Valley Busier on the Weekends or not?

Our family really enjoys the calm and quite of the valley in the winter and early spring. We never head to the valley during the summer because it's just too busy. But we want to make a trip to see the epic flows this year. Since summer is so crazy is there any difference between going on the weekend or during the week?

Thanks!
Sharon

Quote
sclippi
Our family really enjoys the calm and quite of the valley in the winter and early spring. We never head to the valley during the summer because it's just too busy. But we want to make a trip to see the epic flows this year. Since summer is so crazy is there any difference between going on the weekend or during the week?

Thanks!
Sharon

Yes, weekends are much worse.

Yes weekends are busier. Regardless when you go in the summer if you are staying outside of the park, I would go as early as you can to beat the crowds that are coming in for the day. When we were there the last weekend in June we stayed in Oakhurst and made sure we got to the entrance no later than 8:30 am. The earlier the better. This way you can drive the Valley loop to get an over view then park and either walk or take the shuttle. If you take bikes then you can park the car and not have to deal with any traffic that comes later by riding the bike paths.

Agree wholeheartedly with that recommendation. If you staying outside of Yosemite Valley, it's best to arrive in the valley as early as possible. Find a place to park, then hike, bike, to take the free shuttle bus to get your destinations within the valley. Note: that the free shuttle buses can get really crowed, so if you don't like being packed like sardines just stick to hiking and biking around the valley floor.

+1...weekends at this time of year are crazy! Saturday June 25 2011 was the busiest day that I personally have seen since when I worked in the valley...then the absolute busiest day that I experienced was Memorial Day 1978.

On this latest June Saturday, what I experienced...a lot less people (in the valley) were out on bikes or on foot than usual, for some reason. Circumstances this year...I was in the valley eleven days in June, including three Saturdays. (Came in early on a Saturday, left on a Saturday, left late on a Saturday.)

I was there on June 25 (Saturday) as well. At 5:00 pm, with traffic not moving (and when I say not moving--people were out of their cars standing and talking), I asked the park ranger how long of a wait it would be for those looking to leave. The response was 2-3 hours. Fortunately, I had parked my car on Wed and did not get into it until Sunday morning. Perhaps much of the traffic has to do with the attention Yosemite and the waterfalls are getting this year from the media.

My sister said that there was some kind of medical emergency at the village about that time, which held up traffic even more. I left just before that...she got caught in it.

Thanks for all the input! I think we're going to find some time mid-week to go up. We live in the bay area, but generally go up the night before and spend the night in Jamestown where my husband's grandparents live. Pretty tough getting to the park by 8:30 even from Jamestown when you're trying to round up a 9 and 11 year-old.

Cheers!
Sharon

If you can leave Jamestown by no later than 9:00 AM, then you should be able to arrive in Yosemite Valley by 11:00 AM and you should still have a decent chance of finding a convenient parking spot with minimal traffic tie-ups (except for one at the entrance station on Big Oak Flat Road).