Yosemite: What to Know Before You Go

Short answer: check whether your spring or summer travel dates require a Peak Hours Vehicle Reservation on recreation.gov (or enter before dawn or ride the YARTS bus), plan your trip for May or June if roaring waterfalls are your top priority (Yosemite Falls often trickles dry by August), and remember that Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road close for winter snow from November through May.

1. How Yosemite Is Divided Into 4 Main Regions

Although Yosemite National Park is the size of the state of Rhode Island, its paved roads connect four distinct areas that sit 45 to 75 minutes' drive apart:

• 1. Yosemite Valley (1,200m / 4,000 ft Elevation, Open 365 Days a Year): the flat, 11-kilometre canyon floor holding Tunnel View, El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Falls, the Mist Trail, Mirror Lake and Yosemite Village.
• 2. Glacier Point Road (2,199m / 7,214 ft, Open Mid-May or June to Oct or Nov): the high southern rim 1 hour's drive above the Valley, home to Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome and Taft Point.
• 3. Mariposa Grove & Wawona (South Entrance, 1 Hour South of the Valley): home to 500 mature Giant Sequoia trees.
• 4. Tioga Road & Tuolumne Meadows (2,600m to 3,031m, Open Late May or June to Oct or Nov): the high-alpine highway across the Sierra crest past Olmsted Point and Tenaya Lake.

2. Peak Hours Reservations & The Strict Black-Bear Food Rule

During spring and summer weekends and peak summer days (during daytime peak hours), private cars without an in-park hotel booking need a Peak Hours Reservation at recreation.gov (carries a small booking fee, or simply drive through the entrance gate early before dawn or in the late afternoon, or ride the YARTS bus). Never leave a single crumb of food, lip balm or scented item visible inside your parked car at night, as Yosemite's black bears can peel open a car door in 30 seconds.