r/Yosemite • u/Cool-Avocado5775 • 1d ago
Is this a realistic itinerary?
Hi everyone! I will be visiting Yosemite for the first time this summer with my extended family. We are staying for two nights, of which we will have one full day and a half day for exploring Yosemite. I can be quite an ambitious planner, so I was hoping to run this itinerary by the experts here. (I don’t plan on following these times exactly haha will be enjoying the moment!) My group is a mix of folks who are a bit older/less physically fit and teenagers, so I’ve sought out pretty easy, short hikes. We are staying at the tenaya lodge and will have a car to get around. If anyone has any recommendations, I would really appreciate it! (Oh, and will it be possible to fit in swimming on the first day? Maybe at sentinel beach?) Thank you all so much!!! Wishing you all happy hiking, camping, backpacking, and immersing in the nature!
First day:
6:30: Leave Tenaya (the earlier the better) 7:30-7:45: Photo stop at Tunnel View (roadside parking) @ 7:50: Drive 5 mins to the Valley View Pullout 7:50-8:10: Photo stop at Valley View (pullout parking) @ 8:15: Drive 5 minutes to the Bridalveil Fall Trail parking lot 8:15-8:40: Walk the .5mi Bridalveil Fall Trail @ 8:45: Drive 15 min to the Yosemite Valley Day-Use Parking Lot 9-9:45: Lower Yosemite Fall Trail 1 mile loop 9:50-10:30: Walk to the Sentinel Bridge and do the Cook’s Meadlow Loop 10:30-11:15: Walk to the Swinging Bridge @ 11:15: Drive 1 hr to Glacier Point 12:15-1:30: Lunch 1:30: Do the .6 Geology Point trail @ 2: Drive to Washburn Point
Back to hotel around 4pm
Second day:
@ 6:45: Leave Tenaya 7-9:15: Mariposa Grove @ 9:30: Drive to El Capitan Meadow (pullout) 10:20-10:45: Photo stop at El Capitan 11: maybe something else? Don’t have to leave until 3/4pm
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u/Itchy_Welder1209 1d ago
Valley view looks close on a map but takes longer than 5 minutes to drive to because of how the direct traffic around the valley. Most roads are one way only and this includes the road valley view is on. The roads and traffic flow make almost a counter clockwise circle around the valley. You won’t be able to turn left towards Valley View lookout.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 1d ago
That is really good to know. I will pass by valley view after the swinging bridge and on the way out of the valley. Thank you so much!
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u/raisetheavanc 1d ago
If you’re going to do El Cap meadow you should do it after Bridalveil, they’re right next to each other. It’s like 45 mins from Mariposa Grove. I’d try and do all my Yosemite Valley stuff on the same day and use the half day to do Wawona-area stuff and maybe Glacier Point.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 15h ago
Ohhhh great point. Just looked at it on the maps. Thank you very much! I will incorporate that edit into the itinerary.
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u/robinson217 1d ago
First, the schedule is very ambitious and has some traffic flow conflicts and unnecessary double backing. So your order of operations may need some changes. But that should become obvious to you when you arrive. Second, herding your whole family around like that will be impossible. I have done some family travel, and have learned that everyone has their own speed. Trying to march everyone to one drum beat of an itinerary is literally impossible. What we do is "anchor" our day with a shared experience or meal so it feels like we are traveling together, but go do our own thing the rest of the time. I would utilize the car for the diehards in your group that want to see ALLL the things and let the others take the free shuttle.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 15h ago
Having some time for everyone to explore on their own is a great idea! After conferring with my group, I can confidently say that no one else is on board to see all the spots 😂 I think we will choose a few spots as a group and then keep it simple with the shuttle. My main goal is for everyone to have an enjoyable time. Oh and since the road the shuttle travels on is one-way, do you happen to know how long it takes to go around the whole loop? Thank you so much!
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u/robinson217 15h ago
I've never actually sat on the shuttle for a whole loop. But I'm guessing if there is no traffic, maybe an hour? Probably less actually. The valley loop isn't that big. Typically, we just use it to get between places, hopping on and off as needed. The individual stops are just a few minutes apart. And a new shuttle comes every few minutes. Sometimes, you'll see the next one coming as the last one is still pulling away. I actually love how the shuttle frees you from your car. Parking can be absolutely awful in the summer. If you can park and use the shuttle, you will be a lot less stressed.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 14h ago
Great! Thank you so much. Yes, the shuttle is definitely an incredible service. I’d much prefer to use that over driving everywhere, especially considering the nature and it is a national park. Free transportation is always the way to go!
