Yosemite and Its Surroundings: The Ultimate 2025 Experience

After 2 days of giants dominating our tour we finally reached the MVP of our travel, the mighty YOSEMITE. Pretty tired we managed to get up around 8 AM, hit the door for breakfast which this time was decent, with some omelette in it, get a gas full and hit the road. Next stop, Big Oak Flat Entrance.

So after exactly 1h and 80km, we arrived at Yosemite point of entry. With the Annual Pass and the Yosemite Peak Hours Reservation in place we got in after I also took a selfie with the ranger 🙂 who also provided a map of the park along with the ‘local’ newspaper. The traffic started to pile up, I have no idea how the park would look if this reservation system would not be in place in the peak season.

Day 1 · The Discovery 🧭

So during the peak season between 5AM and 4PM you cannot enter the park without a Yosemite Peak Hours Reservation. So you’ll need to book your spot for just $2 here. To get in either you pay a $35 fee valid for 3 days at any entrance or just get an Annual Pass which allows you to visit many other parks in the US.

After another half an hour and a few stops for the views and photos we reached the valley where everything is breathtaking and definitely a place that should top every traveler’s bucket list. The plan was to leave the car in a visitor parking, take the shuttle and check as many points on the map as possible, keeping in mind that we had another 2 days to explore the park. I’ve decided to go with the Yosemite Village Parking, which is close to one of the main attractions, Yosemite Falls. Also from here you have plenty of things to see / visit on a walkable distance, being in a central position. The main reason we chose the shuttle was because near the Falls there isn’t any parking.

Yosemite Falls, Lower and Higher

Once there, we hit the trail to see the 2 beauties, the Lower and Higher. Only the Lower can be reached, the other one is just for adrenaline junkies or rock climbers. Kudos to them! The main viewpoint near the bridge was crowded with people enjoying the views and some taking a dip, especially the kids. Naturally, Clara joined in, and after a quick hop from rock to rock, we found ourselves cooling our feet in the refreshing water.

Took some really nice shots, but felt it’s not enough, so I decided to reach the falls. I tell you, it’s pretty hard, being steep and slippery at the same time, but Clara went all the way in style. There, just a few managed to reach, and even fewer took the extra mile and had a swim in the frozen waters. If i would have been 10 years younger i would have definitely done it myself, maybe in another life :). The way back was faster and easier, and we were ready for our next stop. Instead of taking the bus back we took a short walk to our car since we decided the rest of the tour will be on our 4 wheels this time.

As a side note, except the Falls, everything can be done by car, but you need to be prepared with plenty of patience to wait for a parking spot to get cleared, especially in the high season. The other option is to camp inside the park, and get around with the shuttle or bikes (rentals or owned).

To sum up our trail to the falls, Green Shuttle (station 4) started at 12:30PM, back in the same place at 14:45 PM, having a really great time to enjoy this lifetime experience. Pretty tired it was time for a break so we picked up our car and moved to Valley Store where we bought some souvenirs and we got a late lunch. As always Clara came out the winner of shopping with some Yosemite branded stuff and of course a stuffed Owl. At 7 years old, stuffed animals are still her favourite toys.

From Bridal Veil Falls to John Muir Trail

During our break, I’ve reorganized our route a bit to check some remaining spots for the rest of the day. So I enjoyed some ice cream or cold coke and jumped in the car for the full tour. Besides enjoying the wonders left and right, we reached some of the best panoramic spots, close to the exit called El Capitan Viewpoint where we got some really nice shots at golden hour. Continuing our drive, we stopped to see Bridal Veil Falls, which I recommend seeing in the second part of the day when the sunlight unveils its beauty. The trail is short till the viewpoint but continues steep and slippery similar to Yosemite Falls, so wear the right shoes to prevent injury. This time we went all the way to reach Mist Trails & John Muir trails. Being quite late, we opted for a short ride to the Vernal Falls Footbridge which even though it’s quite close and the trail is paved, It gets steeper with every step as you get closer. Here you can admire the Vernal Falls, or you can continue your route to check it closer and add a few others to your list, Nevada or Half Dome Trailhead.

