Venturing to Yosemite During the Shutdown

We’d been planning our California National Parks sweep for months and, although we were delayed heading south between waiting for cooler weather and catching up with friends, we still planned to visit what we could.

When the weather went from insanely hot to snow at higher elevations, we knew we may have missed our window for some, especially finding out that many of the dispersed camping shut down after October 1 and when freezing weather hit–and we were just making our way there in mid-October.

Always ready to pivot, especially since we don’t make a lot of solid plans, we eliminated some destinations and modified others.

Our travels meant we were visiting Yosemite National Park on a Saturday–something we try not to do, but couldn’t be avoided with our timeline. Knowing it was shutdown, we came prepared to be self-sufficient, pack out what we packed in, and even brought trash bags and clean up items, should we find the park in disarray–we were not only NOT going to be those people, but we planned to leave it better than we found it.

It was busier than we expected for October, even on a weekend, but everyone was well-behaved, and we even overheard some comment that they weren’t doing anything stupid with so many people present. We saw only a ranger or two the whole time and heard tales of some crazy behavior that we didn’t see.

We used our Shaka guide app to tell us stories and guide us around the park, stopping at beautiful sites like El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Tunnel View, where you can see them all. The varied elevation meant seeing fall foliage as we entered the park, as well as places where the snow from the week before had not yet melted.

While the visitors center and many restrooms were closed, pit toilets were open, as well as the Lodge since it is run by a third party. We had packed a picnic lunch in anticipation of no services, but this allowed us a stop for some souvenirs and snacks. I was shocked to not find a single Yosemite Sam item in the shop–it was on my approved impulse purchases list!

As the afternoon ticked by, the crowds became larger, so we called it a day, even with things still on our wish list, and headed back to camp, and to Luna.

We made note of a couple of hiking trails we hoped to return to, so check out the next blog for that adventure when things went sideways and we were glad for our hiking pack! Check out the last blog Switchbacks to Yosemite to find out more about where we stayed and the drive up–it’s crazy!

Check out our RESOURCES
Our Travel Planner an easy to carry resource for all your RV needs
Free Printables Page helpful tools and resources for travel and organization
Our Savings Page referral links to savings with brands we love (our links get us referral credit)
Our Travel Map links to blogs for places to see and stay
The Essential Guide to RV Life to prepare, live and transition through RV life (digital & printed)
Amazon Store Amazon products we use or have tested for life, RVing, homeschool and travel
About Us Our Story, our WHY, and where to find us

Thanks for being here, we’ll see you out there!