Find your place, check the practical details, and keep a backup ready. Five tools for a trip you can make your own.
Start with your month, time and travel style. Find three places worth a closer look.
Matches combine historical climate comfort, reviewed itinerary fit and geographic proximity. Travel allowances are editorial estimates. Short walks do not establish wheelchair or stroller access. No flight schedules or road routing are checked.
Your estimate stays available while you move between tools in this visit. Download it before refreshing or closing the site.
Compare entrance fees with a pass, then add your own lodging, camping and travel costs. All amounts are in US dollars.
One private, noncommercial vehicle with up to 15 occupants. Prices assume standard paid entrance days. Motorcycles, tours, per-person entry and fee-free-day discounts need a separate calculation. Campsites, parking and reservations are additional.
Reviewed fees cover 14 parks. Other parks need a verified vehicle fee. Enter the fee for one seven-day admission period; shorter-duration and seasonal offers can differ. Shared Sequoia and Kings Canyon admission assumes consecutive visits. Enter fees separately to price independent visits. All pass comparisons assume your visits fall within the pass validity period.
Pass prices, coverage & eligibility Reviewed 2026-10-19
Mixed-party and nonresident fee rules Reviewed 2026-10-19
The pass holder must qualify and travel with the vehicle. Valid resident passes also cover nonresident passengers under the published vehicle rules. Prices are reviewed for 2026 only. Park-specific annual passes and regional passes may offer another option; compare them on each park’s fee page.
Verify entrance fee Reviewed 2026-10-19
$35
Starting amounts below are examples, not market prices. Enter the total room or campsite cost for your party. Count each overnight once.
Estimated trip total $565Using the lower of individual entrance fees and your selected pass.
Check seasonal roads, transport and reservation requirements before committing to a route.
My trip uses each stop’s arrival and departure dates. Add a start date there first, or check a custom period below.
Reviewed seasonal guidance covers 15 of 63 parks. These are planning checks, not a live road-status or permit-availability check. A result never confirms that a route is open.
Choose your dates to see the checks that apply.
Compare the recorded terrain and facilities for a specific outing. A short or paved trail can still have steep sections.
Pilot coverage: 5 outings across 3 parks. Missing measurements remain unknown. Filters use documented facts and do not certify suitability for a person or mobility device.
A grade filter excludes unknown grades. “No obstructions recorded” describes the assessment, not today’s trail conditions.
1 matching outing
Eastern approach from the Yosemite Falls shuttle stop to the viewing area; excludes the western loop.
NPS identifies this approach as wheelchair accessible, with transfer-height seating at the viewing area. Check current conditions.
Official guidance Reviewed 2026-10-19
If your first choice is full, compare another base, campground or outing before rearranging the whole trip.
These are reviewed research options, not available inventory. Booking a room outside a park does not waive its entry rules. Check the current source before changing a reservation.
Use the official campground list to compare districts, operating seasons and booking systems.
Tradeoff: Moving districts can add driving. A campsite does not automatically provide every activity permit.
Official guidance Reviewed 2026-10-19
Use NPS lodging links to check options outside the Valley and park.
Tradeoff: Check the commute to your planned district and seasonal entrance access before paying.
Official guidance Reviewed 2026-10-19
Read the dated official FAQ rather than relying on an old itinerary.
Check first: NPS states no entry reservation is needed in 2026. That does not establish the rule for a later year; entrance fees still apply.
Official guidance Reviewed 2026-10-18
Compare El Portal and other gateways, accounting for the return commute.
Check first: Check the specific operator or campsite release calendar; use official links from NPS.
Official guidance Reviewed 2026-10-18
Keep the Valley highlights and short walks.
Check first: This itinerary includes neither Half Dome nor overnight wilderness travel. Those have separate permit systems.
Official guidance Reviewed 2026-10-18
Use the Valley alternative when Glacier Point Road is closed.
Check first: Check Glacier Point and Tioga road status. Do not use a winter routing suggestion through a closed pass.
Official guidance Reviewed 2026-10-18
Driving ranges are editorial estimates, before traffic, queues and stops.
0–20 min to Valley activities, then walking or shuttle
Most time in the Valley and easiest midday breaks.
Tradeoff: Limited lodging; book early and confirm parking arrangements.
25–45 min to Valley parking each way
A practical west-side base for Valley-focused visits.
Tradeoff: Entrance, roadwork and parking queues add time.
40–75 min to Valley parking each way, depending on property
Useful for Wawona and Glacier Point approaches.
Tradeoff: A Valley commute remains; Yosemite West is not in Yosemite Valley.
60–100 min to Valley parking each way
Broader accommodation choices.
Tradeoff: A cheaper room can cost several hours of the trip in return driving.
Recreation.gov offers availability alerts for matching campsites. Set one through the campground’s booking page and keep an alternative ready; an alert does not hold a site.
How official availability alerts work Reviewed 2026-10-19
Find Yosemite on Recreation.gov →