Orientation to Yosemite National Park

Can I say a lot of people?  I do mean lots.  Saturday we drove into Yosemite National Park to get information on where and what to see, knowing that it was a weekend and therefore would be more people visiting.  Line up about 30 cars deep to get into the park at the ranger station, line up traveling the road up and down, mostly up to 7000 feet elevation and passing trough a tunnel to spectacular views of Yosemite Valley (did I say people?) where the viewing area was packed with buses and cars, jammed into the lots, down the road and parked precariously on the narrow steep road.  No, we did not stop, I was taking pictures on the fly but will come back to the area some other day, during the week.

Stopped about 1/2 mile from entrance

Tunnel - why do people have to honk while in one??

View as soon as we came out of tunnel - Half Dome in background

And Bridalveil Falls to right after coming out of tunnel

And cars, lots of cars 

Got down to the visitors center, which we believe the park did right - no cars are allowed near the village.  All the different shops, museums, visitors center, lodge, restaurants, rental bike area, backpacker permit area are all in the village and you can only get there by walking/bicycling or taking the shuttle from the parking lot area. And there are so many visitors that the pathway to walk to the visitors center has a yellow line to keep people on their side of the road.  Amazing.  Behind the visitors center is the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yosemite.  Again, just took pictures on the fly and will come back another day.

Upper Yosemite Falls

Upper Yosemite Falls from visitors center

Divided pedestrian walkway - yep, that many people

Very pretty drive to Yosemite Village

One thing that was awful - the fires of the past years - The Rim Fire, The El Portal Fire, The Bridalveil Fire, The Tenaya Fire - all have left devastating destruction.  As we passed along the road in some of the areas you could still smell the fire.  The Mariposa Grove where there are Sequoia trees was burnt and that area is closed for restoration.

Devastation from fire

Saw two really good movies at the visitors center, was able to talk with a ranger who broke out each area of the park with sites to see and walks to do.  The eastern entrance, the Tioga Pass which is still closed, is still snow covered and not sure when it will open.  So, that area of the park won't be visited.

Traffic

And more traffic (this was jammed up for about 15 minutes

Really turned off by the amount of people - and it's not 'in season' yet!

We left the park by 1:30 and got caught in a huge traffic jam.  People trying to find a parking spot to walk to Bridalveil falls.  Some real idiots driving around!  And to see big RVs trying to find a spot - what were they thinking?  Yosemite Valley has a bus loop for those folks who want to park their car and you can jump on and off at numerous sites to see without having to find a parking spot.  Good plan.

Bridalveil Falls from the car (no parking spots at all)