Reservations are not required to visit Yosemite National Park. As always, we strongly recommend that you make a reservation if you plan to stay overnight in Yosemite.
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There are a few options for how you can explore Yosemite National Park once you arrive. You can access the park with your own car and use that to get around. Or you can drive into the Valley in your own vehicle but then opt to take the park shuttle buses to various trailheads and lookouts.
How Many Days Should I Spend In Yosemite? Plan on spending two to four days in Yosemite if you want enough time to see all the amazing sights. This will give you plenty of time to see Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point, and enjoy some hiking trails.
May through September is the most popular time in YosemiteThese months correspond with the best weather and are also when all the roads, trails, lodging, shuttles and attractions in the park are open. That includes its most famous drive, Tioga Rd, a 64-mile-long scenic byway that closes when the snow begins to fall.
Some of the best easy multi-pitch climbs can be found at Manure Pile aka Ranger Rock just east of El Capitan, or if you're ready to turn it up a notch, choose one of the really long easy classics like Royal Arches, Snake Dike on Half Dome or a classic route on Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne.
Yosemite is particularly famous for its numerous waterfalls, many of which present impressive scenery with their splashing water, surrounding trees, and stunning rocks. While many of these waterfalls can be easily seen from a distance, a little hike is usually required to get the best views of the natural attraction.
Within Yosemite National Park, you may not sleep in your car or RV except in a campsite that you're registered to stay in (except at Camp 4, where sleeping in cars is not allowed because it's a walk-in campground). Sleeping in your car along the side of the road is not allowed.