Yosemite Two Yosemite Two What to Do With An Extra Day or Two?
Proceed from gate entrance to the valley floor. The highway is a one way loop with many places to park and enjoy the scenery. First stop on your right, Bridalveil Falls. This 620 foot falls never dries up, so take a short hike to the fall vista. Continue on and you will see the massive 3,600 foot chunk of granite known as El Capitan. There is plenty of parking up ahead to stop and view. El Capitan attracts climbers from around the world. Get out your binoculars, you may also spot a pair of Peregrine Falcons. This cliff was first climbed in 1958 and it took 43 days to reach the summit. As you proceed on you will notice the famous Yosemite Falls in the background on your left. Again there is plenty of parking ahead to stop and view or take pictures. Later on you will end up near the falls and be able to hike to it. Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America, and fifth in the world. You have probably noticed the most famous rock structure in the park , Half Dome. You will see this structure often from all parts of the park. Half Dome towers 4,882 feet above the valley floor. As you continue forward on the Valley Floor, you will notice Curry Village on your left. You can stop here to rent bicycles or rafts and shop at the gift shop or the several food vendors. You may want to plan your day with a few hours touring the valley on the miles of bicycle paths available, or relax and enjoy the vista's floating gently down the Merced river on your own raft. Coming up on your right is the Yosemite Village area. There is shopping, food vendors, and a museum in this area. You will want to plan a hour or two here. Continuing around the Valley loop, you will approach the Yosemite Falls area on your left. This is a definite stop. With plenty of parking and restrooms, you can refresh yourself before you take the short and easy walk to the bottom of Yosemite Falls. There are excellent picture opportunities here, starting the minute you leave your vehicle. As you leave this parking lot you can continue directly across the highway to the Yosemite Lodge area. This area is also filled with shops and food vendors, but it is also the starting point for any guided tours you may wish to experience in the park. They have a very good selection of tours from Valley Floor tours (two hour) to half day tours of Glacier Point, or take the Grand Tour, a full day excursion covering Yosemite's spectacular south side. See our info page on tours. Depending on your 1-day excursion you may want to start your whole journey here since the previous listed attractions will be covered on these guided tours. Finishing up on the Valley loop you will pass in front of El Capitan. There will be pull-over area on your left. You may want to stop and look through your binoculars at the climbers on the famous cliff. Or just stretch your legs in the beautiful meadow nearby. Hiking: If you like to hike, there are many trails of a variety of length and degree of difficulty. As you enter the Park you will receive a Yosemite Guide that has information about the whole park including all the hiking trails. The most popular trails in the park are Mist trail or John Muir Trail. Also available is a two part hike to Vernal Falls. 1) Vernal Falls footbridge, 1.4 miles round trip, moderate. 1-2 hours. 2) Top of Vernal Falls, 3 miles round trip, strenuous, 2-4 hours. This concludes a full day's suggested itinerary, should you have additional days available continue on with our two day tour. Spend the first day in the Valley Floor as suggested on the one day excursion. Day Two, Glacier Point and Mariposa Big Trees Proceeding onward, follow the signs to Glacier Point. You will have about a 45 minute drive. A few miles before Glacier Point is a restroom stop and for you hikers the Sentinel Dome hike is located on your left. A 2 mile hike round trip, moderate , allow 2 hour minimum, you will embrace a spectacular view of the south end of the valley floor. Highly recommended. Next stop Glacier Point, have your camera ready, your first site of Half Dome will be breath taking. There is a pull out parking area on your left, right before Glacier Point, that is worth the visit. Views of Vernal and Nevada Falls and Half Dome and information stations are located in this stop off. At Glacier Point the parking is limited, in season you may want to hit this early, and make your other stops on the return trip. You also might want to unload your passengers at the front entrance before you park. Glacier Point is a breathtaking view of the High Sierra and the valley floor below. Standing 3,214 foot above the valley floor, this tour rates as good or better than what you visited down below. There is food service available at the top, take it to go or pack a sack lunch, and sit out on the point and enjoy the quiet and beauty as you nourish yourself. For you hikers, you can take a one way tour to the top and hike down the 4 mile trail to the valley floor. Strenuous, 4.8 miles, allow 3-4 hours. When you are done with your visit to Glacier Point, proceed back to the t-intersection of Highway 41. Turn left, and you are headed for the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees. The largest of the three groves of sequoias trees in the park, this grove has over 500 of the large trees. And with a short 3/4 mile moderate hike you can visit "The Grizzly Giant" estimated age over 2,700 years old with a 31 foot base. Plan on a couple hours minimum, and there is a tram ride available in the summer months. Day #1 Day #2 Shuttle available to the valley floor from outside towns, click here for info.
If you have the extra time in your schedule, there is a wealth of attractions and sites to visit on the Highway 120 corridor leading out of Yosemite. A variety to fit anyone's fancy. What's nice is that all these attractions are within a one hours drive. And any given time of the year there are many special events, festivities, and live music. Shuttle service is available to some of these attractions. Click here. Visit the oldest working saloon in California, or visit the many quaint shops on main street in this old gold town. Located at the eastern end of the Motherlode, where all the 49er's discovered gold in the mid 1800's. An old fashioned swimming hole complete with waterfalls. You can swim, sit under the falls, jump off cliffs, and relax in your own private pool. You can also fish, hike, spend the afternoon and have a picnic. Explore the natural surroundings of this spectacular lake. The Yosemite National Park to the east and the Emigrant Wilderness to the north compliment the natural highlights of Cherry Lake. The area is popular for hiking trails, boating, camping, fishing, and hunting. Cherry Lake is located at the junction of National Forest Service Roads 17 and 14. One of Californians' largest reservoirs, known nationally for its bass fishing. Relax, boat, ski, fish, or jet-ski all afternoon. Three boat launch ramps are located around the 26 mile long lake. Service marinas provide a variety of services to both boaters and campers. The area is open year-round. Moccasin Point Marina Old gold town with plenty of shopping, antiques, an old steam train ride and railroad museum. Jimtown 1849 Gold Mining Camp Railtown 1897 State Historic Park The most pristine of all the gold towns in the Motherlode. Experience the sights and sounds of a living gold rush town. Columbia, called the "Gem of the Southern Mines" seems to be frozen in the past. A State Historic Park, and it is FREE. Columbia State Historic Park Columbia State Mining Museum Lots of shopping and antiques in this Motherlode gold town - the county seat. Sonora Fire Department Museum Tuolumne County Museum Tuolumne County Veterans Military Museum |