You guys! I just had the best week solo camping in Yosemite National Park. Yosemite is an incredible place, but I know it can be daunting to plan, so here is my itinerary for the perfect 4 days in Yosemite!
BUT there are a few things you need to know about Yosemite. First, it’s huge! There are several sections of the park and it’s nearly impossible to explore this park without a car. Second, choosing your place to stay is essential. Staying at one of the lodges inside Yosemite is going to cost you a pretty penny (likely $400+/night), so I opted for the camping experience.
There are tons of Airbnbs outside of the park in either Coarsegold/Oakhurst to the South or El Portal to the West, but these will add a lot of drive time onto your day. Likely add 45 minutes to/from the park every day, and gas is expensive in California.
There are a lot of campgrounds within the park, so if you can and camping is your speed, I would definitely recommend it! Plus it really allows you to immerse in Yosemite and enjoy every minute of your time there. The Upper/Lower Pines campgrounds will put you right in the valley, but they are very busy and the sites are less spaced out. If you want more seclusion (but a farther drive to the valley), definitely check out Tamarack Flat or Hogdon Meadows. But really, you can’t go wrong with campsites.
Something you should know: campgrounds are mainly reservation based in the park. Click here for everything you need to know about camping.
I didn’t reserve right away and by checking availability every day in the weeks before my trip I was able to find spaces (but I had to move campgrounds nightly). Book early if you really want a certain campground or the same site for the duration of your stay!
To enter Yosemite if you don’t have a camping reservation or a permit to hike Half Dome, you will need a reservation. Click here for information about that. Now let’s get to it: the perfect 4 days in Yosemite!
Day 1:
Today is the day to get acquainted with Yosemite!
Drive in and make sure to stop at Tunnel View for the iconic view of El Capitan and Half Dome. From here, hike to Inspiration or Artist Point. Both trails are just over 2 miles roundtrip and give beautiful views of the valley. Artist Point will be busier, so to avoid the crowds take the turn off on the Bridal Veil Falls trail to reach Inspiration Point.
Another tip: Yosemite gets busy! Get there early to beat the crowds and if there is no parking, utilize the bus system within the valley to hit the destinations while avoiding the traffic.
Take a trip driving around the valley. You can stop and walk the flat loop around Sentinel Meadows, grab some food or souvenirs at Yosemite Village, or walk the short path to Lower Yosemite Falls. Then head to your campsite and get settled in!
Day 2:
This is the day to carve out time for an epic hike! As many of you know I was lucky enough to score a permit to hike Half Dome. This is a huge undertaking for a day hike (think 17+ miles round trip with a ton of elevation gain and scaling the rockface via the cables), but if you are lucky enough to be able to do this, DO IT!
Click here for everything you need to know about hiking Half Dome.
If this is not your speed or you can’t get a permit, as an alternative, drive to Glacier Point. From here you can hike Sentinel Dome.
**Glacier Point Road is closed for the 2022 season but plans to reopen in 2023. If you really want to see Glacier Point though, you can hike from the valley there via the Four Mile Trail. This is another large undertaking and requires 10 miles round trip and over 3,000 feet of elevation gain.
After your hike, just spend some time relaxing at your campsite! For a link to some of the gear I use hiking/camping, click here.
Day 3:
You are probably exhausted from your hike so today is your recovery day! If you are in Yosemite when Tioga Road is open, this is your day to drive it.
This is a perfect night to stay at Tamarack Flat Campground if you want to be right on Tioga Road and be more secluded from the locations in the valley.
Start your drive with an optional short hike to May Lake. 2.5 miles round trip with only around 500ft of gain to a beautiful lake that is a lot less busy than other lakes in this area!
Then drive over to Tenaya Lake, stopping at Olmstead Point for a beautiful view of the park. The shores of the lake are perfect for some coffee, a picnic and an overall chill day!
If you want to see more of this area, you can drive all the way up and over Tioga Pass for views of the Sierras and surrounding mountain ranges. There are plenty of places to pull out and stop for photos or to enjoy the scenery along the way! Be warned, if you decide to drive all the way to Lee Vining, you may see a lot of blogs recommending the gas station here. While I’ve heard the food is good, it was ridiculously overpriced and this was the most expensive gas I saw the entire trip (almost $7/gallon!).
I recommend filling up gas in Coarsegold if you are coming in from the south before your trip! I did everything on this itinerary without having to fill up my tank in the park as it’s so much pricier.
Day 4:
Spend your last day exploring Yosemite Valley. I started with a hike to Colombia Rock, but beware: this is a steep one! Start on the Yosemite Falls Trail and hike almost 1,000 vertical feet over the course of 1 mile to a beautiful overlook. For those of you looking for a more strenuous hike you can continue to Upper Yosemite Falls from here, but I didn’t.
In the parking lot for the trail here you can rent bikes for free and ride them around the valley after your hike. Yosemite rents the bikes here for 2 hours via an app (there’s a QR code at the parking lot near the bikes to scan) and it’s a perfect way to explore the valley while skipping the traffic! I stopped over at the Yosemite Village Store which has plenty of souvenirs, snacks and ice cream to enjoy!
If you are looking for more to do this day, try a short walk to Lower Yosemite Falls or pull over and enjoy a beautiful view of the valley along the creek at the very end of Southside Drive as you exit the Valley.
As another option, to see the famous Sequoias, check out Mariposa Grove near the park’s south entrance. At time of writing it is closed due to fire damage, but check frequently for updates! As an alternative, Tuolumne Grove has some of the trees and a tunnel tree you can walk through.
There you have it! Four days in Yosemite. This national park is so awe-inspiring but can be intimidating, so I hope this helps. As always, feel free to comment with any questions below and subscribe to stay up to date on all things All Over Adventure! Happy adventures, fam!