Yosemite in 2½ Days

First published in Wanderful
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​I know what you're thinking, how could anyone visit Yosemite National Park in just 2 DAYS?

My dad frequently spoke about the grandeur of the surrounding cliff faces and peaks, commenting on how the Yosemite Valley was almost too beautiful to be real. So naturally Yosemite had always been on my bucket list growing up. Despite the little time I had to visit the park I was so glad I got to experience it in person instead of on the back of an old postcard.

Tunnel View

I'm the type of traveller who wants to make the most out of every experience. I find it very difficult to sit still and take my time, often finding myself rushing from Point A to B. Because of this, I knew I would have to strategically plan all the 'must-see' sites of the park if I was going to conquer them in 2 full days. I'm also an avid hiker, so I wanted to find adequate time to walk a few of the well known trails.

DAY 1 - HALF DAY

​My aim was to make it to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Centre by midday. I woke up at 6am and drove 5hrs to Yosemite from Lake Tahoe. The drive was fairly straightforward and went faster than anticipated – but I was tired – driving really does knock you around mentally (especially when you’re not used to driving on the other side of the road).

I entered the park from the east side and was soon greeted by the purple hues of Half Dome. Driving slowly into the valley I was surrounded by lush green sequoia and pine trees, deers, squirrels, butterflies and birds, running waterfalls, and there in the backdrop was El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls (which unfortunately was not running this time of year). As I stopped to capture this Eden-like utopia the tranquil sounds of the Merced River soothed my ringing ears.

Half Dome

Once I reached the visitor centre I got a few hiking maps and did a quick tour of the nearby museum and boutique stores that sold local arts and crafts. ​

I started off with a short walk to Lower Yosemite Falls which took about 20-30mins. It was a nice way to get my bearings. After a few snaps of the wildlife, and autumn coloured trees, I hopped back in the car and drove an hour up Glacier Point Rd towards Glacier Point – a marvellous viewing spot of Yosemite Valley and Half Dome.

You can also walk up to Glacier Point via The Four-Mile Trail which usually takes about 6-8hrs roundtrip. Otherwise there is plenty of parking at the top if you’d rather save your energy. Glacier Point is home to a few trailheads including Panorama Trail and Pohono Trail.

I spent about an hour here, taking photos, sitting against a boulder, ultimately admiring the scenery. Everything around me was so still, as though I was looking at a canvas struck with bold acrylic paints.

Glacier Point

​By the time I left Glacier Point it was around 3pm. I drove back down towards the valley, stopping at Tunnel View for more awe-inspiring scenery, then proceeded out of the park, as my accommodation was in Mariposa – another hour drive.

DAY 2 - FULL DAY

I woke up at 7am and drove to Mariposa Grove which is located in the southern portion of the park about 54km from Yosemite Valley. The Grove is the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite and home to over 500 mature giant sequoias.
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A free shuttle bus, that leaves every 15 mins from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza, took me to the start of the trailheads. I walked the Grizzly Giant Loop (3.2kms), which did not take long at all – 1hr max. This trail passed notable trees such the Bachelor and Three Graces, the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant, and the California Tunnel Tree.

Grizzly Giant Tree

Tunnel Tree

After the short hike I drove an hour into Yosemite Valley. My goal was to do The Mist Trail which takes you along Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and leads onto the John Muir Trail before the decent back to Curry Village. All the waterfalls were still flowing as well, so this was pretty spectacular to see. However, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this hike or myself, especially as I had been living on a diet of Chipotle and Chick-fil-A for the past two weeks. Would I be able to conquer the roundtrip before sunset? As I began my ascent up the stairs to Vernal Falls, my fitness levels were not quite how I remembered. This part of the hike was very steep and it seemed as though the stairs would never end. It took me about 45-50mins to reach the top of Vernal Falls and I was totally pooped!

After resting for 30mins at the top of the falls I decided to proceed onto Nevada Falls. I made it halfway until I realised I probably wouldn't make it back before dark. It was about 3:30pm now and I was getting paranoid, never having done this hike before. I didn’t want to risk it so I headed back down the Nevada Falls trail and diverged onto the Clark Point route - this would take me back down to Curry Village but would travel along the John Muir Trail not via the Vernal Falls route (which I ascended). I much preferred this as it was less crowded and also stopped at Clark Point for a view of both falls. This was a worthwhile hike but I’d recommend starting earlier in the morning if planning on doing the full Mist Trail & John Muir Circuit Trail.

On the way out of the park I stopped on the side of the road to gaze up at El Capitan. You can really see just how insignificant we all are compared to this mighty granite wall. Bring binoculars and you might just catch a glimpse of the small ant-sized rock climbers setting up camp on the cliff face.

El Capitan

The Three Brothers

Day 3 - FULL DAY

Today was a Saturday and little did I know was also a long weekend. As you can imagine the park was especially packed. I drove back up Glacier Point Rd, this time stopping at the Sentinel Dome trailhead. The 1.6km walk to Sentinel Dome was fairly easy. Although Sentinel Dome isn’t known for anything overly exciting it was still a great spot for panoramic views of the valley. You could see all the major points of interest: from El Capitan, to Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. ​

​I proceeded back towards the trailhead and went on to do the 1.6km walk in the opposite direction to Taft Point. Once I reached the top I couldn't believe what I was seeing – a group of people tightroping from one point to the other, on rope and equipment they had set up themselves – at an elevation of 7,500 feet! But don’t worry they had at least ONE rope attached to them in case they fell.  Witnessing this was definitely the highlight of the day.

Tightroping at Taft Point

Afterwards I drove back into the valley and did a section of the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail which passes through meadows, forests and beside the Merced River. Very relaxing. The half loop takes about 2½ hours to do. I saw the Yosemite Valley Chapel, walked across the Swinging Bridge and then sat and reflected at Sentinel Beach. ​

ACCOMMODATION

In Mariposa, about an hours drive from Yosemite Valley, I stayed at The Monarch Inn, which was definitely not the greatest motel but it was cheap, and all I really needed was a place to rest my head each night. The shower pressure barely worked and the free continental breakfast was ordinary. Regardless, I'd still recommend staying in Mariposa as there are plenty of restaurants, grocery stores, and gift shops you wouldn't find in the actual park itself. Mariposa also has a quaint country town vibe with the architecture much how it used to be in the early 1900s. 


Overall, I loved my time spent at Yosemite National Park and two days gave me a glimpse into what it can offer. Next time I’ll plan a week to stay, bring good hiking shoes, hopefully have worked on my fitness, and perhaps set out to conquer the 12hr Half Dome trek.