Yosemite for Families

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” -John Muir

We have always wanted to take our family to Yosemite, but wanted to wait until they were at an age where they were able to do walks/hikes without a stroller. The kids are now 6 and 8 and after talking to other families they assured us they were at a great age to explore. We also wanted them to be able to ride a bike without training wheels so we could go bike riding throughout the valley.  The timing was perfect when our daughter chose to take off her training wheels a few months ago. In this blog post you will find out where to stay, where to hike and bike AND what to bring to Yosemite for families. Yosemite will require Day-Use Reservations: May 21 to September 30, 2021 click HERE for more on that.

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Where to stay:

We were hosted by Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite for two of our three nights in Yosemite and here are some of the great things that we loved about staying at this location. There were a few things still closed due to COVID, like the agility course, archery and spa, so we are looking forward to going back again in the future to have even more fun. Summer activities including bike rentals will be open again over Memorial Day weekend.

*Multiple room options: There are 3 different room options at Tenaya Lodge. If you want to stay near the main lobby and pools, then they have rooms for you there. If you would like a view of the creek and a little more privacy, then you may want to consider your own cabin. Or maybe you want your own house? They have the cottages as an option as well.

Upon check-in, they give each child a tree sapling to take home to plant, which is so sweet. We were hosted in one of their cabins and loved hearing the sounds of the creek each day. Each cabin has a nice size kitchenette with fridge and microwave. There is a living room with a fireplace, two bedrooms and a bathroom. We also loved the fire pits around the grounds to roast marshmallows (which they usually supply in “non-COVID” times).

Some cabins have bunk beds, ours had a queen size bed for the kids to share. I believe the couch in the living room also folds out into a bed.

Off the master bedroom was a charming balcony overlooking the creek that offered a beautiful view. You do have to request this view since not all of the cabins are this close to the water.

*Walking Trails: Right down from the cabins is an “Explorer Trail” that is perfect to walk around, let the kids play, sit and relax. In the summer months, I’m told kids actually go in the water, but it was much too cold while we were there.

There is also a hike from the hotel that we ran out of time to do, but I heard it is great for young kids because it is not too long and the path is stroller-friendly. Right next to Tenaya Lodge is the Mariposa Grove with Giant Sequoia tree’s. Unfortunately, right now because of a major wind storm the grove is closed, but they are hoping to get it cleaned up and ready for guests again soon.

*Pools: There are two pool areas, one indoor (perfect for the colder months) and one outdoor. There are 3 outdoor pools; a large pool, a splash pad and multiple hot tubs (which were not yet re-opened since COVID, but should be soon). The indoor location also had a movie projector which showed a movie each night around 6pm.

*Restaurants: There is a place called Jackalopes which serves a nice breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner. We ate there for both breakfast and dinner.  I think my favorite item was the tomato soup, perfect on a chilly day. You can dine inside or out on the patio, which has a few fire pits to add to the ambiance.

They also have a quick self-serve pantry called “Harvest & Grounds” that has a few food items you could pack on a picnic. Next door to the cottages is a pizza parlor called “Timberloft Pizzeria” that is taking to-go orders only, and hours seem to be limited, but we were able to pick up some pizza and swim at the pool. There was a gluten-free pizza option, which I really appreciated.

*Game Room: The kids loved going to the game room after swimming to play pool, foosball, shuffleboard and just hang out. There are couches and even a TV to play movies.

*Open Air Bus Tour: Tenaya Lodge offers an open-air bus tour, which is an additional fee and not cheap, BUT if it is your first time to Yosemite I HIGHLY SUGGEST doing it! It is an all-day tour that picks you up at the lobby of the hotel with an experienced tour guide who know’s everything about the Yosemite National Forest. They take you to the best spots in Yosemite and you really get to enjoy the day not worrying about driving/parking, where to go, how to get there, or what you are seeing. We made 6 stops throughout the day and they do include a picnic lunch, which was a sandwich (gluten-free bread available), fruit, chips, cookie and bottled water.

First Stop: Wawona Covered Bridge. The rushing river below and tall tree’s make this a perfect first stop.

Second Stop: Tunnel View. As soon as you go through the main tunnel, heading into the Yosemite Valley, you are immersed into the beauty of Yosemite. With a view of Half Dome and El Capitan, this view never gets old! Make sure to get out and take some photos at this iconic spot!

Third Stop: Bridalviel Falls. The Bridalveil Falls Trail is currently closed, but you can still get a great look at the falls from the main road.

Fourth Stop: Sentinel Bridge with view of Half Dome. This was a quick stop, but worth it to get that beautiful photo!

