Discover Yosemite in October: Why Fall Is the Perfect Time to Visit

Visiting Yosemite in October is a truly special experience. Most of the key attractions within Yosemite National Park are still open but traffic and tourists are at considerably lower numbers.

Best of all, Yosemite National Park is full of deciduous trees that break into glorious blazes of colourful leaves in the autumn. October in Yosemite Park was a truly stunning experience and perfect if you like taking photos! This may be the best time to visit Yosemite! Fall foliage plus fewer crowds makes for a much nicer travel experience.

So here is my guide to both Yosemite National Park and Tuolumne County in glorious October!

Photo byMatthew FournieronUnsplash

Yosemite National Park in October

1. Yosemite Valley

The beautiful Yosemite Valley is the heartland of Yosemite Park. It is essentially an 8-mile loop full of stunning deciduous trees, lit up in October, and home to some of the key sights of Yosemite Park, including the Half Dome and El Capitan rocks. Visiting the Yosemite Valley is one of the best things to do in Yosemite in October.

The valley drive has some great viewpoints which are literally on the road – you can tell by the number of well-placed spots to pull over! Don't miss the cute church that is on the way to Yosemite Village on the right and the colourful trees around it.

At the centre of the loop is Yosemite Village which I will cover in my next point. This is the best place to park. Once you have parked your car, you can use the terrific complimentary shuttle bus system to get around the Yosemite Valley area.

In October the park isn't super busy so you can choose to drive around to the different spots or take the shuttle bus.

If you do want to take the shuttle bus it is then possible to do a mix of it and walking to get to some of the key highlights of the park. Shuttle bus stop 6 will take you to the Cook's Meadow Loop and Sentinel Bridge with some amazing views of the Half Dome. Or you can walk to Sentinel Bridge from the car park for this shot.

However, my favourite views within Yosemite Valley were towards the end of the Yosemite Valley loop. Just past the El Capitan bridge, there is a small picnic area on the Merced River.

The views of El Capitan and Half Dome are stunning from here. I was there late morning and even then I had great light for my photos.

Also, this is a great place to capture Yosemite autumn. Firstly, I took some nice shots using these to frame the Yosemite Valley. Secondly, the leaves and trees themselves made for some nice photos.

2. Yosemite Village

Yosemite Village is at the center of Yosemite Valley and has a visitors center, restaurant, gallery and everything you might need for a great day in Yosemite Park. I would recommend starting with the terrific Yosemite Valley Visitor Centre.

There are loads of maps, guidebooks, souvenirs etc. I also sat down with one of the guides and a map of Yosemite Park and we went through what was open and closed, what was in bloom, which waterfalls are running etc.

October is a time of change in the park so it is key to find out exactly what is open and running for the specific time that you are visiting.

Next door to the Yosemite Valley Visitor's Centre is the lovely Ansel Adams Gallery. This is definitely the place to go if you are after some beautiful and unique souvenirs of your visit.

A great place to grab lunch and a drink is Degnan's Kitchen. This is what I would call a posh cafeteria with pizzas, soups, sandwiches, chips and snacks and most things you may need to eat for the day.

If it isn't lunchtime I would grab something to take with you for lunch from Degnan's Kitchen Yosemite Valley.

In October this is pretty much the only place you will be able to get food and supplies in the park. The Tuolumne Meadows Visitors Centre is closed in October.

3. Yosemite Park Waterfalls

Yosemite Park is famous for its stunning waterfalls. Which waterfalls you are able to see will vary depending on the time of year and how much time you have available. Again, October is a time of change.

When I visited I was able to see Bridalveils Falls but there was not a lot of water. Lower Yosemite Falls was dry and the Upper Falls was apparently light. Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls also had water but again the flow was quite low.

The easiest of the Yosemite Park waterfalls to visit is Bridalveil Falls. The walk from the road is only 0.5 miles - and the top of the falls is visible from the road if you have very limited time. Bridalveil Falls is in the Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America and it flows in three sections. If there is water flowing when you visit, or if you are keen to walk the trails, the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls are also within the Yosemite Valley.

