At the end of May 2022, Ryan and I took a much anticipated trip to visit the Northern California National Parks – Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. We flew from Denver to Fresno, California, rented a car, and began our grand tour. Although this trip was complicated by COVID-19 and by the fact that I was 12 weeks pregnant (and still so fatigued), we had an amazing time. These are truly some of the most spectacular parks we’ve seen. I cannot wait to go back and check out some of the more difficult hikes.

This post will give you all the details on our first few days in Yosemite National Park. Check back for Part 2, where we’ll talk about Kings Canyon and Sequoia!

Yosemite National Park

The first – and longest – stop on our trip was to Yosemite National Park. We spent three full days exploring the park, although we could have spent much more time. There’s so much to see!

Accommodations

We stayed at the Yosemite Cedar Lodge – a basic but convenient hotel near the El Portal entrance to the park. If you’ve been to Yosemite, you know that it is quite remote. We didn’t want to waste hours of each day driving to and from the park (we learned that lesson the hard way when we visited Yellowstone in 2017), so we chose the closest accommodations we could find.

Overall, the Yosemite Cedar Lodge was very comfortable. The room provided everything we needed – a comfortable place to sleep, a mini-fridge, and a large bathroom. The hotel also had WiFi, so we were able to stay in touch with the outside world in an otherwise remote part of the country. Unfortunately, the WiFi wasn’t free – we paid $30 for a three day pass. When you’re paying nearly $200/night for basic accommodations, it seemed slightly ridiculous to have to pay more for WiFi… but it was the only option.

The hotel also had both an outdoor pool and an indoor pool, as well as a hot tub. Finally, it has an on-site restaurant/bar that was surprisingly good, all things considered. There isn’t much else around the hotel, so having an on-site food option was extremely helpful. I would stay here again – if only for its proximity to the park. But if you need anything from a nearby town during your stay – plan to drive 45 minutes at least!

Vernal and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail

On our first full day in the park, we hiked to the Vernal and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail. According to my watch, the hike was 7.5 miles, even though most guides list it as 4.5 or 6 miles. Maybe we took a weird turn somewhere? Ordinarily, the extra mileage would not have phased us. At 12 weeks pregnant, however, I was struggling. I distinctly recall reaching the top of Nevada Falls and wondering how the heck I was going to make it back down. Spoiler: I toughened up and made it down!

The hike starts with the Mist Trial, which is aptly named because it takes you through the mist of the Vernal Falls. If you go in the spring, the mist is pretty intense – we were soaked! This part of the trail was really cool – it was amazing to be so close to such a huge waterfall. The stairs were a little slippery, so I’d recommend good shoes. This was also the busiest part of the trail. A lot of people turn around after the Vernal Falls.

Once you pass the Vernal Falls (about 1.5 miles into the hike), the trail dries up considerably. Cue the heat! Make sure you bring a lot of water (and snacks), because you’ll need it! About two miles after the Vernal Falls, you’ll find yourself at the Nevada Falls. This waterfall was HUGE and the trail gives you a good view of it as you inch closer. You ultimately end up on top of the falls, with a beautiful view of the valley below.

From here, you also get a great glimpse of half dome.

If you plan to hike half dome (which requires a permit), you hike to Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail. The trail then breaks off to the northeast and heads up another 7 miles to the top of half dome. We didn’t take on this challenge – we didn’t have a permit and I don’t think I could have made it, anyways. It is definitely on the list for our next trip!

Once you leave Nevada Falls, you continue along a loop that eventually leads you back to the Mist Trail. The views from this portion of the trail were spectacular. Not only do you get a beautiful view of the Nevada Falls, but the views of Half Dome just get better.

Overall, this hike was well worth the effort. And, man, was it a lot of effort for me. Luckily, I’d expect about anyone else to have an easier time than I did. My stowaway was just taking away all of my energy. If you’re headed to Yosemite National Park, this is a great hike for spectacular views, amazing waterfalls, and a good workout. I’d highly recommend it!

Watching Climbers on El Capitan

Another one of my favorite activities at Yosemite was watching the rock climbers tackle El Capitan. There is a field directly across from the massive wall that is perfect for viewing. We brought a pair of binoculars, which allowed us to see the climbers as they ascended the wall. Without binoculars, you might not be able to see anyone. It makes you appreciate how massive the wall is and how small the climbers are in comparison.

Tioga Pass Road

On our last day in Yosemite, we drove the entirety of Tioga Pass Road, a 64 mile road that crosses Yosemite. This is the northern-most road that crosses the park and it is open only during the summer months. If you’re looking for an easy (i.e., without strenuous hiking) way to explore otherwise difficult-to-reach parts of the park, I recommend this road. It was a beautiful drive. I will caution you, however, that there are not many amenities along the road. We tried to get lunch at the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, but all facilities were closed. This may have been related to COVID, I am not sure. Instead, we had to drive all the way back to the Yosemite Valley for lunch. That’s quite a long drive when you’re starving.

Finding Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park

While we were on Tioga Pass Road, we set out to find giant sequoias. I had never seen one and was chomping at the bit to sneak a peek at one of these giants. Although we found some, this is a part of Yosemite – in my opinion – that you can skip if you’re also headed to Kings Canyon or Sequoia National Park. Note: We did not do the hike in Mariposa Grove, which is another option for Sequoia spotting in Yosemite.

Our search led us to the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. There, we did a short hike (about 2.5 miles) that took us to some of these giant trees. In Yosemite, you have to hike a mile or two from the road to find the Sequoias. The hikes are not difficult, but it is very different than Kings Canyon or Sequoia, where the giant tress are right off the road.

This hike was neither strenuous nor busy, so if you’re looking for something off the beaten path, I would recommend it. It is on the far east side of the park, so getting to the trailhead is a trek if you weren’t already planning to drive Tioga Pass.

Up Next…

After our three days in Yosemite National Park, we headed to Fresno, California. We used Fresno as our launch pad for our days in Kings Canyon and Sequoia. Kings Canyon was my favorite national park of all time, so check back next week for our post with all the details!