📍 Yosemite National Park, California | May 20 | Day 6

If you know me, you know two things: I love to hike, and National Parks have this way of resetting everything. So when Day 6 landed on Yosemite, I was ready.

My first introduction to Yosemite was through the documentary Free Solo — the National Geographic film (now on Netflix) where Alex Honnold climbs El Capitan’s 3,000-foot granite wall with no ropes, no safety gear, nothing but his hands and his mind. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2019. Knowing that context made seeing El Capitan in person feel surreal. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

🎟️ The America’s Beautiful Pass — What You Need to Know in 2026

One thing worth knowing before you visit any U.S. National Park as a non-resident: as of January 1, 2026, the America the Beautiful Annual Pass costs $250 (PHP15,281) for non-U.S. residents, up from the previous $80 (PHP4,890) flat rate that applied to everyone. For U.S. residents, it’s still $80 (PHP4,890).

We had bought our passes before the price change kicked in, which saved us a significant amount. Smart move — if you’re planning a multi-park trip, that $250 (PHP15,281) pass still covers you for 12 months at over 2,000 federal recreation sites, so it’s genuinely worth it if you’re visiting more than one park.

Also worth knowing: if you’re traveling in the same vehicle as a U.S. resident who has the pass, you’re covered under their pass. We weren’t aware of this rule on our first visit and didn’t take advantage of it — lesson learned for everyone else.

🚗 Getting There: General Store Stop & Gas

We left the motel, grabbed breakfast on the way, and stopped at the Yosemite Valley General Store before entering the park. It’s massive — fully stocked with Yosemite souvenirs, snacks, and essentials. Clean restrooms too, which is always worth noting when you’re road-tripping. We filled up at the Valero nearby before heading to the entrance.

At the gate, we presented the pass and drove right in. Which brings me to another 2026 update worth mentioning:

Yosemite eliminated its timed-entry reservation system for 2026. The NPS announced the change in February 2026 after evaluating 2025 traffic data. You no longer need to book a vehicle reservation in advance — you can just show up.

The catch? Visitor numbers have surged as a result — about 225,000 people visited in March 2026 alone, a 45% increase over March 2025. If you’re visiting on a summer weekend, arrive early. Parking lots were filling up by 11am on the first major weekend of the season.

🌊 Bridalveil Fall — First Stop, First Waterfall

The first thing you see when entering Yosemite Valley is Bridalveil Fall — a 620-foot single-drop waterfall framed by Cathedral Rocks. The trail to the base is only 0.5 miles round-trip and takes about 20–30 minutes. Very accessible, paved all the way to the viewpoint.

We didn’t do the full hike — more of a sightseeing stop — but even from the trailhead, the views stopped us in our tracks. In May, snowmelt has the waterfall at near-peak flow, so expect mist. The Ahwahneechee people called this waterfall Pohono and believed the mist would bring good fortune in marriage. Make of that what you will.

Pro tip: visit in the late afternoon if you want the best light for photos. The valley walls block morning sun on this side.

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El Capitan — The One That Started It All

We made our way to the El Capitan viewpoint area — and nothing could have prepared me for the actual scale of it.

El Capitan is the world’s largest granite monolith. It rises 3,000 feet from the valley floor — 2.5 times taller than the Empire State Building, more than three times taller than the Eiffel Tower. Its sheer, nearly vertical face is composed of pale granite that formed from slowly cooled magma deep underground, then carved by glaciers over millions of years.

Standing at the meadow looking up at it, knowing Honnold climbed that entire face — alone, no ropes, one mistake away from death — is a completely different feeling than watching it in a documentary. I just stood there for a while.

Swinging Bridge & Tunnel View

After El Capitan we passed through the Swinging Bridge Picnic Area, a lovely, relaxed stretch along the Merced River where people were biking, picnicking, and just soaking it all in. Very peaceful energy.

Then we stopped at Tunnel View — the famous overlook just east of the Wawona Tunnel where you get that jaw-dropping first panorama of Yosemite Valley. El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, and Half Dome dead center in the distance. It’s the postcard shot, and it earns every bit of the hype.

🍔 Lunch at Yosemite Valley Lodge Food Court

By 2pm we were exhausted and starving. We headed to the Yosemite Valley Lodge food court — a large, open hall with multiple food kiosks. Efficient and practical. I ordered a burger and soda for nearly $20 (around ₱1,228).

The burger… let’s just say it was humble. One leaf of lettuce, one slice of pickle, one tomato, one ring of onion. That’s the whole situation. But when you’re deep inside a national park with limited options and limited energy, you eat what’s there. Service was fast, at least.

Inside the same building: a Starbucks with Yosemite-themed tumblers. Genuinely nice souvenirs if you collect those. Noted for future reference.

📚 The Accidental Bookstore Find (My Favorite Kind)

We stopped at Old Mill Village in Mariposa, just outside the park, to grab medicine for my travel companion Malen at CVS. While she rested, I wandered off looking for a restroom and stumbled onto Raven & Pines Bookstore.

I picked up a copy of Pride and Prejudice and a California postcard. And yes — they had a restroom. Double win.

I have this habit now that started in Nepal: whenever I travel, I buy a book and write on the first page — where I was, how I felt, what the day looked like. It’s become a kind of memento, a way of marking the moment in something physical. I don’t specifically seek out bookstores. They just find me. And somehow that makes it even better.

🏨 Accommodation: Motel 6, Fresno

Check-in 4:00 PM

Check-out 11:00 AM

Cost $67.21 USD (~₱4,160) for 2 pax

Probably the most challenging accommodation of the trip. There were cockroaches in the first room (small ones, but still). We asked to switch and the second room was considerably better. The area had a visible long-term resident population, which added to the uneasy feeling.

That said — the front desk staff were genuinely helpful. Sorted a broken keycard without fuss, and when the shower wasn’t working, the trick was simple: pull the stopper plug. Once we figured that out, we were fine. You just need to know what you’re getting at $33 per person per night in Fresno.

🍟 Late Night: Jack in the Box

Three-minute walk from the motel. Exactly what we needed.

I ordered a burger ($9) and a milkshake ($7) — $16 total (~₱980). The burger was juicy and satisfying. The fries were appetizing. And the milkshake was… not what I expected.

Jack in the Box milkshakes are famously, aggressively thick. More soft-serve-blended-into-a-cup than the thinner, sipable kind you might know from home. You basically eat it with the straw as a formality. Apparently this is a feature. Once I accepted that, it was actually pretty good.

Final Thoughts on Yosemite

Yosemite is one of those places that earns its reputation completely. It’s massive — so massive that you can drive through it, sightsee from your car, and still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface. Every turn reveals something new: a waterfall, a meadow, a granite wall that makes everything else look small.

If you’re planning a visit, my honest advice: come for more than a day. Wake up early to beat the parking crowds. And if you haven’t watched Free Solo yet, watch it before you go. Standing at the base of El Capitan hits completely differently when you know what happened there.

Until the next park, Sequioa National Park. 🏔️

Tags: Yosemite, National Parks, USA Road Trip, Travel Philippines, Hiking, El Capitan, Free Solo, Travel Journal, Fresno, California