We spent 3 days exploring Yosemite National Park. This stunning park attracts a whopping 4 million plus visitors a year. There’s plenty to enjoy here whatever your activity level. Some prefer a scenic drive, whilst other are happy hiking for miles. My itinerary lies somewhere in between.
Yosemite National Park in 3 Days Itinerary
| Day 1 | Drive to Yosemite Bridalveil Falls Picnic at Cathedral Beach Yosemite Falls Yosemite Chapel Wawona Road Accommodation – Cosy Bear Cottages |
| Day 2 | Mirror Lake Trail Yosemite Village Store Picnic at Tunnel View Inspiration Point |
| Day 3 | The Mist Trail Vernal Fall Nevada Fall El Capitan |
Yosemite National Park Day 1
Today, we are going somewhere which ranks very high on the bucket list; Yosemite National Park.
We will spend 3 nights at the Cosy Bear Lodge in just outside the Park at Yosemite West. Having read some reviews of our accommodation, I have come to the conclusion that we’re going to either love it or hate it.
Drive to Yosemite
After a breakfast consisting mainly of waffles, we check out, stock up on supplies (our accommodation is 17 miles from the nearest shop) and set off for Yosemite along the Central Yosemite Highway, which follows the course of the Merced River, into the National Park.
Once we have paid our $35 entrance fee, we enter the park. (Note: When we visited, the entrance fee was $35 per vehicle, but a whopping extra $100 must now be paid if you are not a US resident).
Inside the Park, a one way system is in operation; Southside Drive runs east along the south bank of the Merced, while Northside Drive runs west along the north bank.
Bridalveil Falls
We drive down Southside Drive, with a few stops along the way; first at Bridalveil Falls viewpoint.
Picnic at Cathedral Beach
Then, we stop for lunch at Cathedral Beach Picnic Area, where we eat lunch in the shadow of El Capitan; a 914 metre high granite rock, which towers above us. Three of us sit by the river, enjoying the view, while daughter No 2 can’t resist prospecting for gold in the Merced.
Yosemite Falls
After lunch, we continue along Southside Drive towards Yosemite Village and take a walk to see Yosemite Falls; one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Water falls a total of 740 metres, in three sections. We take a trail to the bottom of the falls, where the power of the water blows a huge amount of spray into the air.
Yosemite Chapel
We walk across bridge over the Merced to Yosemite Chapel. This 19th Century chapel sits beneath the enormous Half Dome, which rises 1444 metres above the valley floor.
Wawona Road
Then, back across another bridge, to rejoin the car. We drive along Northside Drive and head off to find our accommodation. We must ascend from the valley floor, along Wawona Road, up and up, until we are almost 2000 metres above sea level. The view is both spectacular and sad, as huge sections of the forest have been destroyed by fires.
Accommodation – Cosy Bear Cottages
We reach our accommodation; Cosy Bear Cottages, in Yosemite West, some 17 miles from the valley floor.
There are two cottages. Ours is a two bed cabin and the owners are very much guilty of taking a theme and running with it – literally everything is covered in bears. Bear bedding, lamps, tables, shower curtain… If you can buy it with bears on, it’s here.
Pre warned by reading reviews on trip advisor about the remoteness of the location, we have come stocked up on food (and wine) and have dinner on the patio before all the travel/fresh air/wine gets the better of me and I’m in bed by 7 pm! (Not before attempting a bear themed jigsaw puzzle).
Yosemite National Park Day 2
Mirror Lake Trail
Distance: 2 miles round trip to lake and back; 5 miles loop around lake
Elevation: 30 metres
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Time: 1 hour round trip to the lake; 2-3 hours for full loop
Begin at: Mirror Lake Trailhead
Today, the kids want to do a 12 mile hike. I do not. I say I’m happy to do my own thing, but they will not let me off that easily and announce that we will do the Mirror Lake Trail instead; a ‘nice and easy’ 2 mile walk.
We drive as near to the car park as we are able (it’s already very busy) and walk to a junction which gives the option of a nice, smooth, flat 1.4 mile walk or a 2 mile trail through the rocks. We take the trail option for some reason that no one is satisfactorily able to explain…
We walk the trail to the lake. It has to be said that Mirror Lake (so called because it is still enough to reflect the grandeur of the rocks it sits beneath) is really worth the walk.
