Yosemite National Park ​

Yosemite is the park that ruined every other park for you. Once you've stood at Tunnel View watching El Capitan and Half Dome catch the last light of day, your local city park's "scenic overlook" of a parking garage just doesn't hit the same. This place has been making people's jaws drop since the Ahwahneechee people called it home, and John Muir spent roughly his entire adult life trying to convince everyone else it was the most important piece of land on the continent — a rare case where the hype is, if anything, underselling it.

The Valley floor is where most visitors spend their time, and for good reason: Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, and the Merced River are all within easy reach. But Yosemite's real personality lives outside the valley — Tuolumne Meadows in summer is the Sierra Nevada at its absolute peak, Glacier Point at sunset will rewire your brain, and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias will make you feel appropriately small about your place in the universe.

Photo Gallery ​

Good to Know ​

Reservations: Peak season (May–September) requires timed-entry reservations. Book early or embrace spontaneity and show up at dawn hoping for the best.

Camping: Thirteen campgrounds, but the popular Valley ones book out in minutes. Upper Pines is the classic. Set an alarm for when reservations open — this is competitive sport.

Cell Service: Basically nonexistent once you leave the Valley. Tell your people you'll be off-grid. They'll survive.