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I recently had the privilege of visiting Yosemite National Park. Even though I was born and raised in California, I haven’t spent time in Yosemite. My husband, Joe, and I were lucky enough to get a reservation for Fourth of July weekend. We spent two full days in the park and stayed in an airstream in Midpines. This was the perfect weekend getaway so I wanted to share a Yosemite travel guide with you!
Yosemite Travel Guide
Where To Stay
Our Yosemite lodging was a treat. I wanted to try glamping and made a reservation at Autocamp Yosemite. I found this airstream camp through a coworker. I’m going to do a full review so I won’t go into too much detail here. Autocamp Yosemite is located in Midpines, about an hour outside the park entrance. They offer airstreams, luxury tents and cabins. We stayed in an airstream! It was my first time even being in one. I really liked it. It has all the comfort I like – bed, private bathroom, shower, and kitchenette. It also has the fun elements of camping – fire pit, outside seating and nature! Autocamp also has a clubhouse and pool; the clubhouse has a general store and bar. They basically have everything you need for a comfortable stay.
What To Do
This really depends on what you want to do and where you’re staying. Personally I wanted to do easier hikes and swim. And of course see some beautiful sights! I’ll share what we did on both of our full days in Yosemite National Park.
Day 1 Itinerary
6:30AM: Wake up and make breakfast; this took longer than expected because we spent a while getting a fire started for cooking.
8AM: Drive to Yosemite Lower Falls (this should have taken an hour but we had to wait in a line of cars to get through the entrance).
9:30AM: Hike to the lower falls. The viewpoint is half a mile roundtrip from the trailhead. There are lots of spots to sit and take in the view. It’s a beautiful spot and worth a stop! You can do a longer hike or go up to the upper falls.
10:30AM: Hike Sentinel/Cook’s Meadow Loop. This loop is 2.25 miles roundtrip. You can see the falls and Half Dome from various points.
12PM: Walk around Ahwahnee hotel. Originally we wanted to have lunch there but they weren’t taking reservations when we visited. It was crowded so we were glad that we brought our own lunch. We did check out the grounds. It’s a gorgeous hotel with giant fireplaces, chandeliers and lovely views just outside. Even if you don’t stay there or dine there, it’s worth checking out.
1PM: Head back to Autocamp. It was hot and we were exhausted. We rested for a bit in the air conditioned airstream. Then swam in the pool and settled in for our nightly routine. Every night we made a fire, cooked dinner, played games and made s’mores. That may have been my favorite part of the trip!
Day 2 Itinerary
7AM: Wake up (we got up a little later because we decided to pick up donuts and coffee on the road).
7:30AM: Head to Wawona Swinging Bridge; we had to enter through a different part of the park and it took about 1.5 hours.
9AM: Walk out to the swinging bridge.
9:30AM: Head back to the car to change into swimsuits.
10AM: Swim at Wawona Swinging Hole (pro tip: bring a beach umbrella because it gets really warm and sunny).
12PM: Head back to Midpines.
1PM: Lunch at 1850 Restaurant – get the soft pretzel!
2PM: Head back to Autocamp and repeat nighty routine 🙂
Important Travel Tips
If you’re reading this before September 2021, it’s important to know that Yosemite is currently requiring reservations to enter the park. I’m glad I looked into this well before we left because it was a bit stressful to make a reservation. The current process (as I’m writing this in July 2021): you must make a reservation seven days prior to your trip; reservations open at 8AM PT. Reservations are valid for three consecutive days. You will need an account to make a reservation so I recommend creating one in advance and adding your payment information.
It was really hot when we were there. Midpines was 95+ degrees F every day we were there. Yosemite National Park wasn’t quite as hot but it was still toasty. Remember to bring plenty of water. Typically we use reusable water bottles but because we were going to a relatively remote area, I bought a case of water. We stocked our mini fridge with water bottles and sparking water. We kept our water bottles in the little freezer portion so they were solid in the morning. They melted throughout the day, which meant chilled water all day.
Here are a few other things I recommend packing: bug spray, hat, sunglasses, beach towel, swimsuit, sunscreen, book, board game(s), lightweight quick drying clothes, and comfortable sneakers. We brought sweatshirts but never needed them. I brought some sweats and tank tops for around camp. We went grocery shopping on the way and Autocamp had a general store with all the essentials. The only things we wish we’d packed were cooking spray and cleaning wipes. We cleaned off our kitchen counter and table after every meal but we only had a sponge and soap. Cleaning wipes would have been a lot easier!
I hope you enjoyed my Yosemite travel guide!
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