Yosemite Valley was the first area set aside by the United States government to be preserved. It is one of the most beautiful areas in the US and it should be a must see for anyone who can reasonably travel there. We were able to spend just a few hours there on a trip to visit family in California and we can’t wait to go back to see more of it.
Yosemite is known for its intense rock climbing on giant beautiful domes, but there is also plenty for a family to do here. More probably then you will have time to do. There is an old story that a visitor at Yosemite asked a ranger what they should do if they only had one hour to see Yosemite. The ranger replied, “if I only had one hour to see Yosemite, I would go sit on that rock over there and cry.”
I do sometimes want to cry when I think how limited our time at Yosemite was. We had about 4 hours to spend there, and I feel like I could I have spent a lifetime there. That being said, even with just a few hours you can make your time worthwhile and see quite a few things.
Drive Through Yosemite Valley
Just driving through Yosemite Valley is the experience of a lifetime. The road is mostly a large one-way loop made up of the Southside Drive and the Northside Drive. From your car you can see towering trees, majestic waterfalls, and incredible rock domes.
You don’t really have a choice but to do this drive to get to the Yosemite Valley visitor center and out of the park again. But just make sure to take a moment to enjoy what you are driving through. It is incredible.
Yosemite Valley Visitor Center
You will come to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center about half way through the drive around the valley. This is a great place to park your car and then you can take the shuttles around the valley rather than trying to find parking at every spot you might want to go to. During 2020 reservations have been required to enter Yosemite in order to keep crowds down. During a normal year it is recommended that you arrive in the park before 9am, the earlier the better, in order to get a parking spot.
Hike to Lower Yosemite Falls
I wrote a whole post about hiking to the the lower Yosemite Falls last week, so I won’t write too much here. You should definitely have this on your list of things to do while you are here. It is close to the visitor center and a very easy hike for families.
Walk through Cook’s Meadow
Just across the road from the Lower Yosemite Falls shuttle stop you can find the path through Cook’s Meadow. This is an easy flat path that cuts across the bottom of the valley. On this walk you will get amazing views of Yosemite Falls, Halfdome, Glacier Point, and Sentinel Rock. Much of the trail is board walks. It is accessible to wheel chairs and strollers.
Hike to Mirror Lake
If you have a little more time, you can hike out to Mirror Lake. You will need to take the shuttle to stop #17. The Mirror Lake Trail is a 5 mile loop, but we just hiked the first mile out to the lake and then hiked back. This trail is not particularly difficult but it is longer than either Lower Yosemite Falls or Cook’s Meadow. There is some elevation gain involved as well.
The lake generally is best seen in the late Spring or early Summer. We were there in June. It is called Mirror Lake because it beautifully reflects the surrounding cliffs and sky. In late summer they call it Mirror Meadow because most of the water is gone.
Sum Up
Visiting Yosemite Valley is an opportunity that no one should pass up. This is one of the most beautiful places in the world. We highly recommend that you visit. We think that there are plenty of family-friendly activities to keep you busy here.
