When to go
Conditions, crowds, and what each season asks you to pack.
Spring
60-70F
Cool and variable, valley highs 60-70F. Waterfalls peak with snowmelt in May and June.
Pack Rain shell, waterproof footwear, and layers; high country is still snowed in.
Summer
80-90F
Warm and dry in the valley, highs 80-90F. Tioga Road and the high country open up.
Pack Sun protection, water, and a reservation plan for entry and lodging.
Fall
65-75F
Mild and quiet, highs 65-75F. Waterfalls are low or dry; crisp clear air.
Pack Layers for cold nights; bear canister for any backcountry trip.
Winter
45-55F
Cold and snowy, valley highs 45-55F. Tioga and Glacier Point roads close.
Pack Chains for your tires, traction, and full insulation.
Top things to do
Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls
A steep, wet 7-mile classic that is busiest and best in late spring.
Half Dome
A 14-16 mile day with cables on the final dome; a permit lottery is required.
Glacier Point
A drive-up overlook of the valley and high country, open late spring through fall.
Anchor the day around Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls
Put the access rule first: shuttle, parking, timed-entry, or reservation windows should decide the order of the day. For one day in Yosemite, make Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls the non-negotiable, add Half Dome only if the first stop runs clean, and keep Glacier Point as the flexible finish.
- 1Start with Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls: A steep, wet 7-mile classic that is busiest and best in late spring.
- 2Add Half Dome: A 14-16 mile day with cables on the final dome; a permit lottery is required.
- 3Use Glacier Point as the optional finish, not as a reason to rush the whole day.
Plan your trip
Build one complete pack brief from Yosemite's season, activity, and trip length. Fine-tune an individual calculation only if you need it.
Fine-tune water, pack size, warmth, or stove fuel
Build around conditions
Let season, elevation, and weather set the plan.
Plan your trip
4 quick tools, already seeded for Yosemite. Tune the numbers around temperature swings, footing, layers, and how much margin the route needs.
What to pack
Start with the gear decisions Yosemite changes: water, footing, weather, and overnight needs. The checklist is there once your route and dates are set.
Kit Authority
Yosemite packing list
0 of 22 packed. Check items as you pack, then take this list to the store, trailhead, or campsite.
Pack planning
Decide what Yosemite asks of your kit before you start checking boxes.
Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.
- First constraintHydration and exposureWater, Electrolyte mix, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, 4 more
- Route realityFooting and tractionHiking boots, Hiking socks, Trekking poles
- Load choicePack and carry systemBackpacking pack
- If overnightSleep and shelterBackpacking tent, Sleeping bag, Sleeping pad, 1 more
Checklist mode
22 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.
- Dates and season are set.
- Primary route, campground, or lodge is chosen.
- Water, footwear, and overnight needs are sized.
One researched pick
The first gear decision for Yosemite
A stable daypack is the one purchase that organizes water, layers, food, first aid, and the small safety margin.
We may earn a commission from links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
THE DAY-HIKE PICK
Osprey Talon 22
- Volume
- 22 L
- Weight
- 2 lb 1 oz (945 g)
- Back Panel
- AirScape foam with ventilation channels
- Hipbelt Pockets
- 2 zippered
- Hydration
- Compatible up to 3 L reservoir (sold separately)
- Warranty
- All Mighty Guarantee (lifetime repair or replace)
The Talon 22 is the daypack you see on the trail more than any other for good reason: it packs in a padded hipbelt, adjustable torso harness, and dual hipbelt pockets into a 22-liter package that handles loads up to 20 lb without complaint. Owners across hundreds of Amazon ratings consistently cite its adjustability and durability as standouts.
- Adjustable torso fit covers a wide range of body sizes
- Padded hipbelt and dual hipbelt pockets at this size are rare
- At 2 lb 1 oz it runs heavier than ultralight rivals for the same volume
Best for
Hikers who want a proven all-around daypack with solid load support, plenty of adjustment, and a warranty they can actually use.
Gear for Yosemite
The buying guides that match what Yosemite asks of your kit. Each one has our current top picks across budget and use case.
Where to stay
Stay strategy
Sleep where the first morning stays simple.
Stay strategy
Stay in the valley if dawn trail access matters.
Yosemite lodging is a distance decision. Sleep in Yosemite Valley when your trip depends on early starts for the Mist Trail, Glacier Point Road access, or shuttle-free evenings. Use El Portal, Mariposa, or Oakhurst when in-park rooms are gone and you can absorb the morning drive.
- Best in-park base
- Yosemite Valley for classic hikes and shuttle access
- Reservation pressure
- Rooms and campsites sell out far ahead of peak season
- Backcountry rule
- Wilderness permit and approved bear canister required
- Road variable
- Tioga and Glacier Point roads are snow dependent
Compare base options
Compare each base by the first morning: where you park, what you ride, and how many decisions happen before the trail or viewpoint.
- Best for
- Mist Trail starts, valley shuttle access, sunset walks, and the least driving
- Tradeoff
- The best rooms and tent cabins vanish early, especially May through September.
Planning detail
Choose the valley if your itinerary is built around waterfalls, Half Dome logistics, or avoiding a long gateway commute before a hard hike.
- Best for
- Valley-focused trips when in-park lodging is full or too expensive
- Tradeoff
- You start each day with an entrance drive and peak-season reservation friction.
Planning detail
El Portal keeps the drive shortest from the west. Mariposa gives more services and value, but the commute becomes part of every day.
- Best for
- Early trail starts, lower lodging cost, and trips where weather flexibility matters
- Tradeoff
- Reservations are highly competitive and higher campgrounds open only after snow clears.
Planning detail
Book campground windows as seriously as lodging. Valley sites solve classic hikes; Tuolumne and high-country sites fit a Tioga Road trip only after seasonal opening.
