I'm going to San Francisco on a work trip at the end of the month and my wife and I are staying over for three days.

Thinking about renting a car and heading towards Yosemite.

Any suggestions, tips, ideas, etc are welcome especially if they'll help us save a little money.

Current idea is to find an AirBNB/vrbo/etc that we like and sort of use that as a base to drive around the area each day.

What we're into would probably help: I'd say light outdoors activities, breweries, wineries, unique activities, that sort of thing.

We went in April 2024. My trip report is here. Should contain some helpful info. Be aware that the waterfalls are dependent on snow melt, so peak waterfall viewing is in the late spring/early summer. You will see them, but they won't be as dramatic as in my pictures. You may need advance reservations to get into the park (I don't remember off hand what "peak season" is). You will want to check that, and make sure slots are available for your dates, well in advance.

You'll see in my trip report that Yosemite is pretty remote. The nearest town of any size is Mariposa. If you want to enjoy Yosemite itself, there won't be a lot of time for breweries and wineries (and I don't think there is a winery in the area). There are some tasty local brews served at various restaurants that you can enjoy when you're out to eat or pick up at the local grocery.

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Our Airbnb
https://www.airbnb.com/l/sQxtPxst

Yosemite is huge on outdoor activities so I'm not going to be much help on "light activities." I'm more of a hiker and climber these days, although my body is telling me I'm moving past my climbing window. But I have been out there with my son when he was little and scaled back accordingly…and still had an awesome time. I would suggest two days in Yosemite and then head back towards the Bay Area for breweries (some good ones all over the Bay).

First things first, if timed entry reservations are required that time of year, grab them asap. I'd also suggest staying in the park, and if this is your first and maybe only time there, it's worth it. It's peaceful. Go sit in a meadow under El Cap one night and gaze up at the stars. Curry Village is inexpensive and they do have some hotel-style rooms. It isn't all tents (which are fun, too, but better with little kids in tow).

I'd walk around the valley floor one day, do a tram tour, or rent bikes…just to see the beauty of it all. Then the next morning I'd drive down to Mariposa Grove and hike the giant sequoia grove. On the way back to the Valley, I'd hit glacier point for the best view of half dome (or flip those two if you exit the south entrance).

Also, you can BYO to the Yosemite restaurants. We take wine and Pliny whenever we go.

As Transplant said, there won't be waterfalls like you see in his post. That's typically a spring thing.

You are leaving one of the great cities in the world on their second biggest weekend of the year to spend a lot of time in a car. The only weekend bigger in San Fran is 10/12.


On 10/5 hardly strictly bluegrass will be in Golden Gate park and it is free. Just look at the lineup of people playing. Sure you gotta pay for booze and food, but 750k people go to this and it is absolutely incredible.
Fleet week starts that weekend and it is free
Chinatown is always free

Yosemite is incredible. It is the best park in America and it is a long way down to second place. But I would not advise taking that long of a drive for two days driving around the park. And it will be crazy crowded with leafers. Like 2 hour lines everywhere and traffic out the whazoo.


Here is what I would do.

Stay in San Fran, preferably over in North Beach.
Spend a day in Chinatown. Eat at places where no one speaks engrish and get some drinks at LiPo, Buddha lounge, and Bow bow. You can walk from North Beach.
Pick one day for Strictly Bluegrass. Leave early as the busses quit running before the shows will end and everyone always gets stranded. Here are the commitments, the daily lineup will be out in a day or two. It is maybe the best music festival in America. https://hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/headline/2025-lineup-announcements/

Rent bikes on the wharf and ride across the Golden Gate to Sausalito, eat a late lunch, then take the ferry back. They will go right next to Alcatraz so you get to see it too.

We're flying back on the 4th so gonna miss most of that festival anyway. That's good to know though I didn't know that was going on in town. Might change our plans a bit.

But everything I've read online says that late September/early October is one of the best times to go to Yosemite because there's way fewer people. That's part of why that option intrigued me.

But I also kinda like driving around different parts of the country, that part won't bother me any.

Good suggestions though, we'll look into those too. I think I'm gonna try to find the A&M club to watch the Auburn game that Saturday before.

There are fewer people than the summer but still a mess of humans.

Good thing about Yosemite crowds is their similarity to Yellowstone and the Smokies. You get away from the main spots and there is no one.

So if you go you pretty much have to see the valley, but it is a zoo. Missing it would be like going to Yellowstone and skipping the GC. There is idiocy everywhere, so many Instagram posers. Just duck face with one arm up after duck face after duck face.. You gotta see half dome, but it is also a zoo.

Tuolumne Meadows and the areas around the reservoir (Hetchy) are probably your best bets to get away from the hordes.

Stop in Groveland and eat/drink at the iron door saloon. Its a great bar, I got into a fistfight there once with an old man. He started it.

Lol, we'll have to find that for sure.

We did reserve one of the tents in Curry Village for a night. I don't think Mrs. Bobinator wants to do that for several nights but one night actually sleeping in the park sounded fun.

Also judging idiots in public is one of our favorite activities so a people-zoo can be fun as well.