Early Spring Adventures in Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley, California

Description

one word----DROUGHT.If you have visited Yosemite before you may be familiar with the smells and sounds of the Valley. Walking outside your campsite and hearing a babbling crook or the roar of a waterfall your thing? I can not recommend visiting Yosemite in Early Spring enough. Yes it will be real real cold and yes you will have to bundle, and okay so you may spend a little more than you bargained as you constantly need to sip on some steaming beverage of any sort....BUT you can still see the Valley in all of its lush, green glory.

Yosemite Valley has so much to offer so to make the most of your time, set your sights on camping near Curry Village. There is a free shuttle that can take you to all the most massive trail-heads--Yosemite Falls Upper/Lower, Bridalveil, Vernal, Mirror Lake, allllll the goods

Also good to know if that the Ahwahnee Hotel keeps its lobby open to all hikers--so if you need to warm up grab a shuttle and pick one of their numerous fireplaces to heat up, plan your next hike

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Chillin

Camping

Backpacking

Hiking

Easy Parking

Forest

Scenic

Waterfall

Wildlife

Early Spring Adventures in Yosemite Valley Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Mist Trail to Vernal Falls

This is one of the most epic short hikes that you can do in Yosemite. Highly recommend it for anyone staying in the valley or visiting with enough time for a 2-3 hour hike. While the distance isn't long, you will stop a lot along the way to take in the beauty and also spend time at the top of the falls. The hike starts from Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16). You can also hike from Half Dome Vill...

Vernal Fall Foot Bridge Trail via Mist and John Muir Trail

Panorama Trail

The Panorama Trail is an outstanding hike that takes you from the Yosemite Valley floor up to Glacier Point. Or you can hike it downhill going from Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley. You can camp and make it an overnight trip or do it as a day trip by leaving a car at one end and taking a park shuttle to the other. If you stay overnight, be sure to grab a permit. The hike is beautiful from spr...

Little Yosemite Valley Campsite and Half Dome

First things first. You will need to get a wilderness pass by entering the lottery for Half Dome access. If you don't get a pass via lottery just go to the Yosemite Valley visitor center, tell the clerk you are backpacking to Little Yosemite Valley and that you would like to hike up Half Dome. They will likely give you a pass. Next, park your car at Upper Pines and REMEMBER WHERE YOU PARKED. Lo...

Vernal & Nevada Falls via Happy Isles

This popular hike starts near Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The first mile of the trail is paved and almost entirely uphill. You will come to the footbridge which tends to be very crowded. About 0.2 miles beyond the footbridge, the Mist Trail and the John Muir Trail diverge. Follow the Mist Trail 0.5 miles up a steep granite stairway of over 600 steps directly to the top of Vernal Fall. Use c...

Half Dome via the Mist Trail

Be sure to arrive early early in the morning to beat the crowds or if you want to break up the hike, first-come, first served campsites are available at Little Yosemite Valley Campground - make sure to check out the details in that adventure and obtain a wilderness permit. Even if you are just day hiking, you'll still need a day hike permit. About 5 minutes in you will start your ascent. Soon ...