Over the previous few years, I’ve been in a position to expertise a few of America’s biggest nationwide parks. I’ve seen black bears within the Nice Smoky Mountains, discovered accessible mountaineering trails in Shenandoah, sat in awe of the Grand Canyon, rolled on the well-known Carriage Roads of Acadia Nationwide Park, and extra. However regardless of how unbelievable different nationwide parks are, nothing may have ready me for the great thing about wheelchair accessible Yosemite Nationwide Park. Indisputably, I can say that Yosemite Nationwide Park is without doubt one of the most beautiful locations I’ve ever visited. 

Lately, I stayed in Tuolumne County and was in a position to expertise Yosemite Nationwide Park, and extra of the county, over the course of a pair fun-filled days. From staying in a wheelchair accessible villa to rolling on accessible trails and even using by Yosemite on an open-air wheelchair-friendly tram, my time in Yosemite and the encircling space was distinctive and one thing I’ll always remember. 

In case you are interested by visiting Yosemite Nationwide Park as a wheelchair consumer, I’ve every little thing it’s worthwhile to know in my weblog put up beneath. I’ll begin by telling you all about wheelchair accessible Yosemite Nationwide Park sights and trails, after which I’ll speak about different accessible issues to do close to Yosemite, and at last I’ll let you know all about the place I stayed (severely, it was the most effective stays of my life!!). By the point you end studying this weblog, try to be absolutely ready to discover Yosemite as a wheelchair consumer!

Wheelchair Accessible Yosemite Nationwide Park

Whereas I used to be in Tuolumne County for just a few days, I had a couple of day and a half dedicated to exploring as a lot of Yosemite as I may. You can completely spend greater than at some point in Yosemite, and I’d really encourage planning just a few days for Yosemite as a result of the park is large, however I actually noticed the highlights and fell in love with Yosemite Nationwide Park within the 1.5 days that I had within the park. Let’s speak about how I made essentially the most of my time there! 

Yosemite will get extraordinarily busy throughout peak season (summer season), so discovering accessible parking spots will be difficult. That’s why I opted to make use of various transportation choices for getting out and in of the park. On the morning of our go to, my mother and I drove our accessible rental van to Rush Creek Lodge, which may be very near the park’s entrance. At Rush Creek Lodge, there’s a YARTS bus station. What does YARTS stand for, you ask? It’s the Yosemite Space Regional Transportation System and it may possibly take you into the park. 

All YARTS buses are wheelchair accessible with a carry and tie-downs to safe your chair. I’d advocate making a reservation on-line upfront of your go to although simply to make sure that you’re going to get the accessible spot if you happen to want it. You can also make a reservation on the YARTS web site right here. 

From Rush Creek Lodge’s YARTS bus station to Yosemite Valley Lodge, the place our Yosemite adventures began, it was about an hour and a half journey. The YARTS bus was actually comfy all through the whole journey although and I used to be in a position to soak up the wonderful views by the massive home windows. Alongside the journey, I noticed waterfalls, large mountains, and I used to be continuously looking out for wildlife. It was a lovely journey and I beloved that YARTS made it really easy for us to get into the park with out having to drive our accessible automobile! 

As soon as we arrived to Yosemite Valley Lodge, I exited the YARTS bus by way of the carry and it was time to start out our journey in Yosemite! Since we had a restricted period of time within the park, we determined to take a tour to see the highlights. Probably the most accessible, and most unusual, tour choices is the Yosemite Valley Flooring Tour. 

The Yosemite Valley Flooring Tour is 2 hours lengthy and takes place in an open-air tram in the course of the summer season season. The tram is wheelchair accessible with a carry, so I used to be in a position to sit within the again and take within the spectacular views and not using a roof in my means. This was my first time ever in an open-air automobile, so I used to be fairly excited! The driving force additionally used tie-down straps to safe my wheelchair.

As we rode alongside within the tram, a park ranger instructed us all about what we had been seeing and he defined the historical past of the park. He was tremendous educated and I realized lots about Yosemite over the course of the 2 hour tour, however the actual highlights of the Yosemite Valley Flooring Tour had been the various jaw-dropping views. We noticed iconic sights like Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan, and extra. 

