I remember the moment I stepped foot in Yosemite National Park for the first time. The moment I sat on the edge of the Glacier Point Amphitheater, taking in the view of Half Dome rising toward the sky. The moment I walked up to the base of El Capitan and reached out to touch the cool granite wall towering 7,000+ feet above me. I remember all of these moments vividly because (collectively) it was my first experience of truly being in awe of nature – of noticing how simple yet complex it is, and how together, they create something beautiful.
A Love for Nature
I’ve always been someone who enjoyed spending time outdoors. Growing up in the midwest, I spent many summer days climbing trees in my backyard or playing in the woods surrounding my house.
As I got older though, my time outside started to dwindle. Tree forts were traded for timesheets and imaginative play was traded for routines and responsibilities. Sure, I would still spend time outside from time to time (afterall, I am a summer baby, and my need for sunshine runs deep), but the days of regularly spending long hours outdoors just because were gone.
It’s ironic to me too that the same time I was spending less time outdoors, I was also living in one of the most beautiful states in the U.S. I had unlimited access to nature practically in my backyard, but I wasn’t taking advantage of it or experiencing nature in the way that deep down I wanted.
Well, life has a funny way of giving you what you need at the right time. In 2020, the opportunity came to take a trip to Yosemite National Park with a group of friends. Over the span of three days we visited many different corners of the park, taking in some of the most stunning viewpoints it had to offer. Each was as beautiful as the one before it, yet distinctly different too. Those three days completely changed my experience with nature and, to this day, Yosemite remains one of my favorite national parks in the U.S.
Exploring Yosemite
It was October 2020. A group of friends and I had just spent an entire week in Utah exploring a few of the state’s five national parks (read more about that adventure here). Needless to say, I was already hyped up on Mother Nature and more than ready to check another national park off the list.
After our plane landed in San Francisco, we spent a morning in the city before making the 3 hour drive east. We had rented a cabin outside the national park in a town called Mariposa. If you’ve ever been to this side of Yosemite National Park, then you know there is just one winding road in and one winding road out.
We drove up and down that road multiple times a day, chauffeuring one of our friends who was there photographing for work. We would wake up in the early morning hours while it was still dark outside and drive into the park for sunrise, then drive home in the afternoon to take a nap before heading back into the park for a sunset adventure.
Back and forth 3 times a day for 3 days straight. Not gonna lie, that drive was longgg (so much so that it became a running joke among the group). Each time we entered the park though, its magic flooded over me and I excitedly looked forward to what new areas we would get to explore next.
Day 1
Our first stop after arriving in the park was Yosemite Falls. After exploring some of the nearby trails, we stopped at the visitor center before meandering throughout the park, taking time to stop at El Capitan Meadow. Not long before this trip I had watched the Free Solo documentary, so I wanted to see for myself what it felt like to stand at the base of El Cap and look up.
I walked up to the edge of the monolith and imaged that I was a rock climber. I attempted to find some sort of handhold…foothold…anything. I failed epicly, of course, and was all the more impressed by those who have managed to climb any portion of this cliff.
Our first full day came to a close with a sunset hike to Taft Point. As golden colors lit up the valley below, I soaked in the panoramic views all around and thought “Wow! I can’t believe places like this exist!”.
Day 2
The next morning the group woke up bright and early and we made our way back into the park. This time, we headed up toward Glacier Point.
Operating on very little sleep, I groggily rolled out of the car, but when I got to the edge of the parking lot and saw the view opening up before me, my eyes lit up!
If you’ve ever witnessed Half Dome for yourself, then you know what I’m talking about. Seeing one of the park’s most iconic features up that close is awe-inspiring, to say the least. It easily became one of my favorite views in the park.
That afternoon, we headed back to our cabin to rest and hang out with a few more friends who had come to join us.
Day 3
Our third and final day in the park was filled with new views and old. In the morning, we stopped at Tunnel View before exploring a new trail that none of us had ever hiked before. Though we were looking at the same valley we had been exploring all week, we were met with completely new views and perspectives.
At sunset we made our way up to Taft Point one last time. Despite having hiked the trail just a couple of days before, it seemed that there were still new things to notice this time around.
We left the park that night, tired and content. It had been a full week of exploring some of the best national parks in the U.S. and I was heading home with more than a few good memories. Not only had I just enjoyed an amazing week with some of my closest friends, but I had also rediscovered a part of myself. A part that loves the outdoors and looks to nature as a way to reconnect to myself and the world around me.
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