It always amazes me to meet people who’ve lived in California for years and have never been to Yosemite National Park. This national treasure is a wonderland of record-setting statistics: three of the world’s tallest waterfalls (Upper Yosemite Fall, Ribbon Fall, and Sentinel Fall); the tallest granite monolith in the world (El Capitan); and the world’s most recognizable mountain (Half Dome). But trying to explain the majesty of Yosemite Valley in words is impossible; you simply must experience it firsthand, and early spring—when the wildflowers are going nuts—is the best time to visit. Here’s what you need to know…

When to Go to Yosemite
Designated a national park in 1890, Yosemite National Park is so vast that it’s only slightly smaller than Rhode Island. But during summer weekends, it seems more like the size of Disneyland as thousands of visitors head straight for Yosemite Valley. Which is why savvy travelers such as yourself schedule a trip in the winter (Yosemite Valley blanketed with snow is one of the prettiest sights you will ever see), spring, or fall. But more importantly, just go. Grab your day planner right now, find a free weekend, and write: “Yosemite Getaway”.

Where to Stay in Yosemite
The first thing you need to figure out before you leave is the comfort level of your stay: tent or hell-no-I’m-not-sleeping-in-tent. If you’re in the latter camp (pun intended), bear with me (pun intended again): You really should experience a tent cabin in Curry Village at least once in your life. If you adopt the right “roughing it” attitude, they can be a lot of fun—sort of like summer camp.

Curry Village has 427 canvas tent cabins that sleep up to five people. Bathroom facilities are shared and, to avoid tempting the always-hungry bears, no food or cooking is allowed (there are several restaurants and cafes nearby). Okay, so the tent cabins just one step up from camping, but it’s a lot easier than buying and schlepping around your own camp gear. And the kids love it here. During the summer all the valley campsites sell out within hours of becoming available, so you’ll want to reserve one as early as possible at www.recreation.gov.

A step up from the tents are spartan Housekeeping Camp cabins along the Merced River in the center of Yosemite Valley (great for families), or you can opt for a moderately priced hotel room the valley’s basic-but-adequate Yosemite Lodge. There are several other lodging options as well—including the Ahwahnee Hotel, one of the most beautiful and romantic hotels in North America—all of which can be booked online at www.yosemitepark.com.

What to Do in Yosemite
One of the best ways to explore Yosemite’s valley floor is by bicycle. Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge have bike stands that rent one-speed cruisers and helmets daily. More than 8 miles of paved bicycle paths wind through the eastern end of the valley, but bikes aren’t allowed on the hiking trails.

Day hikers in the valley have a wide variety of trails to choose from, and all are well-charted on the visitors’ map. The best easy hike is the Mirror Lake/Meadow Trail, a 2-mile round-trip walk (5 miles if you circle the lake) that provides a magnificent view of Half Dome. More strenuous is the popular hike to Upper Yosemite Falls, a 7.2-mile round-trip trek with a spectacular overview of the 2,425-foot drop.

The granddaddy of Yosemite hikes is the very steep ascent to the top of 8,840-foot Half Dome, a 17-mile, round-trip, 10- to 12-hour-long thigh-burner that requires a bit of gusto and the nerve to hang on to climbing cables anchored in granite—clearly not a jaunt for everyone.

Of course, this is just a fraction of things to do in the park. For a comprehensive list of activities and adventures in Yosemite, click here.

Yosemite Backpacking Trips
When I was a kid, my mom would always send me off on a week-long guided backpacking trip to Yosemite during the summer just to get me out of the house, and now I’m addicted to it. It’s the perfect combination of aerobic exercise, spiritual cleansing, and appreciating our natural surroundings.

If you’ve never backpacked before, I have a suggestion: Give my friend Ian a call. He runs an outdoor guiding company called Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides, and his staff are among the top outdoor guides in the nation and are masters at providing a fun, thrilling, and safe experience for all their clients. Not only will a trip with SYMG be the highlight of your summer, you’ll enjoy spending time with Ian and his crew so much you’ll want to come back for more adventures every year.

Evergreen Lodge
Okay people, I’m giving you my top secret for an enjoyable getaway to Yosemite: the Evergreen Lodge. This affordable and refreshingly crowd-free 22-acre resort has it all: cozy cabins in the woods, a historic and lively tavern (with great beers on tap), a wonderful restaurant, and guided recreation and activities programs which include fly-fishing, hiking, bike trips (the road biking around here is excellent), naturalist-led Yosemite tours, happy-hour sunset tours, and all kind of fun activities for kids and adults (ping-pong, pool, horseshoes, roasting marshmallows at the campfire, and more). Everyone who discovers the Evergreen always comes back—it’s that special.

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