The tram tour made a pair stops as properly, the place I used to be given the choice to exit the tram for a couple of minutes for photograph ops. Our first cease was at Bridalveil Falls, which is over 600 toes tall. Since I may simply see the falls from the tram although, I opted to only keep onboard throughout this cease. We nonetheless took loads of nice pictures of this attractive space. 

The subsequent cease was at Tunnel View, which is without doubt one of the most iconic views of the surroundings in Yosemite Nationwide Park. I actually wished the very best photograph op and views on this location, so I did get off the tram for about quarter-hour at Tunnel View and it was merely outstanding. The views had been higher than I may’ve ever imagined and the images beneath undoubtedly don’t do it justice. It is a view that must be seen in-person to be believed. 

The Yosemite Valley Flooring Tour was an ideal introduction to the park and I’d extremely advocate doing it as quickly as you enter the park, so as to get acquainted with the park’s sights and format. The tram tour prices $40 per grownup and $28 per baby, and reservations needs to be made upfront. You can also make your reservation for the Yosemite Valley Flooring Tour by clicking right here. 

On the finish of the Yosemite Valley Flooring Tour, we had been dropped off again on the Yosemite Valley Lodge. It was time for lunch, so we determined to eat on the lodge. The Yosemite Valley Lodge has a meals courtroom with a wide range of choices and there’s a full Starbucks as properly. I opted for a latte and a sandwich from Starbucks, however it doesn’t matter what type of meals you’re within the temper for, you might be positive to seek out one thing yummy right here. 

In order for you some souvenirs to commemorate your journey to Yosemite Nationwide Park, a big memento retailer is situated throughout from the meals courtroom at Yosemite Valley Lodge. The shop has each type of memento that you can think of. I purchased a magnet and a Christmas decoration, each of which I attempt to get in each vacation spot I go to. 

Now that we had eaten lunch and located some souvenirs, we had been refueled and able to discover extra of Yosemite. Fortunately, Yosemite has some wheelchair accessible trails and one of the crucial accessible trails is only a brief 5-minute stroll/roll from Yosemite Valley Lodge. This accessible path is the Decrease Yosemite Falls Path. From this wheelchair accessible path, you possibly can see Yosemite Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in North America. 

The jap portion of the Decrease Yosemite Falls Path is totally paved and wheelchair accessible. It’s a couple of half mile to the bottom of the falls and alongside the trail, there are a few steeper sections, however every little thing is clean and paved. I had no points in my powered wheelchair, however if you happen to use a handbook wheelchair, you could want a little bit of a push at one part. 

From the tip of the Decrease Yosemite Falls Path, there’s a footbridge, which is accessible, and from this level, I may really feel the mist from Yosemite Falls whereas taking within the wonderful views. I sat and watched the falls for fairly some time, and took about 1,000,000 pictures of the falls. This path is certainly a necessity for any accessible journey to Yosemite. 

I’ve heard nice issues about different accessible trails in Yosemite and you’ll study extra wheelchair-friendly path choices right here. Since I had a reasonably restricted period of time in Yosemite, I didn’t test any of the opposite accessible trails out. In the event you’d prefer to although, you need to use the free Yosemite Valley shuttles to get round within the park. All Yosemite Valley shuttles are wheelchair accessible and have tie-down straps to safe a wheelchair. You may be taught extra about Yosemite Valley shuttles (and their routes) by clicking right here.

Our subsequent cease inside the park was Yosemite Village and it was solely a couple of 15 minute stroll/roll from the Decrease Yosemite Falls Path. In Yosemite Village, you’ll discover the Yosemite Museum, eating choices, a theater, and extra. It’s an expansive space and you’ll simply spend a pair hours experiencing it. 

We began by watching a movie about Yosemite Nationwide Park in Yosemite Village’s theater. The movie defined the historical past of the park and I actually loved studying extra about it. The theater was accessible and had wheelchair seating areas. Subsequent, we checked out the museum, the place we realized much more in regards to the park’s choices and the museum was utterly wheelchair accessible as properly. 

