Spending three days in Yosemite National Park was my first in-depth visit to a US national park. That is, if you can call three days in Yosemite an in-depth visit! While we struggled with some unseasonably heavy rain, we were lucky to get enough sunshine to tackle several hikes and enjoy some of the area’s most stunning vistas.
We visited in September, so many of the park’s famous waterfalls were not in full force; though the aforementioned heavy rain did allow for more water flow than usual. All about those trade-offs!
After such a brief stay, I wouldn’t feel comfortable offering how-to advice for this epic national park. I’ll leave that to the experts! I opted instead to put together a photo diary of our visit.
“I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” – John Muir
Lyell Canyon
Tenaya Lake
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Olmsted Point
Tunnel View Lookout
Cook’s Meadow Loop
Vernal Fall Hike
Second Afternoon in the Valley
My Photo Feature series focuses less on words and more on images. See more here.
Washburn Point
Glacier Point
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Sentinel Dome Hike
Mariposa Grove
We were actually planning on spending one more night in the park after Mariposa Grove, but due to flash flood warnings (not exactly what you’re hoping for on vacay!) we decided to head straight to our next destination: Big Sur.
Our trip to Yosemite National Park was a beautiful intro not only to one of the most revered natural settings in the country, but to the American national park system as a whole.
And while the rain may not have been ideal, we looked pretty great in our bright blue gift shop ponchos.
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Now that you’ve got plenty of photo inspo, head to the park’s official site for more detailed info on planning your own trip to Yosemite National Park!
If you’ve already been, let me know in the Comments what you thought! And while we’re on the topic… which national park should I visit next?
5 Comments
Allison
September 19, 2019 at 1:22 pmI have never been to Yosemite but it is definitely on my bucket list. We’re trying to take our kids to as many national parks as possible before they leave home. Yosemite is definitely high on the list. #farawayfiles
Caity Pfohl
April 24, 2020 at 10:02 pmWhat an awesome goal! Those will be such great memories for your kids to look back on.
Corey | Fifi + Hop
September 23, 2019 at 9:10 pmYosemite is so beautiful. Have you seen the documentary Free Solo on climbing El Capitan? If not see it asap! You will not be disappointed! Thanks for linking up with #farawayfiles
Caity Pfohl
April 24, 2020 at 10:01 pmOh my gosh, I did watch Free Solo and it is so good – I can’t even wrap my head around it, though! Seeing the rock face on film made it seem daunting enough, but seeing it in person all the more so. Such a surreal feat!
Clare (Suitcases and Sandcastles)
September 24, 2019 at 2:55 pmYou always take such beautiful photos, Caity, and Yosemite is somewhere I’m so keen to visit so it’s an absolute pleasure looking at these for #farawayfiles. Thank you so much for sharing.