Area Activities

A Visit to Yosemite National Park is Just Part of a Stay At Yosemite Pines

---

View a Gallery of Yosemite National Park Activities!

Download the Area Activities Brochure (with links) as PDF here.
Let Yosemite Pines be your base camp for exploring the beautiful area, exciting towns and activities around Yosemite National Park.

INFORMATION RESOURCES 
Seasons – Activities by the season

Current road conditions should be checked prior to traveling and visitors are advised that chains may be required anytime from October through April. 

ON-SITE ACTIVITIES

Our resort offers lots of on-site features, and during the summer, our staff plans activities for the family Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Located near our Swimming Pool Area:
Playground Play Area | Games Area | Sand Volleyball Court | Tetherball | Bocce Ball Courts | BBQ Area | Deli/Clubhouse | Gold Panning Sluice Box

Hayrides, Storytelling, Outdoor Movies – ask at office for times, locations and other seasonal activities.

See Yosemite Pines property map for location of Nature/Fitness Trails, and Horseshoes.   

Please note that our pool and some other select amenities will be open no later than Memorial Day Weekend and close no sooner than Labor Day, depending on the weather. Some amenities are available year around.

NEARBY ACTIVITIES

Yosemite National Park – 22 miles from Yosemite Pines Resort to the Yosemite National Park Big Oak Flat entrance. Valley floor is an additional 24-mile drive from park gate. YARTS motor coach shuttles depart Yosemite Pines right to the Yosemite Valley Visitor’s Center Spring through September. (877) 989-2787, yarts.com.

All National Park Service information for Yosemite National Park: nps.gov/yose

Information on other hikes in Yosemite National Park area: tinyurl.com/ynp-area-hikes

Guided Hiking Tours, Sightseeing Tours in Yosemite National Park. YFAguides.com

Horseback Riding – Pine Mountain Lake Stables – Call in advance: (209) 962-8667. tinyurl.com/horseback-pml

Several trail ride operators in Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows area: tinyurl.com/ynp-horseback-riding

Mountain Bike Riding – Groveland Ridge Trail tinyurl.com/groveland-ridge-trail

Winter Sports Activities – Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Glacier Point and Crane Flat area, and ice skating at Half Dome Village in Yosemite Valley. tinyurl.com/ynp-winter-sports

RIVER RAFTING

Begin or end your stay at Yosemite Pines Resort with an exciting river rafting trip on the Tuolumne River! (Note: Most rafting operators meet at La Casa Loma River Store, east of Yosemite Pines at Highway 120 & Ferretti Rd)

HIGHWAY 49 TOWNS

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCES

There are five main entrances to the Park:
1. The South Entrance – Highway 41 North from Fresno.
2. Arch Rock Entrance – Highway 140 West from Merced.
3. Big Oak Flat Entrance – Highway 120 West from Modesto and Manteca. (Closest to Yosemite Pines Resort)
4. Tioga Pass Entrance – Highway 120 East from Lee Vining and Highway 395.
5. Hetch Hetchy Entrance – Hetch Hetchy Road from Evergreen Road west of the Big Oak Flat Entrance.

SEASONS

The spring season (April and May) is the best time to view the park’s spectacular waterfalls. As warmer weather begins to melt the snow, creeks and streams are rushing with water, and many unnamed waterfalls and cascades can be seen all along the rim of Yosemite Valley. Roads closed during the winter season remain inaccessible.

The summer season (June through September) is the peak Yosemite vacation period. Some of the more popular places to visit include the large, open sub-alpine Tuolumne Meadows along the winding Tuolumne River, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the breath-taking outlook at Glacier Point and the Half-Dome, and the silvery mists of Bridalveil Fall. The Yosemite Valley offers endless opportunities to explore its world-renowned spectacular waterfalls, granite cliffs, and unusual rock formations. Hetch Hetchy, the lesser-known twin to Yosemite Valley, is home to equally magnificent scenery, as well as the starting point for many of the less-used wilderness trails.

The fall season (October and November) has fewer visitors, but still permits access to large areas of the park during the month of October, and sometimes into November. Since most of the trees in Yosemite are evergreens, the park is not known for its spectacular fall colors. However, if the weather remains seasonable, a Yosemite vacation still presents ample opportunity to explore the Park’s exquisite scenery at greater leisure. Short-term closures may occur because of weather conditions although Yosemite Valley and Wawona remain open all year.

The winter season (December through March) is a Yosemite vacation opportunity for those who enjoy skiing and solitude. While Yosemite Valley and Wawona remain accessible year-round, the Tioga Road and roads between Crane Flat and Tioga Pass, including the Tuolumne Meadows are closed. From mid-December through early April, the Glacier Point/Badger Pass Road is plowed to permit access to the popular downhill and cross-country skiing areas.
 
About 95 percent of Yosemite National Park was designated as wilderness in 1984. Wilderness camping is a viable alternative Yosemite vacation. Camping permits are required year-round for all overnight trips into the park’s wilderness country. However, unlike other Yosemite campgrounds and lodging facilities, these wilderness camping permits are free.

For those who prefer to spend a Yosemite vacation day-hiking along some of the park’s 800 miles of trails (without an overnight stay), no permits are needed. A trailhead quota system limits the number of hikers beginning from each trailhead per day.