By the point that we completed exploring Yosemite Village, it was time to go away the park for the day. We hopped again on the YARTS bus, which drove us again to Rush Creek Lodge, the place our accessible rental van was parked. It was an exceptional day in Yosemite Nationwide Park, however we had been in a position to return to the park the following morning and see a bit extra. 

The subsequent morning, we drove our accessible rental van to Hetch Hetchy, which is part of Yosemite Nationwide Park. To get to Hetch Hetchy, you do have to drive your individual automobile as a result of the park shuttles and YARTS buses don’t go right here. From the Yosemite Nationwide Park entrance close to Rush Creek Lodge, it takes about 45-60 minutes to drive to Hetch Hetchy. The highway is totally paved, however fairly bumpy, so do be ready for that when you’ve got poor higher physique or neck management.

Hetch Hetchy is a lovely reservoir and water system, and the water from right here is the first water supply for two.7 million residents within the San Francisco Bay Space. It’s dammed by the O’Shaughnessy Dam, which is 430 toes tall. It’s a attractive sight and undoubtedly value testing. 

There have been accessible parking spots close to the dam and the viewing space close to the dam was paved and simple to entry. Plaques had been on show they usually instructed in regards to the historical past of Hetch Hetchy, which was fascinating to study. We spent about half-hour admiring the unbelievable views of Hetch Hetchy and even noticed a vibrant rainbow at one level (see it within the photograph beneath). 

All through our time in Yosemite Nationwide Park, I used to be continuously in awe of the wonder. Actually, I by no means knew that a spot could possibly be this stunning and Yosemite actually gave me a better appreciation for nationwide parks, and the outside on the whole! After visiting Yosemite, I absolutely imagine that this can be a vacation spot that completely everybody must expertise of their lifetime. 

Watch the brief video beneath of my wheelchair accessible day in Yosemite!

Different Accessible Issues to Do in Tuolumne County 

Most of my time in Tuolumne County was spent exploring Yosemite Nationwide Park, however I did have an opportunity to see a bit extra of the county as properly. Tuolumne County’s largest metropolis is Sonora and over half of Yosemite is within the county. There are various fascinating and wheelchair accessible issues to do within the county, so let’s speak about just a few of them. 

You can begin by rolling across the historic Gold Rush city of Groveland. In downtown Groveland, there are retailers, eating places, and saloons. Most of the companies in downtown Groveland are accessible, however I did discover just a few that had steps to enter. The downtown space is basically only one road and never big, so you possibly can simply see it in an hour or so. You can additionally go to the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum, which particulars the world’s pure and cultural historical past.

In Groveland, I additionally visited and had lunch at Across the Horn Brewing Firm. This brewery had a wide range of draft beers with artistic names like “Gold Mines & Tan Strains” and “Hetch Hetchy Haze”, simply to call a pair. Across the Horn had some scrumptious meals as properly and I actually beloved the pretzels with beer cheese for an appetizer and the brisket sandwich for my entree. The brewery is well wheelchair accessible and has an accessible companion-care restroom. 

In the event you’re searching for one other nice restaurant in Tuolumne County, I’d extremely advocate the Rush Creek Tavern, which is situated inside Rush Creek Lodge. After exploring Yosemite Nationwide Park all day, we had dinner on the tavern and it was severely certainly one of our favourite meals in months! 

For an appetizer, we had spinach artichoke dip and crispy fried cauliflower. Each had been scrumptious, however the cauliflower was by far the most effective fried cauliflower I’ve ever eaten… and the portion was big! For my entree, I had the BBQ hen flatbread and ended up consuming the whole factor. It was so good, I simply couldn’t cease consuming it. 

One final attraction that we had been in a position to expertise in Tuolumne County was the prepare at Railtown 1897 State Park. Railtown 1897 is situated in Jamestown and along with the prepare, you possibly can go to a working roundhouse, retailers, and a film museum right here since many motion pictures and TV reveals (together with “Little Home on the Prairie”) had been filmed on this space. 

Each Saturday and Sunday between April and September, you possibly can journey on the historic Sierra Railway by California’s Gold Nation. The prepare journey lasts for 45 minutes and goes for about six miles. Tickets begin at $23 per grownup and will be reserved upfront on-line. 

