Yosemite National Park in 48 hours and 29 miles

This post is one of many that came out of a cross-country USA road trip, where I moved from Texas to Lake Tahoe, in Northern California. Enjoy!

Yosemite National Park – an icon of American beauty and a shining example of the power of preservation – is an enormous area, covered in everything from waterfalls to mountain peaks to untouched wilderness. It offers beauty every season, ranging from the “fire waterfalls” in the summer to frost-covered wildflowers in the winter. It’s truly best explored over the course of several weeks. Originally called Ahwahnee, meaning “Big Mouth,” by indigenous tribes, Yosemite is quintessential wild america – in fact, more than 90% of the park is actually designated as uninhabited wilderness. It’s been a world heritage site since 1994, and has a cornucopia of natural and geological features within its 748,000 acres, including massive granite rock faces, ancient redwood and sequoia trees, waterfalls, lakes, mountains, and even glaciers. You could spend weeks exploring its secrets.

Unfortunately for me, I only had two days.

And if you’re exploring Yosemite for a weekend, you’ll only have two days too! So, here’s my agenda, along with some tips on what to do if you only have a weekend to spend in the park.

So here we go: How to spend 48 hours in Yosemite National Park.

Day 1: Arrival and the Great Ancients

I arrived at the park about mid afternoon through one of the southern entrances – driving north from Las Vegas, the Mariposa entrance is closest. Fortunately for me, it was also very near where I wanted to hike that day: the Mariposa Grove. The Mariposa Grove is home to 500 mature giant sequoias, among the largest and oldest living things on earth. Most of Yosemite’s “famous” trees are located here, including Grizzly Giant and the (now fallen) Tunnel tree.

I decided to go all the way up into the grove, which is about a 6 – 6.5 mile hike. That took about three hours, including frequent stops to take pictures. It’s pretty amazing to see the trees in their natural habitat once you start hiking higher up, as the trees closer to the lower section are generally fenced off to protect them from tourists. However, as you get further into the grove, the people-to-trees ratio starts to change in favor of the trees, and you get to get much more up close and personal with the giants.

Sadly, the tunnel tree has fallen, but the “damn, that tree is literally bigger than my house,” reaction is still definitely there.

There’s a shuttle to take you to the trees if you get stuck in one of the further away lots, but you probably won’t need it.

Grab some food, enjoy a nice dinner, or check in to your hotel, but whatever you do, don’t stay up late, because you’ve got a big day ahead of you tomorrow.

Map
Distance: Anywhere from 6 – 8 miles for the whole loop
Elevation: 1,490 foot gain

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Day Two: No pain, no gain!

I confess: I didn’t plan ahead well for visiting Yosemite, and all the hotels and campsites in the park

Courtesy of Mariposa Lodge

were booked. Fortunately, I did hear about an inexpensive place in the nearby town of Mariposa with charming rooms and free breakfast called – creatively – The Mariposa Lodge. I called the day before I arrived and managed to snag the last room. However, if you are able to plan in advance, I strongly recommend reserving a campsite online (they generally fill up for the summer by March) or booking a room at Camp Curry, which are essentially permanent tents in the park with electricity and actual beds.

Today, I arrived at a different entrance to the park: the Arch Rock entrance, which is closer to the Yosemite Valley. Once entering the park, you can head straight to Yosemite Falls to begin the hike before it gets too crowded, or, like I did, make a quick detour to stop and take some photos of the valley. “Inspiration point” and “tunnel view” are very near where I stopped, and the parking spaces tend to fill up quickly, so morning generally is the best time to get photos that aren’t spoiled with tourists and cars in the foreground.

Park anywhere near the Valley, hop on the free shuttle if you need to, and head to the Valley Visitor’s center to pick up a hiking map before your next ascent: a climb to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls.

Yosemite falls is divided into three sections: lower, upper, and middle. While all sections of the trails are heavily trafficked, upper Yosemite Falls is the least trafficked for the obvious reasons. It’s also one of the oldest trails in the park, built around 1875.

