Yosemite is Even Better Than You Could Imagine

Do we even need a preamble here? The title says it all! 

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Featured photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mXXZfvnPgn13qRFw6

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August 27th, 2024- California Day 4

Most. Best. Extra best. Amazing-est. Incredible-est. Beautiful-est. (Are these even words?)

I like to poke fun at a certain politician for using a lot of superlatives. This is blatant projection on my part, because I write with a ton of superlatives! It seems like I spend much of my time describing how each scene is the most beautiful, most photogenic, best location that you could ever hope to visit. In my defense, every national park preserves a unique, breathtaking part of America’s natural landscape. How could I resist from saying things like…

“Incredible, beautiful, awe-inspiring.”

“It was strikingly beautiful”

“It was an art gallery type of beauty”

“In its own blackened, charred way, a volcano is beautiful.”

“My hair smelled like a wet dog, but the trail was beautiful!”

“It was all strange and beautiful.”

“Bat caves are beautiful!”

“Hawaii is a beautiful prison.”

(Yes, these are actual quotes from the blog. I’m really calling myself out here!)

So here’s the thing. I know I said all of those things about the other national parks, but now I am going to make an ultimate statement. Yosemite National Park might be the most incredible place we have ever visited. 

(Can you sense it? Can you hear my “but” coming on?”)

Yosemite might be the most incredible place we’ve ever visited, BUT Grand Teton and Yellowstone are still our favorites.

Here’s the honest truth about Yosemite. The scenery is beyond comparison. We got into the park early to experience it without distraction. What scenery we saw! The sun had just risen over the valley, bathing the granite peaks with warm light. The tall mountains stretched shadow beams across the horizon. A delicate haze offset the curved layers of mountain ridges. Trees blanketed the valley and concealed the roads and buildings we knew were down there. It looked untouched, as if the valley had just been sculpted by the Creator’s hand. I was rendered speechless. The only word that passed my lips, in a reverent whisper, was “Wow.” 

When we later hiked the Panorama Trail down into the valley, I found myself compelled to keep stopping for photos. It wasn’t just the photographer’s urge. I felt almost desperate to capture the experience, afraid of forgetting even a nanosecond of the hike. The trail felt like a divine gift. The morning shadows in the valley gave the impression of royalty. The mountains were mighty kings, casting their lowly subjects in the shadow of their magnificence. Our trail wound a circuitous route around the granite monarchs, providing new valley vistas with every turn. We passed through forests and over streams. We witnessed a few Yosemite waterfalls, towering fountains of white water cascading over smooth stone. Do you know how water looks like it is falling in slow motion over a tall waterfall? That’s what these waterfalls looked like. They were sheer drops, water suspended in space. They plunged and fell into clear pools, gurgling creeks, and lush streambeds. Vernal Falls even painted a rainbow in its mist. In the valley, the waterfalls flattened into lakes. They were perfect mirrors, duplicating the granite monoliths horizontally across the water. Our delight redoubled. Our enjoyment of Yosemite was amplified by the perfection of the mountains twice displayed. We finished our Yosemite trek well into the afternoon. It was a long hike, the kind that makes you wonder at the vastness of nature and rejoice at the sight of a park bench simultaneously. We were tired. 

Resting in the shade of Yosemite Valley, we came to realize the less pretty part of the park. Yosemite is extremely overcrowded. Despite the shuttle buses and carefully-planned infrastructure, the reality is that the park receives more visitors than it can accommodate. Yelp features many, many reviews complaining about the long lines to enter the park, the stampedes to get onto a shuttle bus, the crowds, the lack of restaurants, and the state of the bathrooms. (The bathrooms, in particular, I had experience with. In a pit toilet at Glacier Point, I was dismayed to find the results of somebody’s poor decision. Instead of using the toilet as intended, they deposited a nasty-looking pile in the middle of the floor. It smelled as bad as it looked.)

It can be disheartening to read these negative Internet reviews about such a beautiful place. One reviewer griped, “Even in September the park was very crowded. Lots of cars in the yosemite village. Didn’t expect the “urbanized” feel with the shuttle bus & all. Stay far from the village if you want “pure” nature.” 

Another wrote, “Buses don't work on this place. The guy who drove the green bus told us to ride the purple one. But no purple buses came. We waited for nothing. The place is crowded on Monday. Lots of tourists. So bathrooms are very dirty and tissues lying all over the floor.”

There are also some amusing bad reviews, like the visitor who wrote, “I swear I love this place but like people have DIED here. fell off mountains ... DIED. instead of a national park it's litterally a national burial ground.”

There are also people who seem to use review pages as a place to exercise their sarcasm. One man declared, “Too many trees and big rocks like El Capitan or half dome that I have to climb.

Update: did the four mile trail and it was beautiful but I couldn’t take photos because they didn’t tell me to bring my phone or camera. Also no cell phone service and water. Sorry all, it’s not ADA compliant: there is no elevators or escalators. Also no one was playing with the rattle snake. He looked inviting.”

What is the takeaway of all these negative, strange reviews? Like anything, it is best to consider every element within its proper context. Bad reviews, while discouraging, often serve as an excellent source for insider information. Reading through Yelp can inform a potential Yosemite visitor that they should arrive early to avoid crowds. They should expect long wait times for the shuttles. They should bring an extra snack and, if they are abundantly cautious, some toilet paper. But what else can be learned from the reviews of a national park? They learn that national parks are places where memories are made. There are weddings that have happened at Yosemite. Proposals have occurred on cliffsides. Summiters of Half Dome have shared a sort of exhilaration that is difficult to find anywhere else. Those who visit Yosemite experience awe, wonder, reverence. It is a spectacular place. That’s why it is a national park, after all!

This year promises to be a complicated one for national park travelers. With reduced NPS staff and increased visitation, Yelp may become flooded with many more negative reviews across the United States. Undoubtedly, the restrooms will become worse this year. The wait times will be arduous in places. Visitor centers may be closed at odd times. Park staff may be more hurried, less friendly, and not as available to rescue you when you twist your ankle on a hiking trail. So, to any of our friends who may be traveling this year, I encourage you to do some extra research. Read those reviews. Know your park. Be prepared for the worst. And, in the midst of it all, remember to enjoy the beauty of the place you find yourself in. If you’re waiting in line, take an extra moment to observe the native plants growing nearby. Lift your eyes above the crowds and enjoy the mountain peaks instead. Try to be patient with park staff; they are trying their best, after all. The staff and visitors find themselves in national parks because they share a passion for the land. As we navigate this tricky atmosphere together, let’s try to remember that, shall we?

Together, we can keep the national parks incredible for everyone!