Your Photography Guide to Yosemite National Park in the Summer
Ross and I at Taft Point during sunset. Click on my photos to pin on Pinterest!
This blog will be all about my time in Yosemite National Park! I’ll go over where we stayed, best times to visit, and my favorite photography spots in Yosemite.
Getting to Yosemite National Park
Our Yosemite National Park adventure started with a California roadtrip. We actually flew into Los Angeles and drove up Highway 101, stopping at all the beautiful spots along the way. We drove all the way up to San Francisco and headed to Yosemite National Park on the way back. We had a blast!
If you don’t want to do a whole California road trip like we did, you can opt to fly in as close as you can. One of the closest airports to Yosemite National Park is Fresno-Yosemite International (FAT), which is about 1.5 hours away from the park entrance. Many people also fly into Sacramento International (SMF) or San Francisco International (SFO), which is 3.5-4 hours away from the park entrance. Getting to Yosemite requires some driving no matter where you fly into. Search for affordable car rental options here!
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Tunnel View scenic viewpoint
Best Time to Visit Yosemite
We visited Yosemite National Park at the very end of May, and it was beautiful! All the waterfalls were flowing from the winter snowmelt and it was very warm. It was actually so hot, there was a heat advisory. However, it only gets warmer throughout the summer. The waterfalls dry out for the season once it’s August. If you’re looking to see the waterfalls while visiting, plan to come late spring or early summer.
Where to Stay
When searching for a place to stay for our trip, we prioritized proximity to the park entrance and affordability. We were only staying for 1 night, the evening before our full day at Yosemite, so it didn’t need to be fancy. We decided on Buck Meadows Lodge, because it was only 12 miles from the park entrance, affordable, and the reviews were good. I’d recommend this spot for anyone looking for a budget friendly place to stay near Yosemite. There’s also a diner to grab some food for your convenience!
Half Dome from Glacier Point
Best Photography Spots & Hikes in Yosemite
I was really excited to take photos all around Yosemite. I knew this park was beautiful, but it’s even better in person! This is definitely a bucket list National Park.
Glacier Point
First on our Yosemite itinerary was to watch the sunrise at Glacier Point. This spot is so special, because you get to see the sunrise over Half Dome. Although our hotel was close to the park entrance, Yosemite is very large and the roads are winding. We had to wake up around 3am to get to the top of Glacier Point in time! Although the drive took about 2 hours, it was definitely worth it to watch the sunrise and we had the place to ourselves. It was very peaceful and I’m so glad we decided to do it.
View of Half Dome from the road up to Glacier Point
We ventured over to this awesome viewpoint from the road. Since it was early in the morning and there weren’t many others around, we were able to set up our tripod on the side of the road and get the shot above. I love the framing of this shot so much. The giant trees, winding road, and of course the stunning backdrop, came together to create such a special moment.
This spot was so peaceful during the sunrise, we even saw a few deer enjoying it with us. It was a great way to start our full day in Yosemite.
Deer passing by during sunrise at Half Dome
Glacier Point requires no hiking, so this is a great spot for those who are looking for easy access to beautiful views. It also has a large parking lot, which makes finding parking a lot less stressful.
Tunnel View scenic overlook
Tunnel View
After we watched the sunrise, we actually took a little nap in our car lol. Then we headed back down and explored the other trails around Yosemite. On our way down from Glacier Point, we stopped at Tunnel View, one of the prettiest viewpoints in Yosemite. Here you can see El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall! It makes for quite the awesome photo.
Giant tree stumps along Lower Yosemite Falls Trail
Lower Yosemite Falls
Once we were back down in the valley, we explored Lower Yosemite Falls Trail. This was an easy, 1-mile loop paved trail where you get to see Lower Yosemite Falls up close. This waterfall peaks in spring and early summer. As we neared closer, we could feel the cold mist from the waterfall. It was nice and refreshing.
Looking up at El Capitan
Yosemite Valley Loop
Afterwards, we walked part of Yosemite Valley Loop Trail to check out the famous El Capitan rock formation up close. We had fun watching the rock climbers do their thing and were amazed by its giant presence. The entire time we were exploring around Yosemite, we felt so small with the ginormous rocks surrounding us from every direction.
View of El Capitan from the Merced River
Merced River
We stumbled upon this pretty spot along the Merced River. It had a great view of El Capitan and was a perfect place to relax and take in the beautiful sights. We dipped our toes into the refreshing water. There are multiple little spots like this along the Merced River, but this spot was by El Capitan Bridge.
Sentinel Dome Trail
Once sunset was nearing, we headed back up to do our final hikes of the day. We hiked Sentinel Dome Trail and Taft Point. These two hiking trails were right by each other and provided beautiful views for sunset. I knew I wanted to end my day at Taft Point, so we did Sentinel Dome Trail first. This trail is 2.2-miles out-and-back and is rated moderate on AllTrails.
Taft Point at sunset
Taft Point
Taft Point is like the ultimate sunset location. I highly recommend it! It’s a fairly easy, 2.3-mile out-and-back trail and very popular. Once you get to the lookout, you get a full view of Yosemite Valley. It’s amazing! We met a lot of other photographers all waiting to get the perfect sunset shot. We took turns posing out on the overhanging rock. Everyone was so kind and it was fun seeing each person put their spin on this shot. The view is absolutely stunning. The whole sky gets flooded with orange and yellow. Just be careful near the edge and don’t look down if you’re afraid of heights!
Sunset at Taft Point
After the sunset, we were done with our day in Yosemite and continued on with our California road trip. It was a jammed packed day full of beauty!
Good to Knows About Yosemite
There are various spots to eat while in the park. We ate at Base Camp Eatery, which is a food court style restaurant. It was a quick spot to refuel and they had water refill stations, which we needed. We also packed some snacks that we kept in the car and a cooler full of water. Make sure you pack enough water, because Yosemite in the summer is HOT! As always, make sure whatever you pack in, you pack out. Leave no trace.
Reservation requirements may be needed on certain dates and you will need to purchase an entrance pass no matter when you visit. View the requirements here.
Overall Thoughts on Yosemite National Park
Overall, our experience in Yosemite National Park was absolutely amazing. You can do a lot in 1 day, but there will always be so much more to explore! It would be fun to spend more than 1 day in Yosemite, so maybe I’ll just need to visit another time.
Camera used to document my travels: Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm lens
