How to Beat the Summer Crowds at Yosemite National Park

The summer crowds at Yosemite can bring traffic jams, noise, and confusion to an otherwise peaceful and quiet place. They come from all over the world this time of year to take in the beauty of Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, and the Merced River. The sign at the entrance station said, "Expect Two Hour Delays in The Valley". We decided to avoid the Valley for the morning and took the turn to Glacier Point Road.

Tip #1: Avoid Yosemite Valley and Yosemite Village if possible. Head to Glacier Point Road, Tioga Road, or Wawona. 


My favorite wildflower hike is off Glacier Point Road at McGurk Meadow. This is a fairly easy out and back hike which leads to a high meadow, marshy and filled with wildflowers in many places. The marshiness means that there are also lots of mosquitoes and butterflies. The flowers were a little past prime in the meadow but along the edges of the forest we found plenty of color and beauty to enjoy.

Tip #2: Get out of your car and hike a little off the main roads. We hiked less than a mile and were all alone in a beautiful setting.

Alpine Lily at Yosemite National Park - We call them leopard lilies.

Like these leopard lilies that were blazing red in the dappled sunlight of the forest. The bees were buzzing along with the mosquitoes as we hiked through this section. I was hiking with a friend and she was a little nervous about encountering a bear on our hike. We decided to not hike quietly as we followed the trail deeper into the woods so we wouldn't startle a bear if we came across one.

The California Mule Deer - Yosemite National Park

We were spooked by this buck as he leaped out onto the path past us and then over to a patch of wildflowers that he proceeded to munch as I tried to discreetly take a photo or two.

Crimson columbine - Yosemite National Park

Back to looking at wildflowers....we found lots of Crimson columbine in the marshy areas and we decided it is such a pretty creation.Our field guide tells us they are in the buttercup family. I have one in my nature journal already but I am tempted to sketch it again just so I can use my oranges and yellows.

Corn Lily in Bloom - Yosemite National Park

The corn lilies were blooming all along the trail and it is hard not to overlook their beauty when we slow down to take a look at this common plant. These plants can be quite tall and when you see them in mass...it is gorgeous.

Sentinel Bridge with the Merced River and my beloved pink Roxie bike

Tip #3: If you must go into the Valley, take the walking trail or a bike path to get away from the crowds. 

After a quick PB sandwich lunch on the trail, a bottle of water, and a few more photos, we headed into the valley ... braving the traffic. We had our bikes along and we wanted to find a place to park and take a slow ride around the bike path which loops around the majority of the valley. We made several stops at the river to cool our feet.

Yosemite Evening - El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls beyond the Merced River

Tip #4: Go early or stay late in the day and you will find the crowds disappear. The middle of the day is a great time to sit at the river and just let everyone else clamor for a spot on a hiking trail or a place on the road. 

We ended our day with dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel (actually sitting outside at the cafe) and then we packed up the bikes and headed home. Above is one last image looking back at El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls in the setting sun. This is my favorite time of day in the Valley.

There are plenty more ideas for day hikes away from the crowds on my Squidoo page: Yosemite For Families. It is possible to enjoy a day at this national park even when there are throngs of visitors. We enjoyed a great summer day in this awesome and unique place.

I can't wait to go back again. 

Wyoming in the Summer - Roadtrip

Roadtrip - California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah

Mr. A loved driving across the Nevada landscape and setting the cruise control at 75 MPH. This was his first real roadtrip where he did a lot of the driving for us. I enjoyed sitting in the passenger seat and soaking in the big skies and the distant mountains still iced with snow.

Although we enjoyed the whole trip, the star of the show was most definitely the Grand Tetons. We were able to swing a room at the Jackson Lake Lodge for part of our trip and it was great home base. It was everything a lodge should be and more.


Wyoming landscapes...sun, clouds, and terrain are quick to change.

My sons were both feeling crummy with colds when we were in the middle of our trip so the long hiking days we planned had to be adjusted. Instead, we drove one day up into Yellowstone National Park and did a quick circle tour of some interesting spots in the southern part of the park.



We walked on the boardwalks around the Lower Geyser Basin. It was a fairly active day and we got to see a couple of geysers spout that don't regularly put on a show. In fact, we got caught in the spray of one geyser....that was a first.



I spent time on the lookout for interesting wildflowers which were abundant during our trip. This Elk Thistle was interesting and beautiful as it grew alongside the boardwalk.



Our one hike of the day was down the switchback trail to the brink of Lower Yellowstone Falls. The flow was at a near record high when we were there and it was roaring down the canyon. Amazing to stand right at the edge of where the water falls over the rocks!

It was a quick Yellowstone trip but we soaked in the wonderful landscapes and made some great memories. We headed back into Grand Teton Park and alongside the road near the Jackson Lake Lodge we spotted a mama grizzly bear and her two cubs. We stopped across the road and down a little to watch the cubs playing in the meadow. This was a first for our family....we have seen lots of black bears but these were our very first grizzly bears. We didn't stay long since we really didn't want to disrupt them but I have to admit very exciting to see this in the wild.



One night we drove up Signal Mountain and watched the sunset over Jackson Lake. As sunset grew closer, the group of us up there got larger. I was pleased that most of us were there to sit quietly and watch with cameras in hand. The one thing about going to national parks is that you realize there are many people visiting from outside the U.S. They have come clear around the world to see what we have in our own backyards. It gives you fresh eyes to think about what you have and need to appreciate.

Those clouds in the sunset photo above turned into thunderheads and by bedtime it was quite a show. We watched from our room window as the sky came alive and the thunder was louder than I have ever heard before...almost like explosions. It rained just a little and then the storm disappeared. Perfect Wyoming experience for the boys!





When morning dawned, the skies were clear and the sun was warm. On our way out of the park we stopped to enjoy the reflection of the mountains in the lake in the early morning light. Breathtaking!



When we stopped to take the reflection photos, I noticed these huge seed clouds at my feet. We looked them up in our guide and identified them as Yellow salsify. The flowers look much like dandelions but the seeds heads are much larger. I had my son put his hand in the photo so you could see how large they are.

Our road trip is over for the summer and we have packed in some great family memories. The boys enjoyed the wildlife and the great food we enjoyed on our trip. I packed breakfast and lunch but we ate our dinners in restaurants. The most memorable meal ended with fresh homemade huckleberry pie. I am going to dream of that slice of heaven for a very long time to come.

It is nice to be home, back to my garden but it is always refreshing to get out on the open road and see some new and exciting things. I have a couple more posts to share with other aspects of our trip so stay tuned.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom