Yosemite National Park  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  4,000' Lat, Long:  37.7397, -119.573 Map Page Views:  5,517,849. Good page? (10 likes)    Administrators:  M.Morley, Sam Vanderhyden, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Josh Janes on Jun 15, 2006 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 68° | 30° 66° | 34° 61° | 32° 57° | 34° 59° | 32°

Classic Yosemite Valley view.

Description 

Yosemite National Park is it: The iconic birthplace of American rock climbing and the most famous climbing area in the world.

The park, located in central California, is home to both Yosemite Valley (THE Valley), Tuolumne Meadows, and several other less-visited climbing venues such as Wawona and Hetch Hetchy. Climbers from all over the world have been visiting the Valley for decades (often staying in the little-changed walk-in campground of Camp 4) to test themselves against the great big wall climbs on El Capitan and Half Dome. In addition to scores of historic aid routes, Yosemite Valley also has everything from long free climbs to world-class bouldering. Don't expect a wilderness experience - the park is often overrun by tourists and climbers alike during the busy seasons.

In the summer, when the heat and humidity become stifling, Tuolumne offers a sub-alpine playground of beautiful domes known for run out slab and face climbs on famous Tuolumne knobs.

There are several campgrounds in the Park, the most famous of which is Camp 4. Don't expect privacy or quiet, but do expect tons of climbers and being located right in the center of the action. Camp 4 is a walk-in campground and lines will form each morning before the sun rises for openings. Most of the other sites (such as the Pines and the Tuolumne campground) are reservation campgrounds which fill up months in advance. Stays are limited from one month down to one week depending on the season.

Getting There 

From points west (San Francisco Bay area): Highway 120 and 140 lead into the park and Yosemite Valley. 120 continues east to Tuolumne Meadows and then drops down to the East Side of the Sierras via Tioga Pass.

From the south (Fresno): Highway 41 leads into the park past Wawona and into the Valley.

From the east (Bishop, Mammoth, Reno): During the summer months highway 120 can be followed west up over Tioga Pass and into Tuolumne Meadows and then down to the Valley.

Tioga Pass is frequently closed from mid-October to late-May.

Weather 

• Yosemite Association Webcam

The Classics

Featured Route For Yosemite National Park

Lurking Fear 5.7 C2  CA : Yosemite National Park : ... : El Capitan

Lurking Fear is the easiest aid climb on El Capitan. The aid is straight forward and the free climbing is excellent. The entire free climb checks in at 5.13c (FFA: Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden). Despite the moderate grade of this route, it doesn't see nearly as much traffic as The Nose or The Salathe. There is a fair amount of terrain that can be free climbed at a moderate grade and the aid on terrain harder than that tends to be mostly C1. The vast majority of the route seemed to haul easily....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA

Photos of Yosemite National Park Slideshow

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Yosemite. 1981. Photo by Blitzo.	Yosemite storm. Photo by Blitzo.	Little Nellie Falls. Photo by Blitzo.
Winter morning. Photo by Blitzo.	Liberty Cap and Nevada Falls. Photo bt Blitzo.	Upper Yosemite Falls, Winter, 1975. Photo by Blitz...
Merced River-Happy Isles. Photo by Blitzo.	Star King. Photo by Blitzo.	Monarch butterfly on thistle. Photo by Blitzo.
Yosemite Valley 1975. Photo by Blitzo.	Sugar Pine. Photo by Blitzo.	El Capitan. Photo by Blitzo.
	Dogwood-Yosemite Valley. Photo by Blitzo.	Forest-Lower Merced Canyon. Photo by Blitzo.
Up-turned grinding stone. This boulder was dislodg...	Mt. Watkins and Tenaya Canyon from Half Dome. Phot...	Half Dome and Merced River-Winter. Photo by Blitzo...
El Cap through a dead, fallen tree arch. The NPS h...	Yosemite Valley from 33,000 feet. Flying into San...	really cool camp 4 problem called Thriller.
Yosemite in May, 1992 Photo by Deaun Schovajsa	Not in the Platte! This mystery dome is about twe...	El Cap-West Buttress profile. Photo by Blitzo.
Fingertips 5.10b Daff Dome, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosm...	The Nose from the road	The Nose and Pine Line
Taken June 16, 2008 at 13.5	Tenaya Canyon	Fairview dome
"Chongo" Big Wall climber and theoretical astroph...	Winter In Yosemite	Nevada Falls
Nevada Falls and Liberty Cap	Liberty Cap, Nevada Falls	Fern Springs
2 shots stitched together, September 2009.	Panoramic from the Tunnel View vista, September 20...	3 stitched shots from Glacier Point, September 200...
A squirrel with a view. We were laughing about th...	Larger panoramic of the Valley from Glacier Point,...	My first visit to the valley and it snowed for 5 d...
A trip to the valley wouldn't be the same without ...	Self portrait.Welcome to Yosemite.I am glad to be ...	Dogwood-Autumn. Photo by Blitzo.
Climbing in the 80s. Left to right: Yabo, Peter Ma...	Tuolumne Meadows	Jim Bridwell. You may have heard of him. Photo by ...
Half Dome Half-Wiezen. Half wheat beer, half pale ...	Half Dome view from approach	El Cap and the Merced
in the valley	The Lower Merced Canyon, as seen from the top of O...	Spring morning at Upper Pines.
Yosemite Valley	My Wawona Tunnel pic, spring 1977	Bouldering sit start in the Merced River!
Bouldering up the After party problem, I called it...	Half Dome 1979	Half Dome 1979
Overlook of the valley	Snow Plant found growing near recent forest fire. ...	Sunrise on El Capitan.
The cables	half dome from clouds rest	Yosemite Valley with Half Dome in the center. Sadl...