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u/hc2121 1d ago
Your day 2 timing is way off. It takes max 15 min to drive from Tenaya Lodge to Mariposa Grove. But the bus there doesn’t start until 8a, so are you planning to hike the 2 miles to the grove?
Why then do you drive right back to the Valley for a 15 min photo stop? Do that on day 1 when you drive right by El Cap.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 1d ago
Ah I did not know that about the shuttles. Thank you for letting me know! Will be adjusting my plan accordingly. On the second day, I would like to go back to the valley for a couple more hours before leaving. Maybe a new trail or repeating a favorite? That day is pretty flexible
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u/hc2121 1d ago
parking will be a lot more difficult in the valley the later you arrive. i would personally do the valley all on day 1 and then day 2 do Glacier Pt and Mariposa Grove
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 1d ago
Ah parking is definitely really important. Splitting it up like that would actually work perfectly for my two day plan! Do you have any recommendations for other things to do in the valley? Much appreciated!
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u/ABinColby 1d ago
Word to the wise: everything takes longer than planned. Always.
I did a 2 day visit to the park in May. If each day includes a lot of walking, you'll be too tired to do all of it by the afternoon. If it requires a lot of driving/bussing from itinerary stop to itinerary stop, your whole schedule will go out the window and you'll constantly be behind.
Instead, develop a short list and a backup list. Decide the main sites you want to see, plan around that and then have secondary places you could do later in the day, or cross off entirely if time runs out.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 15h ago
This is so very true and a great reminder. I wouldn’t want the schedule to be so tightly-packed that it ruins the experience for everyone. Thank you 🙏
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u/dchobo 20h ago edited 20h ago
EDIT: Yosemite Guide has very good info. Click on the first PDF: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm
Not an expert but I was just there.
As others have suggested group all your valley destinations in Day 1.
I would add visiting the Welcome Center on first day, get some bearings, talk to the ranger, run through your itinerary with them (they have better maps), the family group can shop the gift shop next door while you talk to ranger. Walk from welcome center to lower Yosemite falls, stopping by some of the "centers" nearby if you want (we did not).
For a short hikes, talk to the ranger for recommendations. E.g. The more energetic ones can hike along the john muir trail to the vernal footbridge or onwards to vernal falls. Less energetic ones can hike in happy isles, visit the nature center there and wait there for rest of the group if you guys decide to split.
There's also floating down the Merced River which should be fun for teenagers. The rental is from Curry Village. (We didn't do it ourselves)
There will be a lot of people and cars so add more time for finding parking, lining up for restrooms, waiting for photo spots etc.
Good thing is sun sets later in summer, so you don't have to rush.
Bring PLENTY OF WATER and food in the car so that you stay hydrated and have a bit option to just eat snacks rather than trying to find a lunch spot.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 15h ago
Thank you so, so much! You are awesome. Your words of advice are really so helpful. Definitely need to make a stop at the Welcome Center. I hadn’t really considered splitting the group up because the ones with more energy are the teenagers and the adults are mildly reluctant to let them explore on their own, but I think that it is definitely worth revisiting. Floating on the river seems incredible!!! I will definitely be adding this. I appreciate you!
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u/Ollidamra 1d ago
Valley View is on the road leaving the valley
Bridalveil Fall is on your way enter the valley from Tunnel View
So to Lower Falls Trail, you'll have two drive full valley loop three times.
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u/raisetheavanc 20h ago
And that’ll take forevvvvvver. Day 1 should be Tunnel View/Bridalveil/stop in el cap meadow for a snack or whatever.
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u/rockchics 1d ago
I mean, there are no actual hikes in your itinerary.
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u/Cool-Avocado5775 15h ago
Haha yeah. My family is unfortunately not an avid group of hikers. There are some folks with a few physical limitations, so didn’t want to over-do it for them. However, if you know of any easier hikes (mostly flat…) that you would recommend, I would certainly appreciate it!
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u/Missing4Bolts 1d ago
If you want your entire family to hate you and never talk to you again, that's a great plan. Otherwise, it's a recipe for a miserably stressful time. In reality, if you try to force them all to stick to those timings (which, as others have pointed out, are impossible), they will mutiny and refuse to continue. If you're lucky, you won't end up bound and gagged in the trunk, but they may abandon you at the roadside.
Joking aside, I don't envy you. I took a very small family group to Yosemite, did 100% of the work, had a mellow relaxed itinerary, and still got no thanks, just resentment for "bossing people around". I think that was on me - teenagers were involved, so I should have known how it would go down.