- Best for
- Backpackers linking high country, waterfalls, or Half Dome permit plans
- Tradeoff
- Permits, trailhead quotas, and food-storage rules drive the whole itinerary.
Planning detail
Use the exact trailhead quota as the trip anchor. Overnight food must fit in an approved bear canister, and snow can keep high routes unrealistic well into summer.
Book by objective
Valley for waterfalls and Half Dome, Wawona for Mariposa Grove, high country only after Tioga opens.
Check roads
Do not assume Glacier Point or Tioga Road is open just because the valley is warm.
Camping reservations
Camping reservations
Learn Yosemite's 15th-of-the-month release or you will not camp in the Valley.
The Valley campgrounds (Upper Pines first among them) release five months ahead in one-month blocks on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific, and summer dates sell out in minutes. Pick your arrival window, find its release date, and be logged in to Recreation.gov before 7.
Reviewed June 11, 2026
Booking window
Upper, Lower, and North Pines plus Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow release five months ahead on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific; half of Tuolumne Meadows releases two months ahead, the rest 14 days out; Camp 4 releases on a rolling 7-day window.
- No entrance reservation is required in 2026, so the campground release is the only gate; expect sellouts to stay brutal.
- Camp 4 requires reservations from roughly mid-April through October 31 (booked 7 days ahead on a rolling window) and returns to first-come, first-served in winter.
- High-country campgrounds (Bridalveil Creek, Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat) release on a 14-day rolling window, the best fallback for late planners.
- Half Dome permits run on separate preseason and daily lotteries, and overnight trips need a wilderness permit plus an approved bear canister; none of that comes with a campsite.
Where to book or verify
The release calendar lives here: which arrival window opens on which 15th, campground by campground.
All reservable campgrounds book through Recreation.gov.
Required for all overnight backcountry trips; bear canisters are mandatory.
Cable-route day hikes need a permit from the preseason or daily lottery.
Use this for wilderness permits, timed systems, tours, and other park-specific reservations.
Campgrounds to know
Upper Pines Campground
Details- Booking
- Five months ahead, released on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific.
- Season
- Open all year.
- Sites
- Tent, RV, and trailer sites in Yosemite Valley.
- The biggest Valley campground and the default target; summer dates vanish within minutes of release.
Wawona Campground
Details- Booking
- Five months ahead on the 15th-of-the-month release.
- Season
- Open all year; reservation season runs spring through fall.
- Sites
- Tent and RV sites along the South Fork Merced River.
- An hour from the Valley but close to Mariposa Grove, and slightly easier to land than the Pines.
Tuolumne Meadows Campground
Details- Booking
- Half the sites release two months ahead on the 15th; the other half 14 days ahead on a rolling window.
- Season
- Approximately July to late September.
- Sites
- Large high-country campground for tents, RVs, and groups.
- The high-country base at 8,600 feet; its split release gives flexible planners a real second chance.
Camp 4
Details- Booking
- Rolling 7-day window during the reservation season.
- Season
- Open all year; reservations required mid-April through October 31, first-come from November.
- Sites
- Walk-in shared tent sites, no RVs or trailers.
- The historic climbers' campground; you book per person, not per site, and sites are shared.
Bridalveil Creek Campground
Details- Booking
- 14 days ahead on a rolling daily window.
- Season
- Sometime in July to early September.
- Sites
- Tent and small-RV sites on Glacier Point Road.
- Cooler than the Valley and bookable on short notice, with Glacier Point and Taft Point nearby.
Getting there and practical info
Plan the handoff from arrival to shuttle.
Parking, pedestrian entrances, and shuttle timing decide how calmly the first morning starts.
Getting there
Get to Yosemite, then remove the first-morning friction.
- Nearest airport
- Fresno Yosemite (FAT) about 2.5 hours to the valley
- Access rhythm
- Park once, ride in
- Region
- California
Fly in
Fresno Yosemite (FAT) is the closest airport, about 2.5 hours from the valley; many visitors also drive in from the Bay Area or Sacramento.
Shuttle access
A car gives the most freedom, but the free valley shuttle covers the main sights once you arrive.
Car strategy
In peak season you may need a timed-entry reservation in addition to the entrance fee, and Tioga Road across the high country is closed by snow from roughly November to May.
Pair this with lodging: sleep where the park transfer is simple, especially if your route needs an early start.
Can you photograph here? Permit and drone rules
When the EXPLORE Act lets small groups shoot Yosemite without a permit, when larger productions still need one, and the park-wide drone ban.
- Permit
- Usually fine for personal shoots; commercial or large productions can need a permit
- Drones
- Effectively banned: launching, landing, or operating a drone within park boundaries is prohibited
- Land
- Yes for personal and editorial photography throughout the park
From our photography sister site, Aperture Authority. Verified 2026-06-28.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a reservation to enter Yosemite National Park?
In recent peak seasons Yosemite has required a timed-entry reservation on top of the entrance fee during busy summer and holiday periods. The exact dates change year to year, so confirm on the park website before your trip.
When are Yosemite's waterfalls best?
Waterfalls peak with snowmelt in May and June. By late summer many, including Yosemite Falls, slow to a trickle or dry up entirely, so come in late spring for the full show.
Do you need a bear canister to backpack in Yosemite?
Yes. An approved bear-resistant canister is required for overnight backcountry trips in Yosemite. Store all food and scented items inside it, away from your tent.
Keep planning
Compare with another park
Nearby parks
Kings CanyonA glacier-carved canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon, giant sequoias, and a roadless High Sierra backcountry.
SequoiaHome of the General Sherman, the largest tree on Earth, in a high Sierra forest of giant sequoias.
Death ValleyThe hottest, driest, lowest national park in the country, where below-sea-level salt flats meet 11,000-foot peaks.