Today, I’m back to share the rest of our Central California road trip itinerary. If you missed it, Tim and I took an eight day road trip through Central California back in June. We spent the first half of our trip eating and drinking our way through wine country. Check out how we spent 4 days in Santa Ynez Valley and San Luis Obispo here. The second half of our road trip was spent exploring one of California’s nine national parks. Here’s how we spent 4 days in Yosemite.
4 Days in Yosemite
Day One – San Luis Obispo to Yosemite
We woke up early in San Luis Obispo to grab groceries for Yosemite. We also picked up Scout Coffee and High Street Deli again for the road. The drive from San Luis Obispo to Yosemite was just under four hours. After we settled into our airstream, we explored Yosemite with the last few hours of sunlight.
WHERE WE STAYED:
We stayed at Autocamp Yosemite, which is actually a 40 minute drive to Yosemite National Park. Autocamp is a really fun concept and we left with great memories. Review coming soon!
WHAT WE DID:
- We spent most of our time wandering through Sentinel Meadow and Cook’s Meadow with a quick stop at Tunnel View.
- Back at Autocamp, we had a fun campfire dinner and made s’mores in our outdoor fire pit.
Travel Tips:
- Reservations are required to enter Yosemite National Park until September 30. Click here to book or for more information.
- If you’re staying at Autocamp, save money by purchasing food before your trip.
Day Two – Yosemite
We had an early start to our second day, which was full of adventures and beautiful sights around Yosemite National Park.
WHAT WE DID:
- By the time we started Mist Trail, it was already 8:30 and full of people. We hiked up to the first waterfall, Vernal Falls, and looped back through Clark Point (suggested route during Covid to avoid crowds). We went at our own pace, took a ton of photos, had a bear encounter, and enjoyed our packed lunch by the Emerald Pool. In total, we spent about six hours up on this trail.
- Our hike to Lower Yosemite Falls was quick and easy. This waterfall is easily accessible, but extremely crowded.
- On our way out of Yosemite, we stopped by Valley View to sit and enjoy the views along the Merced River. This was the perfect spot to escape from the crowds.
- Back at Autocamp, we had another campfire dinner and ended the night early.
Travel Tips:
- If you plan on visiting the park every day or visiting early in the morning, Autocamp may not be the ideal location for you.
- Start Mist Trail before 7:00 AM to beat the crowds.
Day Three – Yosemite
Our third day started slow as we recovered from the previous day’s adventures. We spent the first half of the day lounging around Autocamp. Later in the afternoon, we headed up to Glacier Point Road.
WHAT WE DID:
- We enjoyed a quite campfire breakfast and, of course, took full advantage of the pool at Autocamp.
- For lunch, we decided to try out Autocamp’s bar. We ordered the Mariposa Pizza, which was very mediocre.
- Around 2:30, we headed to Yosemite to explore Glacier Point Road. It took us about an hour and a half to get to our first stop, Taft Point. Taft Point is a fairly easy hike through the forest. Once you emerge from the forest, the views of Yosemite Valley are equally breathtaking and frightening. After, we continued our drive on Glacier Point Road to reach Glacier Point. It was the perfect sunset to end our last night in Yosemite.
- Back at Autocamp, we enjoyed our last campfire dinner and s’mores.
Day Four – Yosemite to Los Angeles
If we had stayed closer to Yosemite, we would’ve gone for a morning stroll on our last day. Instead, we packed up and headed home. The drive from Yosemite to Los Angeles took six hours with two stops along the way.
