prior to when the high country opens up. Crowds tend to be heavy during water fall season in April-May. Summer campers will be running the place ragged through June-July-August over the whole park. Then after September 15-30, the high country camps start to dry up and close down, so there is a quiet period during October and possibly into November. The high roads will close about then, so that pushes the crowds back into the valley again. The winter months can be quite pleasant in Yosemite Valley, and it is not so busy.

My favorite time is to head into the high country to Tuolumne Meadows about March. The road is not open, so we go in on cross-country skis for a few days. By the time we head back down after that time, the spring thaw is beginning, and new life appears growing again.

During 2005, my best flower photography there was around June 20-July 10 at elevations of 7000-8000 feet.

---Bob Gross---

[Tsmith]

All excellent and noted advice ... I really do appreciate it!

[robertwgross]

No matter what everybody says, the black bears in Yosemite really are not that dangerous. They will seek out any food smell, however slight. They will rip open a car that smells good. They will do anything to sneak your food away, but they very seldom harm humans unless they are from out of town.

Don't think of black bears as some sort of evil force that is trying to get your food or harm you. Instead, them of them as a wildlife photo subject.

---Bob Gross---

[jgjulio]

Bears and other wild life are at home in Yosemite. The problem is with the visitors thinking that they are not wild no matter how cute they look. It is prudent to "look and not touch" and leave them to their lives. Lot of folks have had the painful experiences of approaching and touching and trying to pet the wild critters. Deer are cute but they bite. Bears are also magnificant but also wild and a mother bear will tear you an new one if they feel their cubs are in danger.
Most problems are due to people not to the wild life.
Enjoy!

[primoz]

It's out of topic but I feel it's still important for everyone even though it's not directly connected to Bluedog's question.
I would correct you here Jgjulio... it's not most of problems but ALL problems. Every single animal which might bite or eat you is living on his/her teritory. You are always, and not just most of time, intruder... even if it's in city... few years back it was only their teritory. So from my point of view, we are visiting them so we have to stick to their rules and not opposite. And doing so it's fine. Even though it wasn't really nice feeling when I woke up in middle of night and saw bear on other side of thin tent net. But it was one of best moments of this years holidays on the end. It didn't feel like that, that particular moment, but after that... I'm still happy (or whatever right word is for this feeling) whenever I think about this, even if few months are gone already :)

[jgjulio]

Primoz I accept your correction. I also agree that it is ALWAYS the humans that cause any of the problems with animals. It is their home and we are visiting.