3-4 Day Yosemite Trip Recommendations

I had never been to California, so my friend’s wedding was the perfect excuse to explore. Since the wedding was in Livermore, we flew into San Francisco. SFO had the most flight options and was cheapest from NYC (< $300). I did quite a bit of research and planning for this trip. I found travel blogs most helpful for recommendations, so here’s mine:

Livermore

My friend had a beautiful California vineyard wedding in Livermore. It was located about 1.5 hours away from SFO and about halfway to Yosemite. We visited McGrail Vineyards in the afternoon for a wine tasting. There was a barbecue truck outside, so we ended up with chicken, ribs, potato salad, and an apple pie too. The wedding that evening was located at Wente Vineyards, a large estate in Livermore Valley that boasts itself as the country’s oldest continuously operated, family-owned vineyard. It was an extraordinary wedding venue, so I’d also recommend a visit to their tasting rooms. It is also important to note that they have bites to eat and restaurants on the property because we found that many of the nearby vineyards are small and do not serve food. I’d definitely recommend visiting Livermore Valley if you fly in or out of SFO and are planning to drive to Yosemite.

Yosemite Day 1 - Driving Day

I was very surprised when researching Yosemite travel guides just how accessible it is via public transportation. However, Forrest and I resorted to renting a car which gave us more flexibility and we have no regrets. We did visit the weekend after Labor Day, so while it still seemed crowded, it was nothing compared to what I had read online. On the drive to Yosemite, I was mesmerized by the transitioning landscape - from the golden hills outside Livermore and how trees slowly appeared more frequently on the hills to how the hills became mountains as we got closer and closer to the park. The drive was much more remote than anticipated. We stopped in the small mountain-town Groveland for a Mexican lunch as a last-stop resort before entering the park.

After lunch, we found ourselves in Stanislaus National Forest. We stopped at the vistas along the way and read about the devastation from mass forest fires years prior. We were already amazed with the views and we weren’t even close to the park. With all the scenic overlooks, driving in the Yosemite area tends to take longer than you anticipate. We officially entered the park at the Hetch Hetchy entrance, which I am reading now is the less-crowded entrance. Once I realized 120 is also the Tioga Road that I had read so much about, we decided to explore before heading to the valley. We didn’t go all the way across Tioga Road to the meadows, but we did make some wonderful pitstops before turning around.

First, we stopped at Tenaya Lake. It took my breath away with how clear, bright, blue, and calm the water was. Even with the few groups picnicking nearby, the entire area was so peaceful. I’d recommend bringing lunch and a great book to really soak it all in. Next, we turned around and stopped at Olmstead Point. This was our first view of Half Done, so we naturally took lots of picture. It was also a good area to run around on the large rock and escape the car for a bit. The windy roads can leave you feeling a little car sick.

Once we made it to Yosemite Valley, it was already 6pm. This meant the visitor center was closed and the sun would be setting soon. But we couldn’t drive to our airbnb without laying eyes on El Capitan or the falls. We drove the loop around the valley pretty quickly because we wanted to get to our airbnb before dark. Ha - the sun was set only 30 minutes later. Even though the timing was off, we really couldn’t have timed it all better.

We stayed in Ahwahnee (near Oakhurst), so we headed out of the park going south on Wawona Road. We were about to enter a tunnel when I turned around and saw the most amazing site. I instantly made Forrest pull over and realized THIS was Tunnel View and here we were seeing it right as the sky turned pink. After a few pictures, we continued on windy Wawona Road, which also included elevation changes. All of a sudden the trees opened and we were met with a sunset I didn’t know existed. The mountains were so many shades of grey and black that it seemed like they went on forever. The sky was bright orange, red, and purple — I didn’t even know the sky was capable of such a magical feat. We tried to take a picture and were disappointed that we couldn’t capture that moment in a tangible way. Looking at the photo now, I don’t know how it could have been any more impressive.

It took quite a bit of time to get out of the park due to the windy nature of the road. Once we were out, the hunger set in. Luckily, Oakhurst has the most food options of any town we visited nearby. We ate at one of the first restaurants we saw and learned that Yosemite “fine dining” is basically New York’s “standard dining”. We are spoiled and apparently have acquired expensive taste. We finally made it to our micro-cabin airbnb and checked in on the keypad. That keypad was such a lifesaver and made the process so much easier, especially since the office was closed by the time we arrived.

