The Best Part Of Yosemite Isn’t In Yosemite

Yosemite Valley is gorgeous, and everyone knows it.

One of the first trips we took in our Weekend Van was driving from Carlsbad, California, to South Lake Tahoe, with a detour through Yosemite National Park on the way home. We hadn’t spent much time in Yosemite before, but we’d always heard people talk about the marvel and beauty of Yosemite Valley.

We entered the park from the east, taking Route 120 from the town of Lee Vining. This brought us through Tuolumne Meadows — one of the most peaceful and scenic areas in the Sierra Nevada. We fished the Tuolumne River, catching a few wild rainbow trout in the clearest water you can imagine.

Tuolumne River. You can’t see the fish, but they can see you.

We also found a hike that took us up and over a granite dome, then down into a small waterfall and swimming hole. We saw exactly zero people on this hike and were stunned by the beauty. Our dog Henry still talks about this hike to this day.

As we made our way into Yosemite Valley, I was struck by the beauty of the place — tall granite walls on either side with the Merced River flowing through the valley. It’s amazing.

But it’s also insanely crowded. We neglected to book a campsite the day they became available six months prior, so we were out of luck. We had a great time swimming in the Merced River (which was freezing, even in August) below El Capitan, but we were joined by about 100 of our newest friends.

As we exited the park, we decided to explore around the Wawona Valley, near the park’s southern entrance. We managed to find a few dispersed camping areas and beautiful swimming holes (whose locations I cannot reveal) where we were utterly alone.

If you’re lucky enough to spend time in Yosemite, definitely do the normal stuff — see the waterfalls, Half Dome, and El Capitan. But if you’re looking for 80% of the beauty with 10% of the crowd, spend some time exploring the edges of Yosemite National Park. You won’t be disappointed.