Yosemite Day Trip – How to have one day in Yosemite and not miss out

Spending One Day in Yosemite National Park

A lot of people like to add visiting Yosemite National Park to either a trip to San Francisco or as part of a bigger road trip. If you can’t do 3-5 days in the park, just one day in Yosemite can really feel like you’ve seen some of the best sights and it won’t seem like a waste of time. You just need to get there early and choose the sites that are most important to you. I’ll tell it to you straight: the easiest entrance to do one day in Yosemite from is the south entrance, near Oakhurst, California. Oakhurst is just a half hour down the mountain from the park entrance and is a great place to start. We’ll cover all the entrances though, just in case your plans require a different starting point.

Where do you enter Yosemite?

There are four entrances to the main area of Yosemite National Park:

• South – Oakhurst
• West – El Portal near Mariposa
• Northwest – Big Oak Flat Road from Groveland
• East – Mammoth (Lee Vining)

Just because each entrance gets you into the park, they aren’t all equal when it comes to quick access to different areas. The eastern entrance just gets you into the park and then you have to go through the Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass before you get to the most famous and iconic sights in the park. The Northwest and Western entrances are better for quick access to the Yosemite Valley, but then the South entrance is the most ideal for a day trip, or just one day maxing your adventures. 

From San Francisco you will likely enter through the Groveland entrance (and this is where the best national park sign is) and then drive down into the Yosemite Valley. From Fresno, Visalia or Los Angeles, you’ll enter from Oakhurst, which is great because this is where you’ll find the most services including gas, snacks and anything else you might need. For people driving from Reno or Las Vegas, it’s the Lee Vining entrance, but from Nevada it’s not really a day trip.

Where to Stay Near Yosemite

For a quick trip to Yosemite National Park, the easiest place to stay is in the Oakhurst area. You’ll find the most options with the best budget here, and it’s a short drive to the park entrance. You can stay in Oakhurst proper, Bass Lake or even just outside the park and it’ll make it easy to have an early start, which is important if you have just one day in Yosemite.

We’ve gotten to stay at the Tenaya Lodge several times and really love it. Staying here puts you in a great location and it’s got lots of amenities, including an indoor and outdoor pool, so you can actually plan for some relaxation time in addition to hiking in the park. Another great option, which is a little farther from the park entrance is the Pines Resort at Bass Lake. Chalet style cabins just off the lake with a big outdoor swimming pool and really great restaurant (Ducey’s on the Lake) make it a good home base, especially if you’re traveling with grandparents or others who want to be able to enjoy their own version of relaxation apart from the rest of the family.

Is Yosemite National Park for One Day Worth it?

While I think that three or more days is the best way to experience Yosemite NP, there’s nothing wrong with visiting just for one day. You can easily enjoy a variety of hikes and take in plenty of amazing views with just one day for a visit. Whether you’re into trekking through the woods and to viewpoints or if you’re simply wanting to drive through and see the sights, both types of visits are possible. 

What you miss out on with only one day in Yosemite is the chance to do the bigger hikes, like Nevada Falls to Half Dome, or getting to enjoy both Glacier Point Road and the Yosemite Valley sites. You can look at a day trip into Yosemite as a great way to get a taste of one of the most famous places in the USA. You’ll likely get to see some wildlife, visit a grove of giant sequoias and then either see the landmarks of the Yosemite Valley from above or below. It’s 100% worth it even if you’re limited on time.

Yosemite National Park from Oakhurst

As I’ve said, Oakhurst is the best place to visit Yosemite from because it’s both very close to the entrance and has the most services. Between Oakhurst and Bass Lake, there are lots of places to stay, places to get snacks and lunch to bring into the park, and if you have any other needs, you’ll find them all here. When you’re doing Yosemite in one day, you’ll want to arrive into the park early and stay until it’s dark if you can. That’s what I like about being near the park entrance: easy in and easy out.

So, here’s what you can do in one day in Yosemite National Park when you enter through the Oakhurst south entrance.

Mariposa Grove of Sequoias

Although Sequoia National Park is known for its amazing groves of giant sequoia trees, Yosemite also has several groves. Just inside the south entrance is the Mariposa Grove, and it’s spectacular. This must be one of your activities when you are spending just one day in Yosemite. There is a large parking area and a small visitor center, and from here you’ll get onto a shuttle bus that takes you up the mountain a bit to the Mariposa Grove. You can make this a short visit or a long one. If you’ve only got the one day for enjoying as much of the park as possible, limit your time strolling the paths at the Mariposa Grove to around an hour.

