Best time to go to Yosemite?

Its beautiful in winter and beautiful in spring. Pick your weather. Spend some time in North Lake Tahoe same trip. 2 Of the prettiest places in North America.

Treat yourself and stay in the Ahwanee Hotel at Yosemite.

 

This was back in the late '80s. Rented a tent for the family. Big mistake. The tents are only a foot apart. You hear EVERYTHING going on. And then there was the freakin buses. Yeah, I mean buses running until 10:00 pm at night. Never again.

 

Spring for the big snow-melt run-off is the best time to see the waterfalls - it can vary of course, but May might be okay and its at least before the kids are out of school.

Staying in the valley at the Ahwahnee is far and away the best way to go.

But even Camp Curry/Curry Village cabins are good, if very rustic/basic - be sure to get one with a bathroom.

Regardless of where you stay, book your room waaaaaaaaayyy in advance, book dinner at the Ahwanee dining room way in advance (but yeah, stay at the Ahwahnee).

And make sure you know the rules for getting into and out of the national park during your visit (I don't recall if they have reservations or limitations and when, although getting a room inside the park does get you in the park on your dates iirc).

Alternatively staying at the Ahwahnee in winter is a special experience, but the falls will be unimpressive given the low water flow at that time of year.

Be sure to go to the overlook called Glacier Point on the southside of the top of the valley. Driving up to Toulumne Meadows and towards Tioga pass (as far as is open in May) is a nice/scenic drive.

Edit: forgot to add, be 100% sure to go a bit south and check out the giant sequoias at Wawona and the Mariposa Grove. Yosemite is amazing, but these trees are awe-inspiring too.

 

We went this last August and stayed in a home Yosemite West. Not too busy but the weather was great. Staying in the park is the way to go. Security be the Lake Tahoe suggestion.

 

I took my family to Yosemite during June probably 12 years ago. It was beautiful and the weather was very comfortable for hiking but the roads were jammed. We sat in traffic and finding a parking spot was challenging.

 

Early May. Tons of greenery, lots of water, not too hot... One of the most beautifull places in the US

 

Rent a tent? Yuck....

I tent camp, but I own three tents, I get to choose where to put them, and I can assure you it's nowhere NEAR a road.
And if you pitch one near another, of course you will hear everything.
I love my tent camping, but I am also thinking of a very small 'teardrop' camper, just something
big enough to haul my camp stuff in, unload it, and sleep in it if the weather gets crappy.

 

Yep - anytime before schools are out for the summer, and after schools start at the end of summer,
or, a week or two before any national park closes for the year.
We went the week before Yellowstone closed and it was awesome.

 

I do my recreational traveling immediately after Labor Day. Since all schools are back in session by then, the families are off the roads and some lodgings may reduce their prices accordingly. And it is still warm enough just about everywhere. The only negative, compared to the spring, is that there is less daylight. As far as spring is concerned, so many schools finish in May now (early May here in Georgia) that it is hard to do your trips before the families hit the road, and April is often still too chilly in some places.

 

An alternative to main entrance is stay in June or mammoth lakes after Tioga pass opens late may thru June depending on the ski season. Enter park from eastern Sierra side with fast access to touolome meadows area. Great small river fishing on dry flies. Mammoth about an hour to 1 1/2 hrs from east gate but accommodations are better and varied. Less crowd but further from all the action in the village.

 

We just did Tioga Pass on Halloween. It was spectacular... although there is definitely weather risk-- there was snow on the side of the road, and it had been closed earlier in the week.

I'm trying to plan a trip to Yosemite in early May next year.