Helpful Tips for Visiting Yosemite National Park
There are a number of ways you can ensure that your trip to Yosemite goes well and that it was everything you hoped for. With a little common sense and knowing the rules of the park, you can set yourself up to have an amazing time.
When making your plans to get away to Yosemite, remember that it is a national park, and as such it will be subject to the same rules as other national parks. There may be some activities that are forbidden and some that need special permits.
Make sure you visit the local park service on your visit to determine what is and isn't allowed in the way of activity, and what activity's you specifically need a license or special permit for. The area is heavily protected, so it is highly unadvisable to attempt to sneak what you can't do legitimately for either no fee or one that is very small.
Keep in mind that most of the park is closed in the late fall and early winter due to heavy snowfall. While there is a skiing area, it is generally a good idea to plan your trips in the spring, summer, and early fall. Unfortunately, this is also when everyone else visits, so you might just decide to brave winter after all.
All overnight backpacking trips into Yosemite require a permit and bear tamper-proof food containers. This is especially important for keeping you and other visitors to the park safe and secure, and protecting any poor bear that might stumble upon your food. The overnight permit is to keep track of all the traffic into the park in a given week.
Besides the Yosemite Valley, there is also Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona/Mariposa, Grove/ Glacier Point, Hetch Hetchy, and Crane Flat/White Wolf. These areas of the park are just as beautiful as the Yosemite Valley, so make sure you visit them as well.
There is a ton of free information on Yosemite that's available from the National Parks Service in Yosemite. This includes booklets and pamphlets outlining the local climate and Geography, as well as the local history of Yosemite National Park. You can also find information on special permit-required activities as well as the best places to pursue normal activities like hiking, biking, climbing, backpacking, swimming, horseback riding, and more.
As of 2006, Yosemite has established new rules for automobiles in the park, so cars must pay twenty dollars to enter the park. This rule was passed recently to reduce the amount of incoming automobile traffic into the park for purposes of conservation and to avoid over-congestion.
|