The hike isn’t the most challenging in the park, but it’s not the easiest either. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you hike often or are in better-than-average shape. The elevation gain is rather arduous at 2,700 ft/820m, mostly via switchbacks and paths through the woods. There are some steep drops so, you know, don’t fall off and die. There are great views along the trail, especially of the waterfall. At the end of the hike, you’re ON the waterfall, not looking at it – so take your photos along the way.

When you reach the top, be careful – you are on top of the largest waterfall in North America, after all. Enjoy the views, which look out well past Yosemite Valley out into the wilderness beyond. Make sure to check out the (almost) eye level Half Dome, as well as the often-overlooked-but-equally-imposing Sentinel Rock.

Budget about 5 – 6 hours for this hike, and bring layers, as it gets colder towards the top and in the shade. You may also get a bit wet from the waterfall’s spray, especially in the spring, so consider bringing a semi water-resistant jacket as well.

The best view in the park: Glacier Pass Road

After the climb up Yosemite Falls, take it easy for the rest of the day and explore some of the smaller waterfalls and historical buildings around the Valley floor.

When the temperatures start to drop, you’ll want to get in your car and start heading up the long and steep Glacier Pass Road to Glacier Point. (Do note that this road is entirely closed all winter due to its snow and high elevation.) The road normally doesn’t open until June; however, I just happened to be there in a rare year where it was able to open in April – in fact, fortunately, on the day I happened to be driving up!

Amazingly, on the drive up, I managed to spy one of the rarest animals in the park: a big horn sheep! With only about 50 left in the park, I credit my amazing luck to being one of the first vehicles up Glacier Pass Road in several months. Likely, the sheep had been moving freely throughout the entire area, and wasn’t aware that it was already time to start going back into the woods and watching out for tourists again. While I wasn’t able to take a photo or even see it for more than a few seconds, it was still an amazing sight.

At the top of glacier pass road is an amphitheater, accessible via a quick walk from the parking lot. I suggest bundling up and grabbing a spot up on the rocks, as the sunsets and view of the stars over half dome can’t be beat. Depending on how bright the moon is that day, you’ll get a spectacular view of half dome under the moonlight. Relax, enjoy, and think about how amazing it is that you get to be there on that day.

Okay: That’s it for the day! Head back to your hotel, massage your feet, and get ready for the last day in the park

PS: In the pic above I’m wearing a tank top, long sleeve T, windbreaker, puffy down vest and jacket over that. Dress. Warm.

Yosemite Falls Map
Glacier Pass Road Info
Total Distance for the Day: 9 – 10 miles
Total Elevation gain on foot: 2,900 feet (a little more than two Empire State Buildings)

Day three: A leisurely stroll and famous sights.

Enter the park again from the cave rock entrance and park near where you did the day before. Your trail starts near Yosemite Falls, so you may need to shuttle there to find the trailhead. This trail is long – 10.5 to 11.5 miles – but it’s mostly flat, and takes you through some of the loveliest views in the park, past the base of Half Dome, and to the famous Mirror Pond. Make sure you have a map with you (even a Visitor’s Center map will do) as the trail crosses other trails and campsites along the way, and you don’t want to end up lost.

Pic from National Park Service, thanks!

Head along the path on the Lower Yosemite Fall area, head west along the base of the Three Brothers rock formation,. If you are planning to hike the full loop, continue west past El Capitan toward Bridalveil Fall. While most of the trail is flat, there are some hilly sections throughout the hike., as well as mixed trail surface (rock, sand, dirt,) so have comfortable shoes.

At roughly the halfway point, you;’ll reach Mirror Pond, with half dome rising in the distance. This is a great place to take a rest, but make sure you don’t accidentally cross the upcoming bridge, or you’ll cut about six miles off your hike!

This is the most leisurely hike in the park, at least in terms of elevation gain. It’s great for photographers and hikers who have the stamina to hike long distances, but may not want something exceptionally strenuous. Sights you’ll encounter along the Valley floor’s 10-11 miles include Half Dome and el Capitan, Yosemite, Bridalveil and Vernal Falls.