At this point, I would happily walk back to the car, but no – we must walk around the lake. This is, theoretically, another 2 miles until you reach Tenaya Bridge and cross the River Merced to return along the other side of the lake.
Somehow, we manage to lose the trail and end up walking into thicker and thicker woods until finally we reach two enormous fallen trees and cannot go on. We try to cut through the undergrowth to the trail. I’m not convinced – I’ve read the warnings about bears starting to come out of hibernation!
I am cajoled into this cross country climb to rejoin the trail. By the time we have reached to bridge, we have walked 4.6 miles, including some climbing over rocks and tree trunks and quite a considerable amount of wading, as the trail became more stream than path.
When I finally glimpse the bridge, it is a source of great excitement. We cross and start walking back round the lake. Miles away from any form of civilisation, we bump into two Americans who ask us if we know where the bus stop is?!
By the time we reach the car, my nice short walk totals 8 miles and has taken us almost 4 hours.
Yosemite Village Store
We stop off at the Yosemite Village Store for lunch and extra provisions. This large, well stocked store sells all manner of things from food to souvenirs to camping gear. But it’s not cheap. My two baskets of shopping comes to well over $100! But the most important thing is that we now have food. And wine. And a fridge magnet.
Picnic at Tunnel View
All stocked up, we drive to Tunnel View for a picnic. Here, near the entrance to Yosemite Valley a tunnel has been blown through the rock, so you enter into darkness, then exit to the view of Yosemite in all its splendour. Not a bad place for a picnic.
Inspiration Point
The others decide to take another hike, to Inspiration Point; the place where the road used to pass before the tunnel was constructed. I am all hiked out and sit and admire the view statically.
Then it’s back to the cabin for fajitas and wine on the deck.
Yosemite National Park Day 3
It’s our final day in Yosemite and there’s been a difference of opinion about the severity of today’s trail: daughter No 2 wants to go hard core with a scaling of El Capitan, while daughter No 1 prefers the gentler Valley Floor Loop. My son-in-law is somewhere in between and I just want to relax in the cabin with a good book!
A compromise is reached and we head into the valley to hike the 5 mile long Mist Trail. Facts they have omitted; (1) it’s a mile from the car park to the trail head, so the 5 mile walk is in fact 7 miles (2) this includes 910 metres of elevation (3) including 600 stone steps (4) which are wet with spray from the waterfall.
The Mist Trail
Distance: 2.4 miles round trip to top of Vernal Fall; 5 miles round trip to Nevada Fall
Elevation: 300 metres to top of Vernal Fall; 610 metres to top of Nevada Fall
Difficulty: Strenuous
Time: 2–3 hours to top of Vernal Fall; 4-5 hours to top of Nevada Fall
Begin at: Happy Isles
After a breakfast of bacon sandwiches, during which we manage to set the fire alarm off (twice), we drive once more from our cabin down into Yosemite Valley, park up and set off for the trail, which threads up and up alongside the Merced River. The first 2 miles are hard work but manageable.
Vernal Fall
Then, as we approach Vernal Fall, we must contend with the steps. And the spray. I take off my jumper to keep it dry and daughter No 2 puts it her rucksack, together with my water. She then saunters up the steps, never to be seen again.
Not only are the steps wet and slippery, but after the first 100 or so, the handrail stops. I manage maybe 400 steps before it dawns on me what a mission it’s going to be for an old lady with an arthritic knee to get back down again. The others are way ahead of me. I try to gesture that I’m going back down. Then begin the treacherous descent, which is thoroughly terrifying.
Once I reach the bottom, it occurs to me that I am wet and only wearing a t shirt and it could be some time before I’m reunited with my jumper. So, in order to keep warm, I continue walking until I am out of the forest (ie back at the car, which is in a clearing).
Nevada Fall
An hour later, the kids reappear. They have completed the hike to the second waterfall, Nevada Fall.
El Capitan
We drive on to El Capitan Picnic Area, where daughter No 1 can’t resist having a bash at climbing a small section of the huge monolith.
Then it’s back to the cabin for our final night in Yosemite. We have been here 3 days and walked a total of 24 miles. I am shattered!
- Trip taken: March 2022
- Updated: September 2026
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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