My first trip to Yosemite National Park was with my group of friends in the summer of 2018. I love being outdoors and have gone camping a few times before, so I was excited to check Yosemite off my list. 11 of us traveled from the Bay Area and Las Vegas for a fun weekend of camping.

TIP

In order to camp at Yosemite, you have to make a campground reservation up to 5 months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7am PT. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis and are in high demand from April through September. Because these months are popular, it’s helpful to have more than 1 person try and make a reservation to increase your chances if you want more than 1 campsite since each campsite fits up to 6 people. For your best chance of getting a reservation, get up early on the day you’re booking, start your process at recreation.gov and follow these instructions.

EXPLORING YOSEMITE

Our first hike was The Mist Trail, one of Yosemite’s signature hikes where you encounter two waterfalls: Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. This is also the path to Half Dome, but you need to obtain a permit first.

Our group hiked to the top of Vernal Fall, which was about 3.3 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet.

During our hike, we came across the Vernal Fall Footbridge, with a view up the Merced River.

You know you’re getting close to the waterfall when you’re climbing up a staircase along a rock face. If you’re not afraid of getting soaked, you can make your way towards the waterfall which is what we did. We continued our hike by making it to the top of Vernal Fall, where there is an observation area.

GLACIER POINT

Our second and my favorite hike was Glacier Point, which overlooks Yosemite Valley and Half Dome with a panoramic view.

We hiked to the top via the Four Mile Trail (it’s actually closer to 5 miles). It took us about 4 hours since you’re climbing up 3,200 feet in elevation. It’s a tough trail, but the views at the end are worth it! This hike is ideal for those looking to push their limits.

After our hike, we went to cool off and lounge in the river near our campsite.

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