The Ultimate Guide to Yosemite National Park

Some tips for visiting Yosemite: -Park at a visitor center and hop on a free shuttle bus that will take you around the park. It'll save you time, gas (which can be mind-bogglingly expensive the closer you get to the park), and effort, and you can relax and enjoy the views rather than worry about the traffic. -Cell service can be spotty-- don't rely on getting a signal for maps/directions, communicating with pals, or posting that epic shot of Glacier Point. Pack a paper map, just in case. -Since you're in a valley, things will be a little cooler than you might expect. Even in the summer, you might want to pack a sweatshirt along with your shades and sunscreen.

Isn't it nice when the best views in the park are easy and convenient to access? Right off the road, you'll find another one of Yosemite's iconic lookouts: Tunnel View. But just because it's easy to reach doesn't make it any less impressive. Seriously, it's one of those places you have to see to believe.

Bridalveil Fall is a year-round feature of the park, and is one of the more popular waterfalls in Yosemite. You can hike to it, or appreciate it from afar. However, it's totally worth the hike, since the Ahwahneechee tribe, who lived in the valley, believed that inhaling its mist would improve your chances of marriage. Then again, they also reportedly believed that those leaving the valley couldn't look directly into them, lest they be cursed by the demon guarding the valley.

One of the most famous climbs in all of America, El Capitan is a notorious cliff that's even more imposing up close. It was once considered an impossible climb, but today, there are tons of named routes up the face. If you aren't much for tackling heights like that, it's just as fun to watch the climbers from afar.

Yosemite Falls offers yet another iconic view. The park's tallest and most imposing waterfall (and the 6th tallest in the world) is actually made of three drops, each more powerful than the last. It's at its peak in the spring when snow melt and rain swell the flow. You can see it from all over the park, but hiking up to it really highlights how massive it is.

Half Dome is one of the park's most challenging hikes, but it requires no actual climbing skills and should be well-marked enough for older kids to complete. It's 17 miles and part of it involves helping yourself along with wooden planks and metal cables. You'll also need a permit. Otherwise, watching hikers make the final ascent from the meadow below is almost as intense.

Set off to see some waterfalls on the lovely Mist Trail. You'll find that it's at its most misty (we're talking rain gear-level misty) in the spring. There's a three mile loop (which takes you to Vernal Fall) and a seven mile loop (which goes on to take you to the top of Nevada Falls). If you have the time and the energy, do the whole thing, though, because it's truly an incredible view.

Nevada Falls is one truly epic waterfall. It's almost 600 feet tall, and in the spring, you can feel how powerful it is. Mist Trail and the trail to Half Dome cross the top of the falls, and the Mist Trail offers loads of great views of the falls along the way.