Yosemite in 24 Hours

Visiting Yosemite National Park for only a day hardly does justice to this wonderful national treasure! We made the most of our 24 hours in the area, to include the gateway community of Groveland, California. It was a nice evening in Groveland, including dinner at a 1850s saloon, the Iron Door and breakfast at the 49er Restaurant.

We had outstanding weather, and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the park by car. It would have been nice to visit it earlier in the summer while the water falls are at their peak. Unfortunately, this late in the summer, there is little in the way of water coming off the top of the mountain peaks.

By far, the biggest highlight of our visit was the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. With an estimated 500 mature trees, this is the best place to see the trees in their natural beauty at various stages of their centuries of existence. Throughout the grove area, you can see how fire is friend to the trees, necessary for propagation. Several years ago, park rangers did a controlled burn which was necessary for the trees to continue to grow and thrive here.

Quick Tips:

To really see everything, you really need more than one day, especially if you are an active tourist wanting to experience all there is to do in Yosemite National Park. You can take a guided ranger tour, a horseback trail ride, go swimming in a lake or stream or just hike to explore on your own. There is definitely no shortage of activities.

If you are planning to stay inside the park, either at one of the lodges or camping, you should plan in advance and make a reservation to avoid being disappointed. All of the campsite areas had "FULL" signs at the entrances.

Also, you may want to plan to bring a picnic lunch or snacks with you if you're expecting a full day in the park. While there are some restaurants and food service vendors, all seemed to be very crowded. We didn't plan in advance but was fortunate to pick up some snacks and bottled water at a general store inside the park.

Best Way To Get Around:

You can arrive at Yosemite National Park from several directions, including the Tioga Pass from the east and Nevada. We came over from the San Francisco area and entered the park at the Big Oak Flat (Western) entrance via CA Hwy 120.

Before we left home, we did see a lot of advertisements for day tours from Northern California (San Francisco or Sacramento) via motor coach for around - per person. We didn't think we'd enjoy the 12-14 hour tour, including close to eight hours actually on the bus, so we opted to drive it ourselves and spend the same amount of money on a hotel room and meals. We were very happy that we did, as it allowed us to tour and do things at our own pace.

Once in the park, they have an outstanding park shuttle system utilizing hybrid energy to protect the park's natural resources. The buses pick up and stop at all of the feature areas of the park including the various waterfalls, the valley floor visitors' area, and the remote area around Wawona and Mariposa Grove.

We were surprised to see the large number of cyclists, young and old, in the park. On the valley floor the roads and trails are generally on level ground making it a leisurely ride.

Once inside the park you can also take a variety of tours available, including motor coach, tram and horseback. Of course, if you prefer to tour by foot, that too is available!

One of the most frequent visited areas of Yosemite National Park is the Mariposa Grove which features around 500 mature sequoias . . . one of the primary reasons for our trip to Yosemite! Located in the far southwestern corner of the park, expect the drive from the valley area to take nearly an hour. You can also take the park shuttle service which will eliminate the hassle of finding parking in the very limited area at the entrance to Mariposa Grove. When we arrived to the area around 1pm, the upper parking lot was full and the two mile road to the top closed. We parked at the south entrance to the park, and took the shuttle. For those in good to outstanding physical condition, you may probably want to hike the six plus mile hike (one-way) from the Wawona area.

At the shuttle stop inside the grove, there is a small gift shop that also offered limited snacks and beverages. There was also a limited information center. Beyond this building, perhaps 50 yards away, it's the ticket center for the “Tall Trees Tour” offered by park concessionaire Delaware North Companies. This tram ride provides visitors with a narrated tour over the two and one-half mile route through both the lower and upper groves, providing outstanding opportunities to see and learn about the sequoia found in Yosemite. The tour lasts about 75 minutes and includes two stops . . . one at the museum and another at “The Grizzly Giant” the fifth largest documented tree in the world.

Along the path, whether you walk it or take the tram tour, you will see many landmark trees known for their unique features or place in Yosemite history. Many of the trees found in this area are thought to be as much as 2,500 years old. It is really remarkable as you look at the various trees both standing and previously fallen to the forest floor. Perhaps the most famous of all the fallen trees is the Fallen Monarch which was photographed in 1899 with US Cavalry soldiers lined up behind the huge tree trunk. Another of great interest is the Wawona Tunnel Tree which fell in 1969 due to the extreme weight of snow in the tree top. The tunnel had been created for stagecoaches back in 1881. Today the only “tunnel tree” in this area of the park remaining is the California Tunnel Tree which was used from 1859 until 1932. The road was redirected in 1932 and today the tunnel is exclusively used by visitors on foot.

