Yosemite National Park, California
July 19, 2020
I am subtitling this travel report as: How to Tourist Yosemite National Park in a Single Day. This is my one day Yosemite tourist experience. Alternatively, read my experience backpacking through remote regions of the park in my Yosemite Five Day Adventure trip report.
Now that I have your attention with that audacious headline, I am obviously kidding...sort of. I am not sure this tourist feat can be accomplished again, but the factors aligned for me this past summer. In a single day I did drive from one side of the park to the other side and back again. I toured through Yosemite Valley seeing all the iconic attractions. And I even got in an "extra credit" hike at +10,000 feet elevation on my way out. Let me explain the factors at play...
In mid-July 2020 I traveled to Yosemite to join up with Andrew Skurka Adventures for a five day backpacking trip. The trip began on a Monday and I arrived two days early, on Saturday evening, to allow myself time to acclimate to the much higher elevation in the Sierra Mountains versus Seattle. On Sunday I had the day free before the trip. Having never been to Yosemite before I could not pass up the opportunity to play tourist in the Yosemite Valley, which is home to the many iconic landmarks seen in photographs. Due to COVID-19, Yosemite National Park had implemented a permit reservation system and capped entrance to the park at 50% of normal capacity. I had secured a permit in advance and headed to the park on Sunday morning to see as much as I could possibly see in a day.
Now that I have your attention with that audacious headline, I am obviously kidding...sort of. I am not sure this tourist feat can be accomplished again, but the factors aligned for me this past summer. In a single day I did drive from one side of the park to the other side and back again. I toured through Yosemite Valley seeing all the iconic attractions. And I even got in an "extra credit" hike at +10,000 feet elevation on my way out. Let me explain the factors at play...
In mid-July 2020 I traveled to Yosemite to join up with Andrew Skurka Adventures for a five day backpacking trip. The trip began on a Monday and I arrived two days early, on Saturday evening, to allow myself time to acclimate to the much higher elevation in the Sierra Mountains versus Seattle. On Sunday I had the day free before the trip. Having never been to Yosemite before I could not pass up the opportunity to play tourist in the Yosemite Valley, which is home to the many iconic landmarks seen in photographs. Due to COVID-19, Yosemite National Park had implemented a permit reservation system and capped entrance to the park at 50% of normal capacity. I had secured a permit in advance and headed to the park on Sunday morning to see as much as I could possibly see in a day.
I entered Yosemite from the east entrance at Tioga Pass as I was staying pre-trip in nearby Mammoth Lakes on the east side of the park. There was a fairly long line at the gate and I waited an hour to get in the park. This was purely due to the fact that the park and its patrons were probably not used to the new, slightly cumbersome COVID-19 permit process.
But, once through the gate, there was literally no traffic. I have no prior experience to compare to, but I'm told July in Yosemite Valley or Tuolumne Meadows is usually a zoo - traffic backed up, cars parking all over the road, and people everywhere (that sounds like such as shame). Anyway, I had the exact opposite experience this day. I rolled down the windows and enjoyed the scenic drive from the eastern entrance of the park to the Yosemite Valley area on the western side of the park (about 60 miles of curvy, beautiful National Park road and scenic overlooks).
In Yosemite Valley the traffic flow is set up as a counterclockwise loop that leads you right by all the iconic landmarks. On this day I had plenty of space, easily found parking spots, and was quickly able to make my way around the loop in about two hours. The Yosemite Valley is truly awe inspiring - it feels pristine, it feels huge, and it feels old. I tried to stop and soak in the moments, imagining back in time to everything that had come before me in this place. I said to myself several times "oh, I've seen that in a photograph". It was surreal to be there in person.
But, once through the gate, there was literally no traffic. I have no prior experience to compare to, but I'm told July in Yosemite Valley or Tuolumne Meadows is usually a zoo - traffic backed up, cars parking all over the road, and people everywhere (that sounds like such as shame). Anyway, I had the exact opposite experience this day. I rolled down the windows and enjoyed the scenic drive from the eastern entrance of the park to the Yosemite Valley area on the western side of the park (about 60 miles of curvy, beautiful National Park road and scenic overlooks).
In Yosemite Valley the traffic flow is set up as a counterclockwise loop that leads you right by all the iconic landmarks. On this day I had plenty of space, easily found parking spots, and was quickly able to make my way around the loop in about two hours. The Yosemite Valley is truly awe inspiring - it feels pristine, it feels huge, and it feels old. I tried to stop and soak in the moments, imagining back in time to everything that had come before me in this place. I said to myself several times "oh, I've seen that in a photograph". It was surreal to be there in person.
Tunnel View
View of the Yosemite Valley with El Capitan and Half Dome
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El Capitan Meadow
Meadow in Yosemite Valley with views of El Capitan and Half Dome
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Sentinel Bridge
View of Half Dome
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Yosemite Valley Visitor Center
View of Half Dome
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After finishing up my Yosemite Valley loop, I headed the 60 miles back east through the park to Tioga Pass. My goal was to stop and do a short hike up over 10,000 feet elevation to test my trail legs and altitude tolerance before the backpacking trip began the next day. After bluebird skies all morning, a big afternoon thunderstorm rolled in about halfway through my drive back. I pulled over at the Olmstead Point scenic viewpoint to ride out the storm (which at 8,400 feet elevation on the edge of a cliff felt quite strong). The storm passed quickly and by the time I reached Tioga Pass it had dissipated enough that I could still head out on my short hike. I did a quick two miles up and over a 10,000 foot elevation saddle to Gaylor Lake and back. After a fun day sightseeing in the park, I was officially prepped and ready for my backpacking trip!
Gaylor Lake Trail, Tioga Pass
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Without a doubt Yosemite is a special place. There is a reason it is one of the most visited National Parks in the country and it should be on everyone's bucket list to spend at least a couple days there. All jokes aside about touring Yosemite in a day - I was fortunate with the reduced capacity that I could see the key tourist attractions so easily within a day. That would never happen in a normal summer due to the sheer volume of people and traffic visiting the park. Truth is that you can spend days upon days and still not see a fraction of the park. As I realized shortly thereafter, on my backpacking trip, many of the most beautiful places are far removed from the beaten tourist path.