National park · California

Yosemite National Park

California's Sierra Nevada centerpiece — the 3,000-foot granite walls of El Capitan and Half Dome, the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove, and the Yosemite Valley protections that John Muir and the 1864 Yosemite Grant Act pioneered the national park idea around.

Entrance
$35 private vehicle
Hours
Open 24 hours daily Yosemite National Park
Established
1864
Region
California
Yosemite National Park
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain (US National Park Service)
The Yosemite National Park patch

The real park boundary. Scout checks whether your phone is inside this line.

Collect it

Scout adds Yosemite National Park to your collection when your phone is inside the park boundary. Already been? A photo you took there counts too.

Collect Yosemite in Scout

Free on iPhone and Android.

History

Yosemite National Park was crucial in the development of the national park concept in the United States. It was the first area to be designated as federally protected land, setting a precedent for the establishment of the National Park System.

Key events

  1. The Mariposa Battalion, led by James D. Savage, first documented European American entry into Yosemite Valley in 1851.
  2. Yosemite was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, recognized for its natural beauty and biodiversity.
  3. The last full-blooded Ahwahneechee, Totuya, died in 1931, marking the end of a direct lineage of the indigenous people of Yosemite.
  4. Yosemite set a visitation record in 2016, surpassing five million visitors for the first time.

Trails

  • Half Dome 17 mi · Hard
  • Mist Trail to Vernal Fall 5.4 mi · Moderate
  • Yosemite Falls Trail 7.2 mi · Hard
  • Mirror Lake Loop 5 mi · Easy
  • Sentinel Dome 2.2 mi · Moderate

Plan your visit

Hours · Yosemite National Park

Open 24 hours, every day

Yosemite National Park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Entrance fees

  • Private Vehicle $35
  • Motorcycle $30
  • Per Person $20
  • Non-commercial Groups $300
  • Education/Academic Groups Free
  • Nonresident $100

Fees and hours as of May 2026. Check current details on NPS.gov

When to go

  • Spring. Peak waterfall flow April-May, wildflowers, fewer crowds
  • Summer. All trails open, best weather, Half Dome cables up
  • Fall. Fall colors, fewer crowds, comfortable temps
  • Winter. Snow-covered valley, solitude, ice skating

Wildlife

Black bearsMule deerCoyotesBobcatsGreat gray owlsPeregrine falconsBighorn sheepMarmots

Nearby patches

Collect Yosemite in Scout