What can you do at Yosemite?
Nearly 95 percent of Yosemite is Congressionally designated Wilderness. Yosemite National Park is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s famed for its giant, ancient sequoia trees, and for Tunnel View, the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome.
Yosemite information walks
Yosemite offers a range of informative and inspiring walks or talks to learn about Yosemite. All regularly scheduled programs are listed on our calendar. One of the best ways to experience Yosemite is by taking a hike. With over 750 miles of trails to explore, your options are endless! Yosemite's epic scenery freely lends itself to the artist's eye like only a few places can.
Bird watching.
There are options for everyone! Yosemite provides essential habitat for over 165 species of migrating, wintering, and breeding birds. You can bring your horse to Yosemite, or join a guided ride; just make sure you are aware of the rules and regulations before your trip!
Stargazing!
Yosemite National Park, miles from the nearest city lights, has a very dark night sky that makes it a great place to look at the stars.
Rafting.
Rafting along the Merced River is popular during summer. Fishing, swimming, and boating are all enjoyable summer activities.
Rock climbing.
Yosemite is one of the world's greatest climbing areas. Climbers here can enjoy an endless variety of challenges. Yosemite is one of the world's greatest climbing areas. Climbers here can enjoy an endless variety of challenges--from the sustained crack climbs of the Merced River Canyon to pinching crystals on sun-drenched Tuolumne Meadows domes to multi-day aid climbs on the big walls of the Valley. Yosemite is not just a climber's playground, however: its walls and crags are an integral part of a larger ecosystem, protected as Wilderness, which was set aside for people to enjoy in a natural state for generations to come.
As the number of climbers visiting the park has increased through the years, the impacts of climbing have become much more obvious. Some of those impacts include: soil compaction, erosion, and vegetation loss in parking areas, at the base of climbs, and on approach and descent trails, destruction of cliffside vegetation and lichen, disturbance of cliff-dwelling animals, litter, water pollution from improper human waste disposal, and the visual blight of chalk marks, pin scars, bolts, rappel slings, and fixed ropes.
Winter activities.
Enjoy skiing and snowboarding at the Badger Pass Ski Area, try ice skating at an outdoor rink in Yosemite Valley, or get out and explore miles of the Yosemite backcountry via cross country skis or snowshoes. Badger Pass Ski Area is the center of the largest network of marked winter routes. Some trails have limited grooming, including the Glacier Point Road and the short semi-loop up to Old Badger summit. Longer ungroomed routes lead to the scenic overlook at Dewey Point for a view down into Yosemite Valley. This is also a popular starting point for trips to overnight ski huts at Glacier Point and Ostrander Lake. (Wilderness Permits and/or ski hut reservations are required for overnight stays).
National Park Service rangers lead free snowshoe walks starting from Badger Pass from mid-December through March (conditions permitting). The Yosemite Conservancy and the Yosemite Mountaineering School also both lead guided snowshoe walks. See the calendar for a schedule of current programs.
