If you're using a reusable water bottle, you can find free water refill stations throughout Yosemite Valley. Yosemite is generally sunny year-round. Daytime temperatures can reach 100°F with a UV Index up to 11 during the summer.
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A drinking fountain is available near the trailhead in Camp 4. Bring 4 quarts/liters of water if hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls.
There are long lines (1-3 hours) on weekend mornings, and parking in the valley will fill up and be detoured sometime between 8-10am. These issues are much less during the week.
Each year, Yosemite National Park welcomes over four million visitors. If you're visiting Yosemite—particularly Yosemite Valley—during spring or fall, expect extremely high visitor concentrations, resulting in extended traffic delays, extremely limited parking, busy trails, and no lodging or campground availability.
Here are some quick tips to help you be safe while hiking in Yosemite: Carry a headlamp on every hike, even short day hikes. Carry and drink plenty of water (a minimum of 1 quart every 2 hours)
Even if you don't plan on hiking across any streams or rivers, waterproof hiking shoes are a great comfort in Yosemite. As we have mentioned, springtime signals the melting of snow and this causes many trails in Yosemite to have patches of water and ice.
In Yosemite's case, most precipitation falls as snow that accumulates above 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) during the winter, creating a natural water reservoir. The snowpack slowly releases meltwater through the spring and early summer, nourishing downstream regions well into the dry season.
Showers are available at the Curry Village pool showerhouse for a fee. Showers are not available elsewhere in the park. Dump stations are available at Upper Pines Campground (all year), near Wawona Campground (summer only), and near Tuolumne Meadows Campground (summer only).
Besides the outdoor pools available to the public during summer at Curry Village and Yosemite Valley Lodge, swimming is generally permitted in all bodies of water in the park.
Yosemite National Park offers a range of swimming opportunities—from rivers and lakes to our family-friendly pools, which are the only swimming places in Yosemite with lifeguards. River and lake swimming is at-your-own-risk. Life jackets are strongly recommended—especially for children.
Picnicking and HikingAlways keep your food within arm's reach and don't turn your back to your food; never leave food unattended. Bears may investigate picnic areas or backpacks for food even in your presence, so be alert.
Do not store food in your car or truck after dark: use a food locker. Remember to clear your car of food wrappers, crumbs in baby seats, and baby wipes--and even canned food and drinks. Think about packing all your food and related items together for easy removal from your car upon arriving in Yosemite.
BASE jumping is prohibited. Hang gliding is allowed with a permit. Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park is prohibited.
You should plan to spend around $130 per day on your vacation in Yosemite National Park, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, $40 on meals for one day and $41 on local transportation.
Planning Your Hike in Bear CountryMake sure you know before you go. In national parks where grizzlies live, such as Glacier or Grand Teton, rangers encourage you to carry bear spray. In others, such as Yosemite, where only black bears live, bear spray is not even permitted.