Best time to visit Yosemite in summer

Action City

Registered
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
We are visiting Yosemite this summer for the first time and I have lots of questions. :) Is it better to visit early or later in the summer? I am guessing July would be the busiest month for visitors.

I am not sure which entrance we will be using, West or East or where we'll be flying into. Is one better than the other? How many days should we plan on spending in the park?
 
May or June is a great time as the waterfalls will be full. Memorial weekend is very busy so I would avoid that time if possible. We fly into San Francisco and stay in Bass Lake so I believe that we use the West entrance. Make sure you visit Tuolumne Meadows - like all of Yosemite- truly stunning. Enjoy your trip!!! We are going this summer so counting the days! :)
 
One more thing, Mary Jo did a podcast (Disneyland Dis Unplugged) on visiting Yosemite. It is very informative and really helped in the planning of our trip. It was an episode a few years back but one of the best I have heard for visiting Yosemite. In fact this year we are skipping DL and spending our entire time at Yosemite. It is truly my favorite place! :)
 
May or June is a great time as the waterfalls will be full. Memorial weekend is very busy so I would avoid that time if possible. We fly into San Francisco and stay in Bass Lake so I believe that we use the West entrance. Make sure you visit Tuolumne Meadows - like all of Yosemite- truly stunning. Enjoy your trip!!! We are going this summer so counting the days! :)

I tend to agree about May, but this isn't likely to be a great year for the snowpack to keep it flowing heavily in July. I've been there in June during a low water flow year, and Yosemite Falls was almost minimal in the middle of June. It did make it more convenient for me going backpacking since I already had my permit reserved, and I was worried about when Tioga Pass would open, when the hikers bus would run, and whether the creeks would be passable.

2017 was a spectacular water year though. I was checking out the Yosemite Falls webcam, and it was spectacular even into late July.

Bass Lake would be closest to the south entrance. There are three entrances from the west.

Tuolumne Meadows is great, but of course be prepared for the mosquitos with repellent. The High Country is the worst part of the park for mosquitos. They're super aggressive, and there's plenty of stagnant water for larvae to grow.
 


We are visiting Yosemite this summer for the first time and I have lots of questions. :) Is it better to visit early or later in the summer? I am guessing July would be the busiest month for visitors.

I am not sure which entrance we will be using, West or East or where we'll be flying into. Is one better than the other? How many days should we plan on spending in the park?

There are basically four main entrances. The one from the east is the Tioga Pass entrance. That's basically only used if you're coming from Reno or touring around US 395. It may not even be open until late June depending on how much snow needs to be removed. Last year it wasn't open until June 29, and it typically takes about 2 weeks before there are any services at Tuolumne Meadows.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm

The Big Oak Flat entrance is the fastest one from San Francisco or Sacramento. From Merced it would be the Arch Rock Entrance. From Fresno or Southern California, it's the south entrance. The way along CA 140 to the Arch Rock entrance is probably the most scenic other than Tioga Road.
 
Tuolumne Meadows is great, but of course be prepared for the mosquitos with repellent. The High Country is the worst part of the park for mosquitos. They're super aggressive, and there's plenty of stagnant water for larvae to grow.

Just to follow up, it may look dorky, but quite a few people visiting the High Country bring along a head net to keep mosquitoes out.

https://www.rei.com/product/780999/sea-to-summit-head-net

269ca15e-caa8-4402-a278-49562314e5d6
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top