The prepare is accessible for many wheelchairs. A carry was obtainable to get me onboard, however the trickiest half occurred as soon as I received on the prepare. To get to the wheelchair accessible seating space, I needed to roll by a slim door. My powered wheelchair match by it completely, but when my chair would’ve been an inch wider, there’s no means it could match. My wheelchair is 24 inches large, so so long as the width of your wheelchair is 24 inches or much less, try to be good. 

The prepare journey at Railtown 1897 was a number of enjoyable and if you are able to do it, I’d actually counsel it. It was a singular expertise and I beloved testing a few of Tuolumne County’s accessible choices throughout my journey! 

The place to Keep: Firefall Ranch

For my time in Tuolumne County, I stayed on the attractive Firefall Ranch. Having simply opened in Might 2024, it is without doubt one of the latest locations to remain close to Yosemite Nationwide Park (only a 20 minute drive from the park’s entrance). Firefall Ranch isn’t your common lodge although… the property is made up of quite a few cottages and villas, so you possibly can take pleasure in a personal and splendid keep. 

We stayed in a 3 bed room wheelchair accessible villa and surely, it was the most effective locations I’ve ever stayed. Firefall Ranch additionally has accessible one bed room cottages and accessible two bed room cottages if you happen to’d desire one thing smaller. 

Our villa was a full cabin and wheelchair accessible. On the decrease degree, there have been two bedrooms and two loos, and in essentially the most wheelchair-friendly bed room, the mattress was 24 inches tall and had loads of clearance beneath for a hoyer carry or hoist. It was spacious as properly, so I may simply maneuver round. 

In one of many loos (the one by essentially the most accessible bed room), there was a roll-in bathe with clean entry, a pull-under sink, and seize bars. The toilet actually couldn’t have been extra good for my accessibility wants. 

Within the dwelling space of the villa, there was a hearth and a eating desk with a mini kitchen. There was additionally a staircase, which led to the higher degree. On the higher degree, there was one other bed room with two twin beds. The higher degree isn’t wheelchair accessible, however since every little thing, aside from that one bed room, is on the decrease degree, I didn’t thoughts. 

One in every of my favourite elements of the villa was the outside deck. It was simply accessible and I used to be impressed with how massive it was. I actually loved sitting out on the deck and stress-free. It was an ideal method to finish the day after exploring Yosemite. 

Firefall Ranch has a full retailer linked to the foyer with meals, drinks, and loads of souvenirs. There are additionally outside swimming pools they usually do have entry lifts, so if you wish to get into the water, you undoubtedly can. 

In the event you’re searching for an incredible place to eat, Firefall Ranch has that as properly! There’s a extra formal restaurant on-site or a tavern with extra informal meals. I solely had an opportunity to eat at The Tavern throughout my keep, however it was incredible. I had the “corn ribs” for an appetizer, which was corn with Aleppo-lime butter and citrus herb Greek yogurt (just like elote, if you happen to’ve had that). And for my entree, I selected the Wagyu burger, which was tasty! 

I actually can’t think about staying wherever else for a visit to Yosemite. Firefall Ranch was perfection and made our total Yosemite expertise much more memorable. If you wish to have the most effective Yosemite journey ever, look no additional than Firefall Ranch. You may be taught extra in regards to the property and test charges right here. 

This journey to Yosemite Nationwide Park was certainly one of my favourite journeys in a very long time and it actually gave me a better appreciation for nature, and touring on the whole. It was a outstanding expertise and I’m so glad that Yosemite is a vacation spot that everybody, together with wheelchair customers, can take pleasure in. In the event you haven’t already visited Yosemite, I’m urging you to make a plan and go. And even when you’ve got visited Yosemite previously, there’s at all times extra to see! In reality, I’m already trying ahead to my subsequent journey to wheelchair accessible Yosemite Nationwide Park. 

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*Thanks to Go to California and Go to Tuolumne County for working with me on this journey and displaying me the most effective of wheelchair accessible Yosemite Nationwide Park! Whereas my experiences had been complimentary, all opinions expressed are genuine and my very own.

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