The Lower Yosemite Falls trail is a one-mile loop and quite a flat trail that will take you to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls. The starting point is the shuttle bus stop #6. This should take about one hour.

Visiting the Upper falls is a full day activity.

The paths to visit Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls can be accessed from the Nature Centre at Happy Isles. These are also long walks which would take up most of the day.

4. Glacier Point

Glacier Point is famous for its amazing views over the Yosemite Valley -, particularly at sunset. The view is genuinely awesome and I think this is a must-do on any day trip to Yosemite Park.

It takes around one hour to drive from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point on Glacier Point road. The great news is that the parking area for Glacier Point is only 300 metres from the views so it takes no time to get there.

In October it generally isn't as busy so you should be fine getting to the parking area not long before sunset.

Washburn Point is very nearby although you will need to drive there. Washburn Point is essentially the extension of the glacier point view heading east. I felt like I had already captured all I needed at Glacier Point, to be honest, so if you only have one day you can give this a miss.

5. Tunnel View

Tunnel View is at the start of the Yosemite Valley loop road and only a slight detour from the main road. The views are fantastic.

Glacier Point does have better views as you are closer to the Yosemite Valley (in my opinion) but as it is so close to the main path there is no reason not to pop in and check out Tunnel View. Also, Tunnel View definitely offers the best view in the park at sunrise.

6. Mirror Lake

In October there will almost definitely be no lake in Mirror Lake! This is the situation for most of the summer and the fall. Mirror Lake tends to be fullest in spring and early summer. However, it is known as being a fantastic walk.

There are two options for walking this Yosemite trail. The first is a 3.2km loop. The second is an 8km loop which has lots of deciduous trees so a good opportunity to capture some fall colors in Yosemite.

The Mirror Lake Trailhead can be accessed from shuttle bus stop #17.

7. Mariposa Grove and the Giant Sequoias

Mariposa Grove is home to 500 giant Sequoia trees and is rather stunning. There is an easy 0.3-mile trail through part of Mariposa Grove and a second longer 2-mile loop option. It takes about one hour to drive from the Yosemite Valley south to Mariposa Grove.

Park at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza. From here, it is necessary to get a free shuttle bus to Mariposa Grove. This parking lot fills up fast in peak times, so plan your trip for the morning or late afternoon.

The shuttle buses run between every 10 and 15 minutes depending on the time of year. The shuttle bus takes about 10 minutes to get to Mariposa Grove.

8. Siesta Lake

I literally stumbled across the lovely Siesta Lake. I was heading to Olmsted Point on Tioga Road. Just before the turnoff to White Wolf Siesta Lake appeared on my right and I pulled over. It was absolutely stunning.

The Yosemite fall colors light up the lake - particularly the amazing yellows - and it made for Instagram heaven.

9. Olmsted Point

The landscape of Yosemite Park changes quite a bit as you head North to Tuolumne Meadows. Driving along Tioga Road the landscape becomes rocky and slightly barren compared to the forest of the Yosemite Valley. To my mind, it is just as stunning but in a different way.

Olmsted Point has a lookout across this area of the park. It is an okay view but nothing extraordinary. However, is located on the road so it is very easy to quickly pull over and take a look. I was there early afternoon so the light wasn't fantastic. It could be very different late afternoon.

10. Tenaya Lake

Wow wow. It is quite a drive to get to Tenaya Lake but it is well worth it! As you may have noticed, there isn't loads of water in Yosemite National Park in October so it was a highlight to reach Tenaya Lake and its oh so blue waters. It is known as "the Jewel of the High Country" in Yosemite California for good reason.

This Alpine lake is large. I recommend driving along the length of it as there were different types of photos at different stopping points. Tenaya Lake has its own little beach as well as lots of places to stop and eating.

It is possible to swim in Tenaya Lake but I wouldn't recommend it without a wetsuit in October.