We did take the “Big Trees Tour” which cost $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and $11 for children ages five and older. We really enjoyed having the narration from an experienced tour guide for the Yosemite Tour Company – one of the large motor coach tour operators in the park. He was informative and very engaging, adding to our experience touring the Mariposa Grove and giant sequoias.

Near the end of our tram tour, we did see the only wildlife of our entire day in Yosemite . . . a small group of mule deer. Unfortunately, the lighting was not ideal for photos so my pictures didn’t turn out very good.

Having been to Yosemite National Park once before, from the Nevada side of the Sierra, I have long wanted to be able to spend a bit more time seeing the remarkable landscape and beauty offered by this gem of the US National Park system. A weekend trip to Northern California afforded us with the opportunity to plan for a full day in the park.

We arrived at around 8:45am, prepared for the opportunity to take in as much as possible before nightfall. Since our trip was in mid August, we knew that many of the most known areas of the park would provide minimal viewing since the streams and waterfalls would be at their lowest levels. With that being said, we did drive into the park, stopping at many of the scenic vista viewing areas for the mandatory photo ops. The mountains and sheer cliff formations create incredible viewing and spectacular photos. In one area of the park, there was a climbing club scaling the straight, vertical granite rock.

The best place to start or base your visit is at the Valley Visitors Center. There you can park your car at that neighboring day use lot and take the park shuttle bus system to all of the best known hiking and picnic areas. At the Valley Visitors Center, there is a bookstore and a theatre. Be sure to allow yourself the 30 minutes to take in the new film “Spirit of Yosemite” which tells of John Muir’s founding of the sequoia forest and subsequent protection by US soldiers.

While in the valley area you can also take the two-hour 26 mile tour via the tractor pulled open air passenger cars. The “Valley Floor Tour” includes a park ranger narration adding to the education and experience. Prices are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors and $11.50 for children ages five and up. The tour starts and ends at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls throughout the day.

During our visit, we anticipated that the park would be crowded with visitors. We were pleasantly surprises, however, that we were able to navigate and drive throughout the park with relatively little in the way of traffic congestion. Because of the high altitude and my asthma, we were limited on many of the activities that folks come to Yosemite to enjoy. We did enjoy driving and seeing as much as we could from the roads and scenic viewing turnouts. El Capitan is probably the most known landmark that is visible in the park without hiking or venturing too far from the parking areas.

There is no shortage of things to see and do while in Yosemite. When you arrive, be sure to take time to read through the park publication “Yosemite: Your Complete Guide to the Park” which is nearly 100 pages of information on activities, dining, lodging, and maps. You will also want to read “Yosemite Today” which is a newspaper type publication that gives you daily schedules of all park activities offered by the US Park Service and authorized vendors. Both are given to you when you arrive and pay your park admission fee ($20 per car – good for seven days).

If you are planning a full day in the park, we’d suggest you plan on packing a lunch or snack items, especially in the summer. There are limited restaurant facilities and from what we could see, they were all very crowded and had lengthy waits. We stopped at one of the general stores for snacks and bottled water which got us through the day without needing to eat lunch.

In planning for this trip, we really wanted to stay inside Yosemite National Park but were fearful that we might not be up for the full drive coming in from the San Francisco Airport. This was especially a concern since we had to start our travel day at what would be 4am local (California) time. We were very happy that we did choose to stop for the night approximately 45 minutes from the west entrance to the park.

Yosemite Westgate Lodge is located right on CA 120, on the eastern side of the town of Groveland. As we passed through Groveland, we thought we had missed the hotel but soon realized that it was another 11 miles in the direction of Yosemite. So we stopped for dinner first, and then finished the last few miles so that we wouldn’t need to go back out after checking into our room.

As it turns out, we arrived literally as the office was getting ready to close at 9pm. Fortunately, they do have a "late arrivals" telephone that will permit guests to contact the lodge owner who lives onsite in the building that houses the front desk. Additionally, it should be noted that the front desk reopens at 8am so if you need a receipt upon your checkout, you should ask for it the night before. We went to eat breakfast and returned to check out as we headed out for Yosemite National park.

The property and lodge itself was very well maintained. They call it a "lodge" but it is really a collection of four two-story motel type buildings. The rooms were spacious, quiet, and clean with decent furnishings. We were very happy with our night’s sleep. If you plan on staying here, please be aware that they did not provide any soap or toiletry items (shampoo). We travel with our own so it really didn’t matter to us, but you should be aware of this if you are planning to stay here. The grounds at the Yosemite Westgate Lodge are nicely landscaped, including a playground area for kids and a swimming pool with hot tub at the center of the property.

