Yosemite Wonders

The whole experience of Yosemie is awesome. There is Mariposa Grove for the giant trees, Glacier Point for views to die for, The Valley for more views and a bit of culture, an sightseeing beyond your wildest dreams.

Quick Tips:

Wear sturdy walking boots. Keep to the trails and listen to the rangers advice. Be very careful when on top of Glacier Point, the air is thinnner so you get out of breath more easily and there is not much to stop you from toppling over the top.

Best Way To Get Around:

You need a car to get around Yosemite, to get from point to point. But once at each point there are other options. At Mariposa, take the tout tram, at Glacier Point walk, and in the valley walk around the park at your leisure, stopping off at the points of interest as you go.

Whilst visiting Yosemite we stayed in the Miners Inn Motel located in Mariposa about 45 minutes from Yosemite entrance. At first sight this looks like a low budget motel, but the rooms are more than adequate. The standard rooms are large and have two queen or one king bed, TV, en-suite bathroom and coffee making facilities. It is clean and comfy and has air conditioning - it's very hot here in the summer. Although this could not be classed as a luxury hotel, it more than satisfied our needs for the two nights we stayed. You can upgrade to their suites which have fireplaces, kitchenette and some have spa tubs.

Other amenities include a gift shop which also sells essentials, a wine shop, a small swimming pool and a restaurant. The on-site restaurant & lounge is very pleasant and offers a large range of different breakfasts, dinners and evening meals and again is air-conditioned. The staff are very pleasant.

I’m sure there are better places to stop, but for the money (approx $45 per room) it should not be discounted.

The town itself has all the local amenities close to hand, including a petrol station, shops, restaurants and great views

The Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, located at the southernmost end of Yosemite, is the largest stand of giant sequoias in the park (with almost 500).

These trees have been around about 70 million years. To put this into perpective, dinosaurs (and many other varieties of living things) went extinct around 66 million years ago, but the giant sequoias survived. Giant sequoias are the largest single organisms ever to live on earth. The oldest giant sequoia is the Grizzly Giant, found in the Mariposa Grove--it is about 2,700 years old?!

The Mariposa Grove is open year-round; however, the road closes with the first significant snow and reopens in late spring (depending on conditions). Most people visit in the summer. If you visit during the winter, bring along your snowshoes or skis! Keep in mind, when the road's closed you'll have to walk about 2 miles to get to the grove.

There are a few ways to enjoy the park. You can walk around the park on your own, which takes around 90 minutes, or go with a resident ranger, who will point out all the sights for you, or go by tram. Trams leave the car park every 20 minutes and take a 1-hour trip around the park with a guide narrating and pointing out interesting trees and relating facts and figures. You can get off the tram whenever you want and catch another tram later at no extra cost. They pass each drop point about every 20 minutes, so you are never left waiting for long. I would definitely recommend the tram tour, as you get to see all the park and learn as you go. Well worth it.

You might be wondering--why would I want to see a lot of big trees? Well, there are trees and there are trees, and these are TREES! It is hard to appreciate just how big and magnificent these are until you stand at the side of one or walk through the base of one. Go there and prepare to be amazed!

This has to be the most breathtaking place I have ever been to. Even now, I have a photograph pinned to my PC at work of the view as you get to the top of the point. It is truly awesome. You are left speechless by its sheer beauty and size. I could go on forever about the snow-capped mountains, the spectacular waterfalls cascading thousands of feet down the cliffs, the view of the Yosemite valley floor and the river winding its way around it. But to be honest, unless you have seen it for yourself, you will never appreciate it just from someone putting it into words. You cannot, in fact, put this into words. When I started writing this, I had in my head all the things I wanted to say, but it is just wasted. I am not a writer or a poet and so cannot find the right words that can describe Glacier Point.

I may sound melodramatic, but I’m sure anyone else who has had the pleasure of visiting the magnificent Yosemite can sympathise with me.

The cliff edge--and it is a cliff edge, with just some boulders to keep you from falling--sits 3,214 feet from the valley floor. You can see mountains called Half Dome and El Capitan. Half Dome is apparently 4,733 feet high and 87 million years old. People climb this for fun! As its name suggests, it is a giant half dome, looking as if some giant god has taken his hammer and chisel and chopped away half the dome, leaving what can be seen now. El Capitan is 4,000 feet high and is the largest single granite rock on earth. This is also a favourite with climbers--rather them than me.

Just to prove that Glacier Point is firmly in the 21st century, you will also find a restaurant, gift shop, and toilets at the top alongside the large car park.