So I went with the wife to Yosemite October 7th -11th and stopped in my favorite campsite in Wawona. There is a booth for the ranger at the front but just to the left of it there is an open air booth. Here people leave left over green bottle propane, BBQ lighter fluid, isobutane canisters...whatever someone else might need. I usually look really quick as I was once short on BBQ lighter fluid and I scored some here.

Well...I never saw a whole camp stove sitting there with a rusty can of white gas! It was a Coleman 425F. I grabbed it and took it to camp...and after taking some seals and I pulled the pump and oiled the pump cup and it worked. It was full of pine needles, spider webs and rust but it worked. We brought our own stove but used this one instead to cook all 4 days we were there.

Next morning I talked to the ranger... He said he brought it there and it was indeed free... It was abandoned at another campsite (bridalveil creek) and been bouncing around for 2 years...a few people looked at it but no one ever took it and the camper who was registered never responded to calls or emails for them to go get it.. He was pretty happy it wouldn't sit through another winter haha. It sat for 2 years through rain... summer...snow...and no one took it.

Photos before and after I took it home and cleaned it up... Washed it out and treated the rust. Looks good for being outside in the elements all that time!

Pretty cool huh?

Just wanted to share some friends I made during our trip the other week 🥰

Thank you again to everyone here who helped us with alternate locations and ideas for our sunset photos. I am still shocked we were able to actually get to Taft Point (and Glacier Point for the Milky Way photos). This was our first visit to Yosemite, and we had the most spectacular time. We used some of the great ideas we got for the day after in the park! Sure was easier to move and hike when not wearing a wedding dress.

I know it’s normally the second Monday in October, but was wondering if it’s staying open later due to weather?

Wanted to share some photos I was able to get of my first time up at Glacier and Washburn Point on Monday just before the storm rolled in. Those views inspired me to get out of the valley and explore more!

Any other must sees? I am already planning Tenaya/Clouds Rest by spring when Tioga reopens

Can anyone please tell me when would be the best time, if it hasn't already come and gone, to see the Fall colors on the Yosemite Valley Floor?

Thanks in advance for any help with this! 👍

Awesome 35mm shot I got back in June. Would love for this person to find it!

Now that Dome fire is almost 100% contained, is the air no longer affected by the smoke?

Experienced Yosemite goers I need your help!!!!
I plan on leaving for Curry Village at 6AM and arriving at 10:30AM.

I am scared about parking. Seriously.

Although I have a two night reservation at Yosemite Pine RV park, I plan on driving directly into the park, park, explore and then check in at the RV park later (their check in: 12PM)

You may ask why not check in and take a YART? The REASON I am skipping check in is because 1) making it in time even for even the latest departure is not an option 2) YART ride from the RV park would take 2 hours.

I am worried. If I can find parking in curry village then I’m all set! But what if I can’t then I’m screwed.

Please whoever is out there please shed some light bc I need sleep.

Watching a climber aid climb the iconic Great Roof on El Capitan just as the sun set over Yosemite Valley (10/07/2026). Absolutely unreal light on the granite

Heya! I'd like to visit Yosemite in the three weeks that I'm in SF, but it's not very practical renting a car and making the trip by myself.

So long shot - I'm looking for opportunities to join anyone on the ride to (and potentially from) Yosemite to the SF area! My weekends are free - let me know, and I can share a bit more about myself! I'm aware that the Amtrak and YARTS can take me there, but it's an entire day's worth of travel time.

Took it last during last month visit.
The best view everrrr

My daughter decided she wanted to be a coyote for our Yosemite trip.

Hi,

I will be visiting Yosemite 8th-10th February 2027. The main day will be the 9th, spending all day visiting the park. 8th will be just for arriving and 10th for coming back to SF, from where we will be coming.

I've seen that winter season is much more relaxed in terms of crowds, however, during February takes place the FireFall.

Will this make the park get crowded during my stay, and having to get up early to enter the park? (I'm staying just 2 miles away from the Yosemite Valley entrance), given the dates I'll be there? (It's from Monday to Wednesday)

Thanks in advance!

Hey Guys,

It's my first time visiting, and I was thinking of bringing my roadbike to yosemite (dont have a car :( ), I plan to stay near the midpines area and take the YARTS to enter the valley and plan to spend a week in Yosemite.

- Is it common to use road-bikes in the valley and on the roads to visit the other sections?

- Does YARTS allow you to bring your road-bike with you? Or do I need to disassemble it always

- Can we park our bikes near trail heads/ how do people usually secure their bike if they're near the trailheads do they lock it to a tree ? :)

- Are there cheaper places to stay inside the valley or closer than midpines that I should consider, because it takes ~ 1.5 hours to reach the valley everyday.

