What are the best places to stay in Yosemite National Park? Today I'm sharing one of the best Yosemite hotels for your next national park vacation. Centrally located near iconic landmarks, hiking trails, and viewpoints, Yosemite Valley Lodge is one of the top spots to stay in the park. Hike to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, see Half Dome from Cooks Meadow, and grab food at on-site restaurants.
Read MoreWondering what the Fall colors look like right now in Yosemite Valley? I spent the last week exploring my top spots in Yosemite National Park for enjoying the autumn foliage, and I'm excited to share the current conditions today for this first week of November 2024. I'm rating the park as a "Go Soon" with a mix of vibrant colors at spots like Bridalveil Fall, Cooks Meadow, and Yosemite Chapel.
Read MoreWondering where to see giant trees in California? One of the best spots to hike among some of the largest, oldest & tallest trees in the world is at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park near Wawona & Oakhurst. Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to learn about the rich history, top hiking trails, and info to plan your next Yosemite adventure vacation & road trip.
Read MoreLooking for the ultimate family fun road trip to Yosemite National Park? Play the Fossils to Falls scavenger hunt and collect all 10 trading cards, starting at the Fossil Discovery Center in California's Central Valley, taking you thru Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Bass Lake & more Madera County gems, ending in the Yosemite Valley...and then enter to win a great Yosemite Adventure Vacation Prize Package!
Read MoreCan you kayak in Yosemite National Park? YES! Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide when planing your next kayaking adventure in Yosemite. Tenaya Lake and Merced River are my two best spots to kayak and raft in Yosemite, and today I'm sharing all the details for setting out on the still waters of Tenaya Lake, as well as discovering the ancient ghost trees still submerged under the surface.
Read MoreYosemite Village is the perfect stop on any trip to Yosemite National Park. Located in the heart of Yosemite Valley, this hub offers visitors several family friendly activities, museums, information, and dining options. Important Native American artifacts and history are on display. Guests can visit the Ansel Adams Gallery and stock up at a grocery store to get food, Yosemite gifts & memorabilia.
Read MoreWhat is the best 2-day itinerary for Yosemite National Park? Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the perfect weekend in Yosemite, optimizing your Summer road trip schedule, taking you to some of the best viewpoints and hiking trails in the park, offering you views of iconic landmarks like Half Dome, Yosemite Falls & El Capitan. Experience the best sunrise & sunset spots in Yosemite.
Read MoreThe Tioga Pass Entrance is open for the 2024 Summer season in Yosemite National Park. Connecting Mono Lake, Lee Vining, and US-395 with Big Oak Flat Road, Tioga Road features some of the best views and things to do in and around Yosemite, including multiple waterfalls, lakes, and trailheads to easy & strenuous hikes. Read this travel guide to explore the current conditions on opening week.
Read MoreToday I'm sharing a comprehensive visitors guide for Glacier Point, one of the most iconic clifftop viewpoints in Yosemite National Park. This famous overlook provides the perfect spot to photo Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Nevada Fall, Vernal Fall, and the Yosemite Valley below. Read this complete travel guide for preparing your hiking or photography adventure, and learn about its rich history.
Read MoreToday I'm sharing the best spots to escape the crowds when Yosemite National Park gets too crowded. This top vacation destination in California can get very busy, especially in Summer, but there are so many places to go and things to do to enjoy Yosemite in solitude. Check out this travel guide for my top 10 Yosemite spots to avoid crowds, which includes great hiking trails and waterfall views.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking the easy 3.5 mile trail along the Wawona Meadow Loop. This is the perfect hike to avoid the busy Yosemite Valley crowds and escape the hot Summer sun. This family and dog friendly trail circles the historic Wawona Golf Course and is found right off Highway 41 near the Wawona Hotel just a few miles north of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.
Read MoreThe Bridalveil Fall Trail is now open after years of being closed for a massive restoration project, so this week we're hiking the easy family and kid friendly path to the base of this iconic Yosemite waterfall. This travel guide explores one of the top things to do in Yosemite Valley, especially during the Spring and early Summer seasons, when the Yosemite National Park waterfalls are raging.
Read MoreI spent the last week in Yosemite National Park checkout out what the waterfalls and flooding is looking like now. Check out the current conditions of Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, the Merced River, and the Spring wildflowers blooming in the park and where to find them. Read this Spring travel guide to plan your upcoming Yosemite road trip to see its raging waterfalls & abundant wildlife.
Read MoreToday I'm partnering with Visit Yosemite Madera County to share the Top 10 Photo Spots in Yosemite National Park. This photography travel guide shares the best viewpoints and most Instagrammable viewpoints in the park, including Taft Point, Yosemite Valley Swinging Bridge, Olmsted Point, Tunnel View, Sentinel Dome & Glacier Point. Explore stunning scenes with Half Dome, El Capitan & waterfalls.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Lewis Creek Trail in Sierra National Forest. Located in Oakhurst, California south of Yosemite National Park, this hike takes you to two great waterfalls, Red Rock Falls and Corlieu Falls. This is one of the top things to do when staying at Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp, CA. This is the perfect add on to any Yosemite road trip along Highway 41.
Read MoreThis week we're taking a long day trip from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park to see Firefall, the natural phenomenon also known as the Horsetail Fall Event. This travel guide covers a one day itinerary with recommendations on driving directions, points of interest, where to park, and how to access one of my top spots to view Firefall from across the Yosemite Valley along Four Mile Trail.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about the best hikes in Yosemite National Park. Today I'm providing the hiking details about 12 great Yosemite trails, one for every month of 2024. Yosemite is awesome all year, so join me in exploring what to do in Yosemite, like Firefall, Mirror Lake, Hetch Hetchy, MIst Trail to Vernal & Nevada Falls, Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point, and Inspiration Point.
Read MoreToday I'm taking a private tour of Yosemite National Park with Yosemite 360 Tours by Tenaya Lodge. Tenaya at Yosemite and Yosemite 360 Tours offer private & group tours in Summer & Winter, and this is a great way to experience the best things to do in Yosemite, such as where to see Half Dome, El Capitan & Yosemite Falls. How to get into Yosemite without a reservation in 2024? Yosemite 360 Tours!
Read MoreCheck out my top 15 best spots to see the Fall colors in Yosemite Valley. Read this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for seeing the Fall colors in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park typically peaks later than the Eastern Sierra Fall foliage, but late October is the perfect time to see the Autumn leaves pop with color along Southside Drive, Cooks Meadows, El Capitan Meadow, and Tunnel View.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about the hike up Pothole Dome in Yosemite National Park. Located along Tioga Road in the Tuolumne Meadows near the Tioga Pass Entrance, this is a great family friendly hiking trail and one of my top things to do in Yosemite's high country. Atop this granite feature we'll have spectacular views of Unicorn Peak, Cockscomb Peak, and the Cathedral Range.
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