Fifth Stop & Lunch: Yosemite Falls. The path for Lower Yosemite Falls is a perfect walk for young families! Stroller friendly, paved path, no big hills to climb, not too long. I highly recommend this for all ages!

Sixth & Final Stop: Yosemite Valley View. Another quick stop, but might have been my favorite view of the valley for the day! So serene with the water and views of both Half Dome and El Capitan. SO PRETTY!

Where to hike with super young kids:

I already mentioned it above, but *Lower Yosemite Falls is a super great walk for young kids! Stroller friendly and easy to do!

*Glacier Point: Another easy walk with a beautiful view. Paved paths, great look-out points, a perfect place to sit and have a snack. It is not open year round, in fact, the road to get to Glacier Point opened the second day we got there! So, if you are planning a trip in the winter months, this may not be an option for you.

Where to hike with slightly older kids:

*Sentinel Dome: is about 1.1 miles one way that is fairly easy, until the very end. Some steeper terrain and not stroller-friendly. But the view from the top is totally worth it. What made our journey a bit more difficult was that there was still snow at the top of the peak.  This created some slippery and muddy conditions as we reached the summit.  I would imagine by the end of May it would be much better. The road to get to Sentinel Dome is the same road as Glacier Point, so this trail is not open in the winter.

*Mist Trail: Park at the Trail Head Parking Lot to the east of the Yosemite Valley. Walk east to the Happy Isles Bridge. From there, you will be at the trailhead that will take you to the Vernal Falls Bridge and Mist Trail. The first part of the hike is GORGEOUS and not too difficult, but not stroller-friendly. It is approximately 2.3 miles to the Vernal Falls Bridge (one way), which is a good stopping point if you have very young kids.

If you are up for a major challenge, then don’t turn around and keep going to the top of Vernal Falls along the Mist Trail. The last 0.3 miles is VERY DIFFICULT because it is wet and steep. You will be walking up rocky steps that are adjacent to the Vernal Falls and covered by the mist from the turbulent waters.  The only way we got to the top was because my husband helped lift us over puddles and kept us going so we had no option to turn back.;) I suggest rain ponchos and hiking boots that don’t get wet.

On the way back, the kids were feeling very hesitant to go down the same slippery steps we came up, so we opted to take the John Muir Trail down. It was very pretty with great sights, BUT it added another 2 miles to our hike! The return trip along the John Muir Trail to the Trail Head Parking Lot was 4.6 miles…SO roundtrip with the Mist Trail up and the John Muir Trail down we walked over 7 miles. Our kids are 6 and 8 and did extremely well, but I would not recommend this exact route for anyone younger or anyone who has an extreme fear of heights.

Where to bike: This was MY favorite part of the trip. I LOVE to ride my bike, take in the sights and smells of everything around me, especially in a place like Yosemite. You can rent bikes in the valley, there were a few different locations, but we decided just to bring our own. If you do rent, I would bring your own helmets for the kids. We parked near the Yosemite Valley Lodge and just started riding. There are a few boardwalks that you can ride right over the valley floor and it is absolutely stunning!

What to bring: Here is what we learned, restaurants are VERY LIMITED once you are in and around Yosemite. You can’t just stop at In-n-Out and grab a burger. There is ONE market in the valley, ONE cafeteria at the Yosemite Valley Lodge and ONE restaurant at the Ahwahnee Hotel (which is worth a look since it is known to be the hotel that the Grand Californian is built after).  I already listed the places to eat when you are at Tenaya Lodge, plus there is a small market near the hotel as well, but, in hindsight I would have brought our own blender to make smoothies before heading out in the morning, or after returning home from a long hike. Pack lots of food and snacks for picnic lunches!! 

We also bought each member of the family their own water backpack. I tried four different kinds for the kids, but in the end our favorite was the Camelbak brand. For the adults I found one on Amazon that worked fine and gave me some extra storage for a few granola bars.

For Adults:

For Kids:

I suggest bringing ponchos and possibly some good hiking boots instead of tennis shoes if you plan to do the Mist Trail.

I also bought us some Yosemite shirts to wear one day while we were there. This is obviously not a necessity, but cute!;)

If you have someone in your family that gets car sick on winding roads, you are gonna want to bring something for them. The road to get to Tenaya Lodge and the road to get into the Yosemite Valley are very twisty and could leave a person feeling sick. It takes an hour to get from Tenaya Lodge into the valley, so it is a lot of driving back and forth. I would suggest breaking up the trip; one day in the valley, one day just at the hotel doing all the activities, hikes and pools, then one more day in the valley.

I hope you found all of this information helpful if you are considering or currently planning a trip to Yosemite. If you have any questions please leave them below!:) If you are looking for more places to explore, check out the rest of our TRAVEL section.