fun things to do with kids in yosemite california - family travel    
  Travel for Kids
  | California | High Sierra
     
    Yosemite National Park
Sunset in Yosemite

The nature writer John Muir coined the phrase "Range of Light" for the Sierra Nevada mountains. Nowhere is this special quality more glorious than in Yosemite. Here the sparkling Merced River meanders through wildflower meadows, waterfalls break over granite cliffs into rainbow showers, and sheer rock walls catch fire in the last light of day. Whever you go in Yosemite with kids, you'll be amazed by its natural beauty.

To really know Yosemite National Park, plan excursions to the three main areas:

    Yosemite Valley
   

South Yosemite (Wawona, Mariposa Grove)

   

North Yosemite (Tuolumne Meadows)

  Tips for enjoying Yosemite

Sunscreen and hats – Days in Yosemite are usually sunny and can get hot in summer, so it's easy to get a sunburn, especially while rafting. Slather on the sunscreen on the kids and wear hats or baseball caps.

Drinking water – Even on a short hike, bring water bottles with you. In the dry, warm air in Yosemite, it's easy to get dehydrated, so drink plenty of water. The streams in Yosemite look pristine, but don't drink from the streams.

Footwear – Don't short-change yourself. Once you start up the trail in Yosemite, you won't want to turn back soon – there's another gorgeous view at every turn. Make sure everyone has comfortable shoes. Closed toes are best. Flip flops and plastic sandals are okay on paved paths, but not on dirt trails.

Mosquito repellent – In early summer the meadows are wet and the mosquitoes can be annoying. Mosquitoes also come out at twilight, so a good mosquito repellent is a "must have."

Don't feed the animals – The Western gray squirrels know they're cute, and will even pose for you, but don't feed them. At lunch time, chubby marmots (they look like furry carpet slippers) will magically appear from the shade in the rocks, but don't share your lunch. Chips and snacks are bad for many of the animals here – feed them people food and they can end up dead.
Bears – The bears in Yosemite are wild, but are conditioned to people. If you leave food in a cooler or in your car, the bears figure you brought it for them! Don't leave any food in your car. There are bear-proof storage lockers at Curry Village and parking lots throughout the park where you stash stuff, or you can rent bear canisters.
      Don't get close to bears for a cute photo – a mother bear that thinks her cub is threatened is a dangerous animal and all you have to do is stand between a mama and her cub to be on her bad list. A better memento is to buy one of the adorable stuffed "black" bears at the Happy Isles Nature Center – the profits go to buy bear canisters.
family hotels yosemite
Travel for Kids has so many fun things to do with kids in Yosemite National Park, but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels for Yosemite, all styles and price ranges, in areas inside or convenient to the national park:

Yosemite family hotels
family tours yosemite california

Yosemite will knock your socks off, it's just so spectacular, but if this is your first time in the High Sierra, you might not want to be John Muir, roughing it on your own. Book a tour that specializes in multi-sport trips for families, they'll provide everything you'll need for a great trip:

    Backroads
kids books yosemite california
     
Sierra - kids books Yosemite  
Sierra
Diane Siebert, Wendell Minor

Poem and stunning illustrations bring to light the Sierra Nevada – glacier-carved granite rocks, majestic sequoias, graceful deer, big black bears, clear streams and alpine lakes, the wide-open high country. "I am the mountain, tall and grand. And like a sentinel I stand." (Picture book)

 

     
Two Bear Cubs
Robert D. San Souci, Daniel San Souci

Charming retelling of a Miwok legend, two playful bear cubs wander off into Yosemite Valley. While they are napping on a big flat rock, the rock grows taller and taller, and the cubs are lost from view. Fabulous illustrations. (Picture book)

 

 
Two Bear Cubs - kids books Yosemite
     
John Muir - kids books Yosemite  
John Muir
Thomas Locker

John Muir was herding sheep in the high mountains when he first saw Yosemite Valley, and was so enchanted, he made Yosemite his home. Muir explored the mountains, observed the wildlife, plants and trees, and helped to create the national park. This is his story. (Picture book)

 

     
Squirrel and John Muir
Emily Arnold McCully

Delightful tale of a little girl, Floy Hutchings (nickname "Squirrel"), growing up in Yosemite Valley. Along with John Muir, Squirrel hikes in the mountains, searching for glacier trails, and listening to the sound of snowflakes falling on the ground and the trees singing in the wind. (Picture book)

 

 
Squirrel and John Muir - kids books Yosemite
     
The Tree of Time - kids books Yosemite  
The Tree of Time
Kathy Baron

Before you visit the Mariposa Grove, walk through time as a little tree sprouts in the time of the Romans, grows taller and bigger through the centuries, and is still growing when the pilgrims land on the shore of America. Illustrations and homey details bring the giant sequoias to life.
(Picture book)

 

     
Forest Bright, Forest Night
Jennifer Ward, Jamichael Henterly

While bear cubs play in the daylight, porcupines snooze in the forest. Meet daytime forest animals, then flip the book over to see forest animals after the sun sets. In each ingenious illustration, look for the animal that sleeps while the other is awake.
(Picture book)

Also comes as a board book.

 

 
Forest Bright, Forest Night
     
Easy Day Hikes in Yosemite  

Guide to 20 hikes in Yosemite, ideal for families. Detailed hike descriptions, maps, trail difficulty, and what you'll see along the way. (Guidebook)

 

     
Yosemite Fun Book
Michael Elsohn Ross

Maps, games, puzzles, riddles, campfire song, activities to do Yosemite, and lots of pages to color. (Activity book)

 

 
Yosemite Fun Book
(More children's books on other California pages)