At this point, we decided it’s time to wrap up a wonderful day—having explored so much yet leaving more to discover tomorrow. On our way home, we witnessed stunning, color-painted skies combined with some ‘race’ driving descending 120.

Day 2 · Yosemite and a Lot More ⛰️

Another beautiful day was ahead of us, we decided for a short detour which became a longer one to Columbia State Historic Park where we spent about 2 hours full of fun and history.

Columbia State Historic Park – Travel Back in Time

I’ll begin by saying this place should not be missed if you’re around. Free parking and entrance it’s a great plus, you’ll pay only for the experiences and other souvenirs.

The Western American feeling hits you from the entrance, with well preserved buildings left and right. You can just imagine the Gold Rush or The Sheriff putting some wanted criminal to jail. Here are a few things you can experience yourself on your visit here:

enjoy a bowling game free of charge,
jump on or visit a wagon museum (during weekend you can also take a ride with it),
plenty of souvenirs shops,
candy shops with a variety of sweets,
candle creation stand ($6.50/pers),
photo shoot, by dressing up in nineteenth-century costumes ($20.00/pers),
experience gold diggings encampment during the early Gold Rush period ($9.00/pers),

Around 12PM we left for Yosemite, where he skipped Rainbow Pool, placed right along the main road a few miles before the park entrance.

The Rainbow Pool

With a fantastic setup and breathtaking scenic cliff jumping spots, we were thrilled with our decision to stay. Even if it was a little bit crowded, we spent half an hour on the upper part where the waterfall begins and another half at the lake where most of the people were sunbathing along the rocks. I’d say it fits for people that know how to swim or love to jump from high grounds like I did on the slider :).

Swimming in Merced River

After lowering our body temperature in the Rainbow Pool we continued our drive to Yosemite, with the plan to grab some lunch at the Village Store. We decided to take a dive into Merced River having a magnificent view over the valley at no other than the Devil’s Elbow. Even if the water was pretty cold, plenty of people were enjoying the currents, so we joined the fun as well.

Glacier Point

The clock hit 6:30PM. It was time for us to gather our stuff and head to Glacier Point which was a 40 min drive. As you’d imagine on our way we made a few other unexpected stops, such as Tunnel View and Washburn Point where we just checked the trail. 1 hour later we reached the parking lot which was pretty full, with people still coming to enjoy the sunset. Once again I must congratulate myself for picking the right time to visit this magnificent place, from where you could enjoy some incredible colors over Half Dome. Lots of photographers were here with some professional gear waiting for the right time to take the shot. We stayed for a while until the sun went down, and people were still waiting for the night to fall for some extreme stargazing. Unfortunately, it was late for us with a 1.5h drive back to our hotel, but once we hit the valley we were enchanted by the dazzling sky where with your own eye you could see the Milky Way and billions of stars. Couldn’t miss this opportunity to take some shots, and even if some were light burned, were pretty impressive. Lost another half an hour here, so we left around 10PM.

The Stats

Established	October 1, 1890
Size	1,187 square miles (747,956 acres)
Annual Visitors	4+ million
Highest Point	Mount Lyell, 13,114 feet
Tallest Waterfall	Yosemite Falls, 2,425 feet
Sequoia Groves	3 (Mariposa Grove has 500+ giant sequoias)
Famous Landmark	El Capitan, 3,000-foot granite monolith
Trails	750 miles

The Drive

Join us for a thrilling 2-day drive through the park, packed with stunning views, iconic stops, and tips for your next adventure!

Tips & Tricks 🌟

Try to get here as early as possible to avoid the crowds, especially the holiday season. I suppose this advice is valid for all places around the globe. Other things:

if you’re up to it, camp in the park, and get all the things you need, it should be a hell of an experience,
depending on your schedule the car can help you cover more ground, but the parking will kill you,
use the shuttle moving around, if you have more days here
you can rent bikes from the Village, or bring your kayak for some fun.