Must See Sights in Yosemite for First-Timers

Q: How many days do I need in Yosemite National Park?

We spent 4 days in Yosemite which I thought was a pretty perfect amount of time.

Yosemite is one of the most beautiful national parks in the USA and is full of stunning viewpoints, hikes and waterfalls.

When I was planning our trip to visit Yosemite at the beginning of Summer, I became overwhelmed very quickly. There are so many entrances, hikes and sights throughout the park that I had no idea where to start, but now that I’ve done hours and hours of research and spent 4 incredible days in Yosemite, I know exactly what I would plan to do and see if I was spending my first time there.

This guide lists all the must see sights in Yosemite for first timers and is the perfect list for you if you are a photographer, enjoy easy to get to viewpoints and/or hiking, enjoy a bit of relaxation and love waterfalls.

photo of wildflowers in Yosemite Valley with Upper Yosemite Falls in the background

What to See in Yosemite National Park

Table of Contents

📸 Yosemite National Park in a Snapshot

couple sitting at Taft Point in Yosemite National Park at sunset

Quick Tips for visiting Yosemite

Where to stay:
Yosemite Valley Lodge ⭐⭐⭐ 8.4 rating
The Ahwahnee ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8.6 rating

Best hike: Taft Point

Best drive to viewpoint: Tunnel View

Best time to visit: late Spring / Summer / Fall

Park Permits: America the Beautiful Pass required

Park Hours: Yosemite is open 24/7, however certain restaurants and shops etc close during certain hours and parts of the park close during different times of the year.

Map of the Must-See Sights in Yosemite National Park

The below map and list includes the best things to do in Yosemite National Park for first timers. Some of these spots have their own separate guides with more information on them, should you need it.

This list has something for everyone, whether you want to picnic by the river, photograph the sunset from an easy to get to viewpoint or go on one of Yosemite’s best hikes.

Taft Point Hike

Distance: 2.3miles / 3.7km
Elevation Gain: 354 ft / 108m
Time: 1 hour
Dog Friendly: No
Toilets: in the parking lot

couple standing on rock overlooking Yosemite Valley at Taft Point in Yosemite National Park

photo of sunset at Taft Point in Yosemite National Park

Taft Point was my favourite hike AND favourite viewpoint in all of Yosemite National Park. I loved it so much that we did it twice (both times at sunset).

The trail takes you through a beautiful forest (beware of the mozzies if you do it at sunset) and eventually opens up onto a flat rockface with crazy views from all directions. The drop offs are pretty insane and terrifying though so be very careful getting too close to the edge.

Go tubing on the Merced River

One of the best things to do in Yosemite on a hot day is to go tubing on the river. You can bring your own floatation device or hire them from the Curry Village Raft Rental.

Relax by the river with a picnic

When Dave and I visited Yosemite, it was so incredibly hot, that in the middle of the day all we wanted to do was chill out by the river and go swimming to cool off which ended up being one of my favourite things from our trip. We went to a couple of different spots around the park to go swimming. My favourite swimming spots in Yosemite I have listed here.

man doing a dive bomb into the Merced river where his wife is already in the water

Couple standing at water's edge in Yosemite National Park with arms up

Photograph Glacier Point

Glacier Point is positioned above Yosemite Valley so that you can look down into the valley and across to Half Dome. We watched the sunrise from Glacier Point along with about 50 other people and it was STUNNING. We sat beside the little hut which is located to the left when you first walk from the parking lot to the viewpoints.

girl sitting on hut at sunrise with half dome in the background

girl standing on hut looking out at Half Dome at Glacier Point at sunrise

Do the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail

Distance: 1.9km / 1.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 17m / 55 ft
Time: 25-30 minutes
Dog Friendly: dogs are allowed on leash
Toilets: flush toilets are available at the trailhead/picnic area

Photo of Lower Yosemite Falls through the trees

The Lower Yosemite Falls Trail is the most accessible trail in the park, which makes it one of the most popular. But it’s short, easy and very pretty so I think it’s totally worth it.

You’ll walk along a flat, wide trail through the pine forest and see chipmunks and squirrels running around which I still find SO exciting even after living in Canada for over 4 years.

Then you’ll come to the viewpoint which will by busy but try to ignore it and take in the magnificent waterfall.