- any trail recommendations and things to keep in mind? :)

Any other comments and recommendations are welcome!

Hi! We’re planning to visit Yosemite in January as part of a little road trip, but we’re wondering whether it’s really worth visiting during winter, considering that many roads are closed. I’ve seen quite a few people mentioning dangerous driving conditions and other challenges, so we’re a little concerned.

We’d love to know whether there are still beautiful places to see and enjoy in the park during January, or whether the road closures make the experience too limited. Would you recommend visiting at that time of year?

This is a rant and possibly a call to seemingly an unspoken problem of Yosemite.

I just spent a couple days backpacking from Tuolumne Meadows to the valley floor on the Cathedral Lakes trail, summiting Clouds Rest and Half Dome in the process. Just an amazing trip. Some of the most stunning areas, rare but great interactions, as well as that oozing calm of being by yourself deep in the mountains except for one glaring issue - the nonstop noise pollution of air traffic.

How is it acceptable to have a place of such prestige be ruined by the buzz of planes flying overhead? It was always one after another, from pre daybreak, well into the night. I couldn’t tell you a time on my 3 day hike where I wasn’t constantly being disturbed by a constant hum of jet planes. This place is suppose to be tranquil, pristine, and isolated. Now I’ve done plenty of trips in more desolate areas of the Sierras where this isn’t a concern, but to dedicate such a large area of land to preservation and conservation to only be ruined by the highway in the skies is beyond me.

I understand this isn’t the parks doing. My question is how was the flight path going directly through the center of the park was accepted in the first place? I know it’s about plane fuel efficiency, but how much impact would there be if we pushed the flight path 100 miles north or south of the center of the park? I would argue this practice should be standard for every NP in the country.

I’d love to hear from other people who spend time in the Yosemite backcountry who have also noticed this. Has it put a damper on your trip before? Can we do anything to mitigate the noise pollution? Is it just me, a solo backpacker, that is disturbed this? Please let me know your thoughts!

steps off soapbox

Intense and humbling experience for a novice hiker like myself 😳

Tried Mt. Dana - threw in the towel at 11,600 ft. Altitude got to me.

Made it near the base of the cathedral peak summit. Hung out there for a bit while our friend climbed to the actual peak :)

Hello! I’m a CPA from SoCal doing my first solo camping trip and looking for a bud to hike with while I’ll be in Yosemite this weekend!

I’m into:
-Hobbyist coding and game development
-Books! Currently reading Harry Potter for the first time
-EV’s (planning to camp in my Tesla)
-and of course hiking :D

If you don’t have a campsite yet you’d be welcome to share mine as a I’ll be sleeping in my Tesla and not using the tent space!

Please feel free to comment or DM me if interested!

First time out west (Ohio native) and I spent 11 days in California, first 3 days at Sequoia/Kings. Then spent the night and full day at Pinnacles. Finally I spent 7 days in Yosemite. This trip was perfect, from weather to the hikes and I figured I would share some of the pics and experiences I got as a solo camper (31M). I spent my first day exploring the high country on a hike down to north dome from porcupine creek. I then spent the afternoon exploring olmstead point and Tenaya Lake, finally settling at porcupine flat campground for the night. The next day I drove to the valley, stopping at the Tuolumne grove, then explored Yosemite Village, the exploration center and museums were definitely all cool stops. I picked up my Happy Isles to LYV wilderness permit. I stayed the night before at the backpackers camp in the valley, and had an awesome chat with the camp hostess. I left for LYV after 3pm so that I could hike up the mist trail and it was BRUTAL. Definitely a fun, but challenging hike. After attempting half dome (failed about 3/4 of the way up subdome due to a debilitating fear of heights). I regret it somewhat, but I know I have the physical ability, and hopefully will be able to attempt it again with a friend to help me get through the mental battle. My failure was immediately cheered up, however, on the hike down. About 1.5 miles outside of LYV I saw a bobcat 40 feet from the trail, walking parallel to me, absolutely stunning. Then about 1/2 a mile later a saw a momma bear and her cub! Also right off the side of the trail. The following day I hiked back down the JMT to the valley to stay at my campsite at the upper pines for the next 3 nights. I then took a day walking and exploring the meadows and curry village. I hiked the 4MT and spent the afternoon watching climbers at El Capitan and other rock formations, learning so much from the climbers that had come from all over to climb at the “Mecca”. I then spent my last day going to Hetch Hetchy and hiking to the Wapama falls. Overall it was an awesome, unforgettable trip, and I can’t wait to go back!