I was worried about massive crowds and delays on my first trip to a national park, but here's why I already want to go back to Yosemite
Sarah Jackson  Â
- I recently went to a national park for the first time on a short day trip.
- I expected there'd be long lines and huge crowds, as many national parks have seen this summer.
- I was pleasantly surprised by how my experience actually turned out, and I can't wait to go back.
National parks have seen some huge spikes in visitation this summer as many Americans are itching to get outside after a year spent mostly indoors. I've wanted to go to a national park for a while now, and a combination of this stir-crazy feeling and a curiosity for whether the parks would actually be that crowded ultimately led me to visit.
I ended up going to Yosemite National Park for a quick day trip, and the visit completely defied my expectations. Here's what I saw, and why I already can't wait to go back:
I took a bus to get to and from Yosemite.
I didn't buy a ticket beforehand, so I was worried it'd be too crowded for me to a get a walk-on seat, but it was actually practically empty when I boarded.
We made several stops along the way.
Although there weren't many passengers in the beginning, the bus became nearly full after we picked up the last group of people on the way there.
As we approached the park entrance around 9am, the bus driver warned us that there could be a pretty big line.
The National Park Service says people visiting Yosemite in the summer should be prepared for "delays of an hour or more at entrance stations."
To my great surprise, and our driver's, there were only two other vehicles besides our bus at the entrance stations.
It was a smoky day, however, so that could have deterred some visitors. Either way, I was relieved that the line I worried would take an hour to get through ended up taking less than a minute.
Our drive through the park continued for a little while longer before we arrived at our stop.
At around 10am, we reached our stop: Yosemite Village.
The Visitor Center and Theater was closed because of COVID-19.
Instead, park rangers and volunteers staffed outdoor kiosks for those seeking visitor information.
The park shuttles that are typically available aren't in operation this summer due to a "lack of staffing," according to the National Park Service website.
A sign near the visitor center showed walking and biking routes throughout the park to take instead.
A board near the visitor center also had information about what other services were reduced or unavailable due to COVID-19 and what services remained open.
After quickly scanning the route map and park information materials, I got on the path headed to Yosemite Falls.
Visitors can choose to follow a trail to either Lower Yosemite Falls or Upper Yosemite Falls. I chose the lower falls.
There were plenty of clearings along the way where you could catch a glimpse of the falls in the distance.
In some stretches of the path, there weren't any other visitors within earshot. Seeing the park's natural beauty in this quiet stillness was very serene.
By this point in the day, the only real crowd I had seen was a small group of people stopping to look at two deer.
Crowds remained scarce when I was still relatively far from the falls.
Because it was August, the falls had much less water than they do at their peak time of year.
The falls typically peak in late spring and dry up in late summer, according to the National Park Service website.
There were sizable crowds of people climbing the rocks at the base of the falls to get closer to the water for a better view.
After leaving the falls, I chose another trail nearby to follow.
This trail was much less crowded. Again, the peaceful silence made the beautiful views seem even more majestic.
Around noon, I headed to the Village Store and the neighboring Village Grill for some cheesy souvenirs - and even cheesier food.
Crowds in the store and grill were the biggest I had seen all day but still bearable.
Tables were mostly occupied in the main area of the grill's outdoor seating deck, but there were a few empty tables in a smaller section of the deck on the side of the building.
After lunch, I went to visit the Ahwahnee Hotel.
The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in honor of its famed architecture.
It cost $1.25 million to build and opened to visitors in 1927.
I particularly liked this beautiful mural in the aptly-named Mural Room.
The architect who designed the hotel, Gilbert Stanley Underwood, also designed Yosemite's post office.
Construction of the post office finished in 1925.
I also passed the Ansel Adams Gallery, which features work from the legendary photographer, as well as books, handcrafted items, and more.
The gallery has been run by Adams' family since it opened in 1902, according to its website.
The park also has a library.
The small building is a branch of the Mariposa County Library.
Overall, I considered the trip a great success.
I got one last photo of the park on the bus ride going back home, capturing Yosemite's iconic tunnel view.
It was a smoky day, so the photo came out a little hazy, but the beauty of the sunset over the valley and everything else I had seen at the park that day helped make up for some of that.
Since this was my first time going to a national park, I wasn't sure how my visit would pan out. I went into it knowing I wouldn't be able to check off everything I wanted to see at Yosemite since I would only be there for a few hours. Bearing this in mind, I was incredibly pleased with my visit.
I was pleasantly surprised that there weren't outrageous lines to get in or huge crowds throughout the park. Even though I knew there would be breathtaking views, I was still blown away by just how majestic and awe-inspiring every single view was, no matter where I looked.
I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Yosemite. Hopefully then it won't be as smoky. But even if it is, I'm sure it'll be beautiful nonetheless.
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