If you’re here in the summer, the Mariposa Grove can get pretty busy in the mornings. Depending on how things are looking, you can also save this as your last stop within the park. If that’s the plan, be sure that you arrive with enough time to ride the shuttle up to the trail AND be able to get the shuttle back down. If you miss the last shuttle, you’ll have a two mile walk back down to the parking area. 

Wawona History Museum and Trails

The next stop is a great one in the summer, especially with kids. The Wawona History Museum is a collection of historic buildings and cabins with living history demonstrations. In the summer months they also have farm animals. I like stopping here because there’s a covered bridge and the creek that flows by is really beautiful. The Wawona History Museum can be a quick half hour stop, but if there are demonstrations going on, allow yourself at least an hour.

Glacier Point

I love driving the Glacier Point Road. Open only from late spring to early fall, the Glacier Point Road climbs up from the Wawona Road to one of the most epic views in the park. When you’re doing just one day in Yosemite National Park this area offers the most bang for your buck with views and hikes. Also, I think the wildlife watching on Glacier Point Road is some of the best in the park.

At the end of the road is Glacier Point itself. Here you’ll find structured viewpoints down into the Yosemite Valley, amazing sights like Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, and trails leading to different features and even the Four Mile Trail which ends down below in the Valley. Glacier Point is wonderful! Also, if you’re like me and have to learn something everywhere you go, the Geology Hut at Glacier Point is a great place to visit and understand how Yosemite as we know it was formed. Glacier Point has its name for a reason…

Something else that’s nice about driving the Glacier Point Road on your one day in Yosemite is that if you didn’t bring lunch or snacks into the park, you’ll actually find a market here with plenty of options for food and drinks. And since this short visit doesn’t include time down in Yosemite Village, you can take advantage of the gift shop at Glacier Point for getting your National Park t-shirt or souvenirs.

Hiking Sentinel Dome

There are quite a few hikes along the Glacier Point Road but Sentinel Dome is my favorite and is my top pick for a hike if you only have one day in Yosemite National Park. While it’s not the most challenging hike in the park, the trail is enough of a climb with varying surroundings that it feels like a bigger hike. It’s only 2.2 miles total (round trip) which is pretty short, but when you get to Sentinel Dome and then climb to the top of it, it’s very much work taking your time to sit and enjoy the view from any side..

I must say, the balance of the physical activity, the beautiful view from the top of Sentinel Dome and how easily this hike melds into the plan for the day, it truly is the perfect Yosemite hike if you only have one day. There are lots of other sites, but this hike takes the cake.

Sunset from Tunnel View

You’ve had a full, fun day exploring the southern part of Yosemite National Park, but you’re not ready to leave just yet. If you continue into the park and head towards the Yosemite Valley, you’ll pass through the Wawona Tunnel, which is just under a mile long. At the end of the Wawona Tunnel is a place called Tunnel View. It is one of my favorite places in Yosemite National Park. It’s from here that you get stunning views looking up the Yosemite Valley with its waterfalls and granite rock formations, and at sunset as the light changes, the darkness creeps up the valley slowly until only Half Dome is left glowing. This is the best way to spend your last minutes in the Park. It’s relaxing and the perfect end to your one day in Yosemite.

El Portal and Big Oak Flat Entrance to Yosemite NP

While the Oakhurst entrance to Yosemite is our preferred option for the easiest trip into the park, you could also come in through either the El Portal or northern Big Oak Flat entrance. Entering through these gates sets you up a little differently and maybe that’s what you want for spending just one day in Yosemite, so weigh out the activities in comparison to entering from the Oakhurst side to see if it’s the best option for you.

If you’re staying at the Evergreen Lodge at Yosemite or Rush Creek lodge, the Big Oak Flat entrance is your easy choice. You can also easily access the Hetch Hetchy part of the park from here. If you’re considering staying in Mariposa or at the Yosemite View Lodge, the El Portal entrance is your closest entry point. Either entry will set you up for the same sort of day in Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite National Park Entrance Signs

While the Oakhurst entrance to the park is my favorite for an easy day in Yosemite, there is NOT a good National Park entrance sign here. If you’re like us, we always get a family photo in front of the signs as we visit the different parks. The Oakhurst entrance is void of one, but the El Portal and Big Oak Flat entrances both have good ones. 