When compared with Yosemite’s Upper Falls Hike, the Lower Falls is probably about 30 times easy. Dave and I attempted to do the Upper Falls, but it was so steep and SO HOT that we ended up turning around before we reached the top. I haven’t included the Upper Falls hike in this list because personally I think there are better waterfall hikes in Yosemite like the Mist Trail, which I have included in this list.

The Mist Trail (the best waterfall trail in Yosemite)

Distance: 9.7km / 6.02 miles
Elevation Gain: 649m / 2,129 ft
Time: 4-4.5 hours
Dog Friendly: No
Toilets: Yes at the trailhead

Technically Dave and I didn’t get to do this one but we both 100% regret it. We wasted our time trying to hike the Upper Falls Trail instead and then just really struggled to get parking near the Mist Trail and then ran out of time.

I have seen lots of photos of this trail though and it looks like there are some really cool viewpoints. You will see both Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls and get soaked by the spray so, unlike the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, the Mist Trail is perfect for hot day hike.

Bridalveil Falls

Distance: 1.3km / 0.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 35m / 114 ft
Time: 20-30 minutes
Dog Friendly: yes, dogs allowed on leash
Toilets: in the parking lot

Bridalveil Falls is another easy and short hike to a waterfall. It is slightly less popular than the Lower Yosemite Falls and another than I recommend doing if you have a gap in your day.

Tunnel View

Tunnel View is a must do / drive to viewpoint which you will actually drive straight on your way into the park. We had our dinner there while watching the sunset. There is a small parking lot and across the road is the viewpoint.

Hike to Sentinel Dome (same trailhead as Taft Point)

Distance: 3.5km / 2.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 140m / 459 ft
Time: 1-2 hours
Dog Friendly: No
Toilets: at the parking lot

The Sentinel Dome trail starts from the same trailhead as Taft Point. I do wish we had done it when we were there but we were so obsessed with Taft Point that we ended up hiking Taft Point twice instead. Oops!

From Sentinel Dome, you can see Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Nevada Falls and Half Dome. I’ve heard the views are absolutely stunning!

Visit the viewpoints around the Cook’s Meadow Trail (Yosemite Valley)

Distance: 1.6km / 1 mile
Elevation Gain: N/A
Time: 30 minutes

Girl standing in Cook's MEadow with Yosemite Falls behind her

The Cook’s Meadow Trail takes you through the meadows in Yosemite Valley which tend to be covered in wildflowers in the Summer. You can see Yosemite Falls from meadows which makes a great photo.

frequently asked questions

We visited at the beginning of summer, which meant the crowds weren’t as insane as they would have been in the middle of summer and the waterfalls were at their best. It was still really hot and we found the middle of the day quite hard to hike in. I have heard that fall in Yosemite is really beautiful with the colours and it’s a lot less busy than summer.

You no longer need a reservation to visit Yosemite (as of 2026) but you do need a National Parks Permit. You can use the America the Beautiful annual pass to visit Yosemite.

Yosemite is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, however there may be seasonal closures of some roads within the park due to snowfall.

We spent 4 days in Yosemite which I thought was a pretty perfect amount of time.

Although there are lots of great hiking trails, there are also a lot of easy to get to / drive to viewpoints in Yosemite such as Tunnel View, Glacier Point and Washburn Lookout.

Dogs are allowed in Yosemite National Park but with restrictions. They are not allowed on all hiking trails, being limited to only a couple of shorter trails, and must be kept on a leash at all times.

We found the cell service to be pretty spotty in Yosemite National Park and most of the time we had no service at all. There is also no wifi available unless you are staying in a hotel in the park.

There is lots of wildlife in Yosemite, including black bears, mule deer, coyotes, mountain lions, squirrels and chipmunks.

The easiest way to get around Yosemite National Park if you have an RV, is to leave the RV parked at your campsite or a parking lot and catch the National Parks bus.

The two best places to stay in Yosemite for easy access to all of the sights are The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Valley Lodge.

My thoughts

I absolutely loved our time in Yosemite and am really keen to go back to do some of the things that we missed like the Mist Trail and Sentinel Dome. This isn’t an extensive list of everything there is to do and see in Yosemite but it is a list of my personal favourite spots and trails in Yosemite.

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