Directions to the park

Useful phone numbers

Reservations phone number: 559-252-4848

Yosemite Valley Visitor Center: 209-384-1315 or 1-800-369-PARK
Camp reservations: (800) 436-7275
High Sierra Camp Reservations: (559) 253-5674
National Parks Pass Information: 1-800-GO-PARKS Yosemite 24 hour switchboard: 209-372-0200
Horseback rides: 209-372-8348 Rockclimbing Classes: 209-372-8435 California Road Conditions: (Caltrans) 1-800-427-7623 Wilderness Permit Reservations: (209) 372-0740

Entry fees & permits
Entry:

Special Entry: U.S. citizens aged 62 or older may obtain a Golden Age Passport for a one-time fee of $10 and gain free admission. Golden Eagle Passport holders can pay an additional $15 over the annual pass and gain entry to National Parks and sites managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U. S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. An annual National Parks Pass is $50.

No Reservations are needed to enter Yosemite National Park.

Places to eat

Yosemite Valley:
Degnan's Deli, pizza, and pasta (only open lunch and dinner), located in Yosemite Village. Yosemite Lodge has sit-down breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ahwahee Hotel has sit-down brunch, lunch and dinner. (209-372-1489).

Tuolumne Meadows: Summer Only
The Grill (fast food), TM Lodge has sit-down breakfast and dinner. (209-372-1313) Reservations needed for dinner only.
Badger Pass: November-March
Badger Pass, fast food and pizza, open for lunch and dinner.

General services

Post Office: Yosemite Village (open all year) and Curry Village (open in the summer) is located in the Yosemite Valley. Tuolumne Meadows is open in the summer and Wawona is open all year.

Camping Equipment: Camping items can be purchased at any of the visitor centers located in Yosemite National Park.

Emergency: Call 911 for any fire, medical or police emergency or to report accidents and injuries. First-aid facilities are availble at visitor centers. The closest hospitals to the park are in Oakhurst, Mariposa and Bass Lake.

Laundry & Showers: The Curry Village facilities in Yosemite Valley are open all year for a charge of $2. During the summer, housekeeping camp provides showers for a $2 charge and offers a laundromat.

Service Stations: Gasoline is available in the park at Wawona and Crane Flat year-round. In Tuolumne Meadows gas stations are open only in the summer.

Accessibility

The park's major sites can be viewed by car. Some trails and facilities are wheelchair accessible. Ask at any visitor center or entrance station for more information.

Pets
Dogs and other pets must remain on a leash no longer than 6 feet at all times. They are allowed only on paved roads and bike paths and on a four-mile loop trail that starts across from the Wawona Hotel. Out of respect for the wildlife and the trail-side habitat, pets are not allowed on hiking trails. The only exceptions are seeing eye and hearing signal dogs or Canine Companions for persons with other disabilities. Pet owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets.

Directions to the park
Yosemite National Park is located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are five entrances into the park, visitors may drive into and around Yosemite Valley.

South Entrance: on Hwy 41
This is the entrance for those coming from the south (Fresno, Bakersfield, Los Angeles from Las Vegas). Open all year, chains may be required from November through March.

Arch Rock Entrance on Highway 140
This is the entrance for those coming from west of Merced. Open all year, chains may be required from November through March. This is the preferred entrance in the winter.

Big Oak Flat Entrance on Highway 120
Coming from the west, north and north-west from Modesto and Manteca (San Francisco/Bay Area, Sacramento, Napa). Not recommended in winter. (Open all year, chains may be required from November through March).

Hetch Hetchy Entrance to Hetch Hetchy Valley
Open all year, though may be closed for periods during and after storms -- chains may be required anytime from November through March).

Tioga Pass Entrance on Highway 120
East from Lee Vining, Mammoth, Lake Tahoe and Highway 395. (Open late May/June through October/November). The Tioga Pass entrance is closed from the first major snowstorm in November until late May to June due to snow. All other park entrances are kept open all year, but may require tire chains because of snow anytime between November and April.

Other Transportation: The closest major airports to the parks are Visalia Air Terminal, Fresno-Yosemite International and the Merced Air Terminal. Greyhound/Trailways serves Merced and Fresno.
Amtrak serves Merced and Fresno.
Rental cars are available at the airports and in other locations in Visalia and Fresno.

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