One of Cal­i­for­ni­a’s most for­mi­da­ble nat­ur­al land­scapes, Yosemite Nation­al Park fea­tures near­ly 1,200 square miles of sheer awe: tow­er­ing water­falls, mil­len­­nia-old sequoia trees, strik­ing, daunt­ing cliff faces and some of the most unique rock for­ma­tions in the Unit­ed States. But despite its enor­mous size, most of the tourist activ­i­ty takes place with­in the 8‑square-mile area of Yosemite Val­ley. Here you’ll find the park’s most famous land­marks – Half Dome and El Cap­i­tan – as well as excel­lent hik­ing trails through the nat­ur­al mon­u­ments.

Even inex­pe­ri­enced hik­ers can enjoy Yosemite: Guid­ed tours and climb­ing lessons are avail­able from local adven­ture out­fit­ters (such as those fea­tured on our list of the best Cal­i­for­nia tours). Just don’t expect to expe­ri­ence it by your­self. Like so many oth­er Amer­i­can tourist des­ti­na­tions, crowds are the biggest obsta­cles to an enjoy­able Yosemite vaca­tion – approx­i­mate­ly 4 mil­lion peo­ple vis­it each year. But if you go at the right time (and start your day a lit­tle ear­li­er than usu­al), Moth­er Nature’s won­ders will reveal them­selves to you in a mirac­u­lous and serene way.