Hikes and walks (1)
| Hike | What it is | Time, season, pets |
|---|---|---|
| Hiking in Yosemite | From a short walk to the base of a waterfall to a multi-day hike deep into the Yosemite Wilderness, taking a hike is one of the best ways to experience Yosemite's spectacular scenery. Yosemite has an extensive network of over 800 miles of hiking trails. | No pets |
Other things to do (12)
| Activity | What it is | Time, season, pets |
|---|---|---|
| Visit the Yosemite Exploration Center | The Yosemite Exploration Center features interactive displays and exhibits highlighting Yosemite's many stories and resources. Bring the family and learn more about Yosemite's history, the people who originally called this place home, as well as more about meadows, animals, and sequoias! | No pets |
| Watch the "Spirit of Yosemite" Film | The park film, The Spirit of Yosemite, is shown daily on the hour and the half hour in the theater behind the Yosemite Exploration Center. The first showing is at 9:30am, and the last showing is at 4pm. | No pets |
| Become a Yosemite Junior Ranger | Kids can become a Yosemite Junior Ranger by taking a self-guided handbook with them as they travel around the park and complete the activities that are the best fit for them. The Yosemite Junior Ranger handbook is available for free at visitor centers. When you are done, share your booklet with a park ranger at any Yos | All year · No pets |
| Rock Climbing in Yosemite | 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' | No pets |
| Scenic Driving in Yosemite | All of the roads in Yosemite National Park are scenic, but the most famous scenic drive is along the Tioga Road, a 46-mile (62 km) drive from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass. The road is typically open from late May or early June through sometime in November. | Pets OK |
| Wildlife Safety in Yosemite | Yosemite National Park supports more than 400 species of vertebrates including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The high diversity of species is the result of diverse habitats in Yosemite that are largely intact. The park’s rich habitats range from thick foothill chaparral to conifer forests to expanses | No pets |
| Ride a Bike in Yosemite Valley | Cycling is a great way to experience the park and allows you to cover more ground during your time here. You can rent a bike, bring your own, or borrow one through the bike share program (2-hour limit). Hand-crank and tandem bicycles are also available for rent. Over 12 miles of paved bike paths are available in Yosemi | 1 to 6 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall · No pets · Reservation needed · Fee |
| Learn Art in the Park | Yosemite has a long history of inspiring visitors to create art. From world-renowned artists like Ansel Adams and Chiura Obata to everyday people who love art for fun, pausing to create something beautiful is a special way to experience Yosemite's towering cliffs, dramatic waterfalls, enormous trees, and granite high c | No pets · Reservation needed · Fee |
| Visit the Yosemite History Center | Go back to a time of horse-drawn wagons, a covered bridge, and rustic cabins. The Yosemite History Center is a collection of historic buildings where outdoor interpretive signs tell the stories of people who moved here from around the world and shaped the park’s development. During the summer, visit exhibits inside the | No pets |
| Go Skiing at Badger Pass | The Badger Pass Ski Area is open from mid-December through March (weather and conditions permitting). You can downhill ski, cross-country ski, go tubing, or snowshoeing all from this historic winter resort. | Winter · No pets · Fee |
| Visit the Yosemite Museum | Open year-round, the Yosemite Museum has displays that interpret the cultural history of Yosemite's native Miwok and Paiute people from 1850 to the present, demonstrations of stone tool making, basket-weaving, beadwork, and traditional games. In front of the museum is a cross-section of a giant sequoia tree that visito | 30 Minutes · All year · No pets |
| Visit the Yosemite Cemetery | The Yosemite Cemetery is full of stories, told and untold. Some of those laid to rest here are well-known figures in the history of the park. Some spent their entire lives in Yosemite and are now almost forgotten. Others were visitors about whom very little was known, even at their time of their deaths. | 10 to 60 Minutes · All year · No pets |
Before you set out
Trail conditions change with snow, fire and storms. Check the park’s current alerts, carry the ten essentials and read know before you go.
Sources
- National Park Service: things to do in Yosemite National Park (Data API, public domain)
Last checked 1 November 2026.