Fun Things To Do in Yosemite National Park

While contemplative meditation on the natural world is what some visitors are seeking, there are many fun things to do in Yosemite. The numbers of people who consider Yosemite a fun family place for a barbeque, somewhere to hike with buddies, a honeymoon destination, somewhere to get better at skiing, etc. tell you that lots of fun can be had here while enjoying the national park.

For some folks it's downtown entertainment that's the most fun. The summertime Yosemite Theater puts on an excellent performance every night near the Visitor Center. The Mountain Room Bar at the Yosemite Lodge has long been a destination for 'nocturnal wildlife.' Evening ranger programs around a campfire are a classic American summer tradition.

During the daytime, you can't go wrong with a ranger walk given by a knowledgeable interpretive ranger in the Smokey Bear hat. Rangers also now provide top-quality narration on the Valley Floor Tram Tours - a two-hour, informative loop of Yosemite Valley in an open-air tram that provides great rolling views of the immense cliffs. A different sort of ranger drives the stagecoach at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center during the summer; get your tickets at the old Wells Fargo office and roll back the years to an earlier mountain experience of trail dust, a covered bridge and a strong team of horses.

Rent a raft at Curry Village and float the Merced River the length of Yosemite Valley; it's a unique way to see the heights from the water level. Or real whitewater rafting is found just downstream of the park during May and June.

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