Calendar of Free Entrance Days to National Parks
Enjoy five days in 2023 when national park entrance is free.
Enjoy five days in 2023 when national park entrance is free.
Reservations are required to visit Yosemite National Park during weekends February 2023, but not in the summer.
One of only three ski areas with lifts in national parks.
Explore Yosemite's backcountry courtesy of sure-footed horses and mules.
Get to Yosemite and neighboring parks fast.
Learn how to capture stunning night landscape pictures of the stars and Milky Way in this nine-part online photography course.
Winter is a beautiful time to explore the park and gateway towns. With fewer visitors, you can find peace in this winter wonderland, and also adventure without lines.
Congratulations to Mary Probst of Breckenridge, Colo., winner of the Yosemite Road Trip contest. See previous winners at the bottom of the page.
Soak up grand vistas instead of whizzing by them in a car.
Yosemite's Glacier Point Ski Hut and Ostrander Ski Hut plus Pear Lake Winter Hut in Sequoia National Park
Stay in canvas tents with shared showers and bathrooms, plus eat in a dining room serving hearty breakfasts and dinners, all at an elevation of 9,000 feet.
Go ice skating in the heart of Yosemite National Park or in gateways at the west and south entrances to the park.
Enter February 15 through August 31, 2023
During your Yosemite vacation, you would be very lucky indeed to get a chance to see wild bighorn sheep up close and personal. But even catching a glimpse of these majestic mammals from afar can be a thrill.
With a wide range of elevations, Yosemite National Park offers a completely different visual experience in the fall than any other season.
The valley has an iconic rock formation called Kolana Rock, and Wapama Falls which flows year-round, yet relatively few people visit this area of the park.
Go on an unforgettable hiking, snowshoeing or ski vacation.
Top off your Yosemite vacation by listening to a ranger chat about wild black bears, or joining a guided photography walk or snowshoe trip.
Off-the-beaten-path lodging in Yosemite National Park
Students in the 4th grade can get a free annual entry pass for their family to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks.
Get better acquainted with artistic legacy during your Yosemite vacation by visiting the Ansel Adams Gallery and galleries of basket making and painting.
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State Route 120 in Northern California is about 206 miles long. Let’s take a journey along this historic road, from west to east.
Do you know where you're going?
Find natural attractions, visitor centers and incredible museums, along with hotels, campgrounds and restaurants.
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Visitors to Yosemite can drive on roads throughout the park. However, we encourage you to use shuttle buses, where available. Also, some roads are closed at certain times of the year.
Yosemite National Park is located in central California with unique Sierra Nevada gateway towns surrounding it. The park has five main entrances.
Hit the trail during your Yosemite vacation! Choose Yosemite National Park trails based on how easy or family-friendly they are.
A lake, train and wine trail await right outside the national park.
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Head to these granite gems for big vistas and easy treks across rock that is full of geology lessons.
Nearly 95 percent of Yosemite National Park is designated Wilderness. Wilderness is a special distinction granted by Congress protecting land from further development. The best way to experience the 1,100 square miles of the Yosemite Wilderness is to explore it first hand.
Listen to live music, shop at a farmers market, and play a round of golf. Then stop by the visitor center for park entry passes and info about Yosemite.
If you have a trip planned to Yosemite National Park this summer, go ahead and leave the bear spray at home. It’s not allowed within park boundaries.
The dark night skies of Yosemite National Park make it a perfect place to stargaze.
Come play in the snow inside Yosemite and also nearby winter play areas such as Tenaya and Sequoia National Park.
Half-and full-day guided whitewater rafting trips on the Merced River minutes from Yosemite.
Stand on the Yosemite Creek bridge below Yosemite Falls in March and April and you may see frazil ice in the creek and a snow cone under the upper falls.
If you’re heading to the home of El Capitan and Half Dome, remember that there’s a fee for entering Yosemite.