I booked our accommodations on the Internet, obtaining a rate of $149/night for two people and two queen sized beds. With tax, it came to $165 which seemed a bit pricey but worth the close proximity to Yosemite National Park. They do advertise that they are the closest accommodations to the west entrance to the park, which is probably true. You can stay in Groveland, however, for a few bucks less. The Charlotte Hotel, a bed and breakfast located right on Main Street across from the Iron Door Saloon looked very interesting and is advertised on the Internet for $95 to $140 per night, which includes a pancake breakfast for all guests.

Additional information on the Yosemite Westgate Lodge can be obtained on their website at: www.yosemitewestgate.com.

Groveland is the western gateway to Yosemite NP, about 40 miles from the park entrance via route CA120. The Iron Door Saloon is a throwback to a time long past, still sporting swinging saloon style doors.

Entering through the doors was a step back into time. The bar looked like either the original with a nice restoration or a replication of what bars in the 1850s looked like. Throughout the main area there were artifacts and antiques, including an original flag from the Folsom Expedition of 1869. The old hard wood floors were certainly not original, but did look old enough to have perhaps seen a good 50 years.

Offering a complete menu of sandwiches, burgers, and dinner entrées, guests have plenty of options. As the meals of others passed by our table, I can say that everything looked very delicious. For dinner we both decided on the NY strip steak, which was prepared perfectly. With a choice of french fries or garlic mashed potatoes, plus the fresh veggie medley and an à la carte salad we had a very complete (and filling) meal. While they did offer a variety of ice cream sundaes and shakes, we passed on dessert. Dinner including gratuity for the two of us was around $75, which I thought was a bit on the pricey side, particularly since the dinner salad was not included in the price of the meal and was another $4.95.

What saloon would be in business without a full service bar? Iron Door Saloon is no exception with all of the top shelf brands you would expect plus a rather extensive wine and beer selection. There was also a room off to the side of the bar that had a couple of pool tables. With the jukebox available to play tunes, there was plenty to keep you occupied as you awaited your meal.

If you have concerns about dining in the saloon, they also have a separating dining room area on the other side of the kitchen, which is called the Iron Door Grill. The décor is a bit more contemporary and really does not have the old west feel that the saloon has. The seating in the saloon is provided in booths, several tall table tops and of course around the bar.

On this particular evening (a Friday night) they featured live music and dancing, but we were here for dinner and did not stay long enough for the 9pm start time for the band. We opted for the full ambience of the saloon, although the Minnesota Vikings vs. NY Jets playing on the two large TVs on either end of the bar seemed to spoil the atmosphere that would be more appropriate for an 1850s gold rush saloon.

All in all it was a wonderful stop along our journey to Yosemite National Park. Given that they are also open for lunch, visitors can work the Iron Door Saloon into a midday or evening visit while traveling to the park.

Since we arrived to our lodge well after dark, we had no idea what was going to be around for breakfast the next morning. Prepared to drive back to town, we were pleasantly surprised at finding the 49er Restaurant about a half-mile away!

The exterior of the restaurant looked much like an old country general store. Indeed, as you entered you would see the type of things you’d expect...grocery items, toiletries, and outdoor gear. To the left of the entrance, however, was the dining area which also included a nice bar. Invited to seat ourselves, we took a table right in the middle of the restaurant, in order to take in all that may go on around us. It was clear after only sitting there for a few minutes that this may be the last stop in civilization before arriving at Yosemite National Park, some 30 to 45 minutes away. There were many hikers and outdoorsmen who stopped here to fill up coolers and backpacks for their time in the park.

Since we saw that blueberry and strawberry pancakes were the featured special, it was difficult to consider other options. As we looked through the menu, however, and saw a plate of eggs Benedict go by...we decided that we would both give them a try. Served with your choice of home fries or hash browns, our breakfast was a very filling meal. The hollandaise sauce was a bit different that I was accustomed to; it had a much heavier and robust consistency. Delicious none the less! David said the coffee was outstanding, especially having had a cup of the in-room brew.

The service was outstanding and very attentive. I think she was by to warm up his cup at least every ten minutes. We were also very pleased with the value, with our breakfast costing right at $25 including tax and gratuity. They also have a full selection of menu items for lunch and dinner. The names of the sandwiches and salads had fanciful names based on television shows of the 1950s and 1960s. Dinner entrées included chicken, steak, fish, and burgers. Prices seemed to be reasonable.

If you are making the drive to Yosemite National Park via CA 120, you can plan for a great meal at the 49er Restaurant at the Yosemite Ridge Resort.