In our desire to visit National Parks, we decide to visit Yosemite this past summer. We only had two days of exploring. We made the best out of our two days! Here is a good list of things to do and see in Yosemite with young kids.
We stayed at the Rush Creek Lodge and Spa at Yosemite which was a great choice as a family. My kids loved every second of this hotel. We had a beautiful balcony looking at the woods, great pool and hot tub and lots and lots of fun things to do for kids. They had mini zip line for kids, they had an indoor playground and plenty of fun things to do indoors. (this is not a paid ad!)
A few tips before the trip
First of all, keep in mind that the cellphone signal is terrible, so plan ahead and download maps. Make sure you have a full tank of gas if you plan to drive, there is one gas station close to the entrance of the park. Also keep in mind that there could be fires, so keep an eye on the warnings and be flexible. Lastly, be careful with bears on the road! We saw them and learned a lot about them from rangers and local friends. This happens often, so please lets protect them too.
On day one we drove highway 120 towards Tuolumne Meadows area. The views are gorgeous! Our first stop was Olmsted Point and stopped for a nice view and photos (breathtaking). My kids had so many questions for the ranger there! Then kept driving towards Tenaya Lake and absolutely had to stop to look a the beautiful lake. We parked by the side of the road and went for a hike and swim at the lake. This was not really planned this way, but now I strongly recommend it. My girls and I spent hours at Tenaya lake. Pick a spot that is not so crowded and it will be worth it!! From there we headed towards Tuolumne Meadows grill where we got some snacks and drinks. The ride for this day was spectacular! We saw bears, and even some wild fires that sparked some great conversation with the kids. (Teach the kids about preservation of our planet!)
For the Valley side, we drove around the loop and stopped many times along the way. My kids favorite part was the hike close to the Lower Yosemite Falls (the silly photos above were taking on that trail with the waterfall in the background). They wanted to go around the rocks to get close. I must admit that was terrifying for me, but the kids were having an adventure and I made sure they were safe. You do not have to get close, the hike is easy and short and there is a nice viewing point from the trail. We hiked, took lots of photos, and drove around a lot. For sure you want to see some of the most popular spots such as El Capitan, and Half Dome. We did not have time to go climbing or biking, but if we come back, we will make sure to get together with some local family members to do both!
Go explore and have fun but always remember that we need to protect this planet!!!!
(Photo below on the left with some smoke from the fires).
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