When you enter Yosemite National Park, you are immediately awestruck by its towering waterfalls plunging into the Merced River, the groves of giant sequoia trees and massive domes of granite, the most famous being Half Dome and El Capitan. But explore deeper and you’ll learn about historic lodges, California’s Gold Rush history, Buffalo Soldiers and the resilient people who lived in, built and advocated for Yosemite as it became a national park. Here are a few basic Yosemite essentials you need to know before planning your trip.

Get your pass.

You won’t need a timed-entry reservation to visit in 2026, but you’ll need to pay a park entrance fee. You can buy a $35, 7-day pass at a park entrance station, or use your America the Beautiful or other interagency annual pass to get into the national park.

Catch a ride.

Skip the headache of circling for parking spots multiple times a day and take the Yosemite Valley Shuttle. Park in the lot at Yosemite or Curry villages or Yosemite Falls and then explore for the day by shuttle. Besides driving to the park, you can take an Amtrak train from select cities or a regional bus from a gateway town.

Black bear at Tenaya Lake in Yosemite (Photo: Getty Images) Be bear aware.

Yosemite is home to hundreds of black bears so it’s important to properly store your food to make sure you don’t have an unwanted visitor. During the day, you can store food and other scented items in a locked car or RV with the windows rolled up. At night, you must store these items in a food locker located in your campground or a parking lot. Bear spray is prohibited in the park.

Drink up!

Drinking plenty of water is key to staying hydrated and warding off the effects of hiking at high elevation. Bring at least two liters of water per person with you when you hit the trails.