Re: Please! Help me plan my trip...

I am really glad to have found this site because my family and I are planning an 7-day trip in early April to Yosemite from our hometown of Las Vegas. Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about the park except that it is drop-dead beautiful and has a lot of different campgrounds to choose from. I would love any input from people who have seen the various campgrounds and what they have to offer. I know I need to reserve space asap(unless it is already too late) so any input would help. You can email me([email protected]) or post info here. Please chime right in, I need some guidance.

Just so you know, I have my wife and four children ages 15, 8 ,6 and 2. We would love to try and fish while we are there(unless fishing is not allowed). My wife loves the pics of El Capitan(that is what it is called, right) and wouldn't mind being close to that but it is not super important. We are active and would like to know some other things to do.


We will be pulling a 28 foot trailer and my business partner may come with his family of 5 and his 28 foot trailer so two adjacent sites may be even better.

Again, thanks in advance for any help you can provide. God Bless!

P.S. What will the weather be like in the first wek of April? Thanks again.



Post Edited (03-07-07 09:56)

A few starting thoughts -

(1) Don't try to come over Tioga Pass, Highway 120 - it will not be available in April. You will need to come around south through Mohave and Fresno.

(2) Get camping reservations, or you will have no guarantee of a place to stay. Yosemite is super-popular. Reserve NOW.

(3) The weather is usually nice in April, completely acceptabel for camping, but occasional late season rain or snow could fall.

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Wilderness forever,
Bruce Jensen

This Yosemitesites website is the best!

http://yosemitesites.com/yosemite/valley_floor/

http://yosemitesites.com/yosemite/proximity/

I also like the Yosemite Fun site for various information. It's somewhat easier to navigate than the park website with some helpful information.

http://www.yosemitefun.com/

This site has info about the campgrounds and RV length
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campground.htm

Some campgrounds will still be closed in April, so check the individual campgrounds to see which are open.

I've never driven from LV, so I can't give any info there. Some highways are closed in winter, so check that.

Oh, and buy Lonely Planet- Yosemite. You won't regret it. It's essential during those times when you don't have the computer around!
http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Yosemite-National-Guides/dp/1741041171/

You'll be able to plan 99% of your trip with one of those books.

The official Yosemite website used to have a section with opening/closing dates of the campgrounds all on one page. I can't find it anymore. Man, I hate the Yosemite National Park official website. God forbid you could actually find the information you're looking for in a fast and easy manner.

I put together a binder with all of my Yosemite stuff. Different sections with maps, campgrounds, trails, etc. You might want to try it just to keep yourself organized and to have one thing to pull out when you need information in the car. Buy some of those binder pockets so you can shove stuff in there you collect along the way. Also, if you go back to visit, you don't have to scratch your head and think.. "now where did I put..." because it's all in your binder! That would be in a perfect world anyway.

Yosemite is great, enjoy! And don't forget to visit often during different seasons.. there's so much to see!

And don't forget http://yosemitecampsites.com/

Did you really take pictures of all those sites?

letterknit wrote:

> Did you really take pictures of all those sites?

Yes, I did. And only one person asked me what I was doing.

You guys have been very helpful. Thanks a lot.

Glacier Point road will probably be closed, but you should drive up to Tunnel View to see one of the best views of the valley in winter.

http://yosemitephotos.net/main.php?g2_itemId=49

Don't forget a little bit of hiking. The trails to Nevada Fall and to the top of Yosemite Falls will be open with little or no snow and they're both fairly easy hikes. Put your 2-year-old in a tote bag, bring extra water and stop every 50 yards for pictures. It's a no brainer!

Please, please, please don't feed the squirrels. I was standing on the flat rock atop Vernal Fall last summer, crowded with people and one person intentionally dropped a package of trail mix in the middle of squirrels, it was nasty to watch those stupid rodents fight over it. Don't feed the animals!

Here are a few pictures I took in the middle of March two years ago on the Yosemite Falls trail:

http://www.hikeofyourlife.com/yosefalls_album.html