Day 2 - Mist Trail

On Monday, we stopped the grocery store to grab some breakfast and hiking snacks before heading to the park. I had researched Yosemite hikes and debated about making the trek to Half Dome. The thought excited and scared me at the same time. We entered the lottery for two days and since it was to hike on Monday or Tuesday, I thought we would be pretty successful. To our benefit, we did not win the lottery. I just don’t think I would have been ready for that length of a hike without more preparation. There was also a fatal casualty on Sunday which really made me take another look at the danger of this trek.

We arrived in the valley and parked at Curry Village. We decided to hike Mist Trail (3-7 miles round trip) that takes you to Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls. There were quite a few steps and the path was very steep at some points. We took a couple breaks as we went and took in the sights from all viewpoints. I wasn’t sure that we would see the falls because some articles say the falls dry up in July. I guess I can thank global warming for that. I definitely learned how the trail got its name - as we got closer to Vernal Falls, we felt mist upon our faces. The foliage was so bright in this area and there was a rainbow at the base of the falls. We relaxed at the top of the falls and got up to the edge to watch the water fall over the edge. Don’t worry, mom— there was a railing. We continued up towards Nevada falls, but ended up turning back as we got closer due to the time. Once we made it to the valley, the visitor’s center was already closed again. We tried.

Forrest and I decided to take a new route out of the park, Road 140. The road followed the Merced river and was lower in elevation and had less curves. It also narrowed to one lane in order to cross some old bridges. We then stopped for dinner in Mariposa. We noticed a sign for a place called Hideout, which read $3 beer, $6 pulled pork sandwich, and $2 tacos on Tuesday. We followed the arrow to an entrance off the main street and entered into a basement with its walls covered in dollar bills. This was definitely a local spot, and we enjoyed talking with a local construction worker who dreams of being a conservationist. He also told us about what it was like to grow up in the area and of his epic solo camping adventures throughout Yosemite.

Once we got back to homebase, we watched the documentary Free Solo. The film follows professional rock climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to conquer the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 900-metre vertical rock face.

Day 3 - Yosemite Valley

Our last day was a bittersweet one. We had a few things left to do in the valley, so we made the long trek again. We started the day at the visitor’s center. It seems a little backwards to visit on our last day, but we really enjoyed the welcome video that walked us through the park’s history. I was also looking forward to the Ansel Adams museum, but it ended up being more of a gift shop. I did enjoy flipping through his autobiography and books to see how he captured some of his most famous images. For lunch, we ordered sandwiches at Degnan’s Kitchen. This was the only time we ate in the park and the food was delicious. Add the avocado- just do it! We didn’t have time for a long hike and opted to walk a portion of the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail to the Lower Yosemite Fall area.

Next stop, was Glacier Point. You can hike up from the valley or drive. We drove so that we could have an evening to relax at our camp. This is an absolute must see. Of all the views in Yosemite, I think this was my favorite and I am so glad we stopped. The view overlooks the entire valley and there are plenty of photo ops.

The last stop on our way out of the park was the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. This area of the park was recently renovated to improve the sequoias habitat and visitor experience. I didn’t know much about the grove beforehand, but I am so glad we stopped by. You take a shuttle from the parking lot to the walking paths near the trees. This prevents damage to the trees extensive root systems. There were quite a few walking routes to chose from. We ended up going to the Grizzly Giant and turning back. The tree is over 200 feet tall and 96 feet in circumference… massive. We thought we might have seen sequoias throughout the park, since some of the other trees were just as tall. However, nothing compared to the red coloring and width of these trees. I was also surprised to learn— 1. they drink about 300 gallons of water per day and 2. their pinecones are very small, about 2 inches wide. The grove felt like a whole other world and so different than the valley. Forrest said it reminded him of Land Before Time.

We decided to get Chinese take-out and enjoy an evening at our campsite. Eating on our porch had me a little worried that we would attract the bears we kept hearing about, but no signs. I absolutely loved our campsite, which was a relief because the hardest part of planning the trip was finding an affordable place to stay. We really didn’t want to haul camping gear across the country and who doesn’t prefer a little luxury? We stayed in a micro cabin at Sierra Meadows, a former golf course turned ‘glamping’ park. It was the perfect fit for us, with just enough space and a very comfortable bed. The cabin had some brightly colored, modern chairs on the porch, adding a bit of flair to the exterior. The inside featured some rustic accents with a tree stump night stand and raw-edge bench. You could tell a lot of work went into making these cabins charming and unique - each one even had a differently shaped window. I only wish I had more time to relax here and explore their walking path, Burning Man sculptures, and pool on site.