Weekend getaway · California

Yosemite Valley weekend

Yosemite Valley Weekend

A two-night Yosemite weekend from the San Francisco Bay Area. Drive in on Highway 120 on Friday afternoon and reach Tunnel View in the evening light. Saturday is the big Valley day: the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall early, Lower Yosemite Fall, and El Capitan Meadow in the late light. Sunday goes up to Glacier Point while the road is open, then home on Highway 140 through Mariposa.

Time: 2-night weekend
Driving: About 10 hours of driving in all: roughly 4 hours each way from the Bay Area, plus about 2 hours to Glacier Point and back down
Best time: Late May to June; good into October
Updated: October 12, 2026 at 11:35 AM Pacific

$5 USD

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Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View: El Capitan's sheer granite wall on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, and Half Dome in the distance above a forested valley floor — Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0. May 2013 photograph; resized and displayed with crop.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your weekend at a glance

Fri 12:30 pmLeave the Bay Area
Fri 3:00 pmGroveland, on Highway 120
Fri 4:15 pmBig Oak Flat Entrance and down to the Valley
Fri 5:30 pmTunnel View
Fri 6:15 pmCheck in and lock up the food
Fri 7:00 pmDinner in the Valley
Sat 6:45 amBreakfast, then park for the day
Sat 7:30 amMist Trail to Vernal Fall
Sat 11:15 amLunch at Curry Village
Sat 12:45 pmLower Yosemite Fall
Sat 2:00 pmYosemite Exploration Center and Yosemite Village
Sat 4:30 pmEl Capitan Meadow
Sat 7:00 pmDinner in the Valley
Sun 6:45 amCheck out and drive up to Glacier Point
Sun 8:00 amGlacier Point
Sun 9:15 amSentinel Dome
Sun 1:00 pmLunch in Mariposa
Sun 2:15 pmHead home via Merced

Highlights

Worth the trip

Tunnel View in the evening light and Half Dome from Glacier Point
The Mist Trail up to Vernal Fall while the spray is still heavy
A weekend planned around Saturday parking and bear rules

What’s in the guide

Matching HTML and PDF guides, detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links, weather alternatives and phone instructions. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

From late May through June, the Valley floor at about 4,000 feet usually has warm days and cool nights, with waterfalls at full flow and snowmelt spray on the Mist Trail. July and August bring hot afternoons in the Valley, afternoon thunderstorms over the high country and the start of the wildfire smoke season. Glacier Point, high on the rim, is much cooler and can be windy, with near-freezing mornings in late spring and fall. September and October are drier and quieter, with smaller waterfalls, shorter days and a chance of early snow up high, which can close Glacier Point Road. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel dates. Check the NWS Hanford forecast before you go and each morning.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

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$5 USD