The El Portal entrance sign is similar to the Zion National Park sign: built of stone with a hanging wooden sign; iconic. The Big Oak Flat Road entrance sign is different and way better. It’s a painted relief of the Yosemite Valley and it has a camera stand so you can get everyone in the photo easily. I love it and think it’s a really pretty sign, and what I’d love to see show up in other National Parks too.

Tuolumne or Merced Grove of Sequoias

When planning to spend one day in Yosemite National Park, you have to include some time enjoying the giant sequoia trees. The south entrance brings you right to the Mariposa Grove, which is well developed with a visitor center and interpretive signs. The Tuolumne Grove is less developed, but still a great visit. To get to the giant sequoias in the Tuolumne Grove it’s a 2.5 mile round trip hike down into the forest. It’s beautiful with some cool fallen sequoias and a tree tunnel. The Merced Grove is a 3 mile round trip hike along the old road into the forest. It’s less busy and is another beautiful hike that will get your heart pumping just a bit.

Of the three groves, I would rank them as they’re listed: 1.) Mariposa  2.) Tuolumne  3.) Merced. Having said that, for a single day in Yosemite coming into the northern and western entrances, Tuolumne is the better pick to get to commune with the ancient trees.

Yosemite Valley for the Day

Since both El Portal and Big Oak Flat bring you into the Yosemite Valley pretty easily, if you just have one day in the park, don’t waste time with a long drive over Tioga Pass or up to Glacier Point, but just stick to the Yosemite Valley floor. You can easily spend all day stopping at all of the pullouts and doing the short hikes to Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite Falls and other easy spots. You could also do some general viewpoint stuff to see the amazing waterfalls and granite formations, and then do the Vernal Falls / Nevada Falls hike, which will take a few hours.

You’ll have plenty of lunch and dinner options in the Yosemite Valley, so that keeps things low-stress since you only have one day. Plan to visit the Yosemite Valley Exploration Center and Yosemite Museum, and then as the sun starts to go down, head to the Sentinel Bridge to enjoy the changing light on Half Dome. You can either drive through the Valley back to El Capitan Drive to loop back onto Southside Drive and enter the bridge parking area, or you can park at the western end of the Yosemite Village parking area and walk to the Sentinel Bridge. This is where you’ll get an amazing view of Half Dome as it turns pink for just a few moments before the light is gone.

Should I do the Yosemite Valley Tram Tour?

I love the Yosemite Valley Tram Tour, but I feel like if you only have one day in Yosemite, it’s not the best option for you UNLESS you have limited mobility or would prefer a tour over exploring on your own. The tram tour is wonderful with kids because the rangers are sharp, can be funny, and point out cool things that kids are into. For adults, it’s nice to hear the history and be able to take it all in without being a distracted driver. Having said that, if you want to make stops all through the Yosemite Valley and do some short hikes, you’re better off leading yourself through the park.

Should I try to visit other parts of Yosemite?

We love all of the different areas of Yosemite National Park, which is why we’ve visited so many times, but if you only have time for one day in the park, the two plans covered above are your best bets. Hetch Hetchy is really a beautiful area, but it’s out of the way with a separate entrance, and daily visitors are limited, so it’s tricky to time your trip to do the hikes here. The Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass are gorgeous and so peaceful, but they aren’t iconic like the Yosemite Valley. If you have extra days and want to enjoy some more hikes and get away from the busier areas, it’s worth planning a trip through the northern part of the park, but not as your only day.

A great way to experience the less-visited parts of Yosemite are to add them onto other trips. For example, if you’re heading to Mammoth Lakes (one of my favorite foodie towns in California) and Mammoth Mountain, you can drive from Fresco or San Francisco through Yosemite and you’ll go through the northern area. If you’re heading to Tahoe from Southern California, you can plan to take the 495 and then do a little spur trip into Yosemite. There is so much cool geology to explore around Mammoth Lakes and the 495! There are lots of ways to add simple visits to other trips.

I hope you feel good about visiting Yosemite National Park for one day. While it’s always nice to have lots of time for all of the hikes and relaxing with the beautiful views, you can feel good about spending just one day in the park. It’s fun, it’s memorable, and you’ll be ready to plan a bigger return trip. If you have any questions about how to spend a day in Yosemite or need some additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a fun National Parks trip!