Yosemite

At the east end of the Wawona Tunnel, the valley opens up all at once, with El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome lined up in the view Ansel Adams made famous.

💡 Come in the late afternoon, when the sun is behind you and lights up El Capitan, or after a winter storm when the clouds cling to the walls. The car park is full at sunset in summer: arrive half an hour beforehand. Price: included in park entry, $35 per vehicle for 7 days, about €30, plus $100, about €86, per non-resident visitor aged 16 and over.

A granite monolith rising about 900 metres above the valley floor, the world's most famous climbing wall, where you can follow the roped teams through binoculars from El Capitan Meadow.

💡 Bring binoculars and settle into the meadow late in the day, when the climbers are setting up their bivouac. The Valley Loop Trail passes the foot of the wall for those who want to touch the granite. Price: included in park entry.

Three tiers totalling 739 metres, among the tallest in North America, at full roar in May and June, with a flat loop to the base and a steep trail to the top.

💡 Do the lower loop in the morning, then watch the fall lit up from Cook's Meadow in the afternoon. The trail to the top is an 11.6 km round trip and takes a day: set off before 8am in summer, as it is in full sun. Price: included in park entry.

An overlook at 2,199 metres above a 975-metre drop to the valley, facing Half Dome and the stepped falls, with short walks nearby to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point.

💡 Go up for sunset, which turns the face of Half Dome pink, and stay for the stars: the altitude and the absence of light make it a good spot for stargazing. In winter, the road stops at the Badger Pass ski area. Price: included in park entry.

The park's busiest trail climbs the Merced River from Happy Isles to Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, via a granite staircase drenched in spray from May to July.

💡 Take a waterproof in May and June and good shoes: the wet steps are slippery, and the river water is cold and fast, so never swim above the falls. The free valley shuttle stops at Happy Isles. Price: included in park entry.

A glacier-sliced granite dome at 2,693 metres, climbed on a long day hike that ends with two steel cables up a 45-degree slope, with a permit required by lottery.

💡 The permit is compulsory when the cables are up: preseason lottery from 1 to 31 March on recreation.gov, $10 per application, about €9, then $10 per person if you are drawn, and a daily lottery two days before the date. Set off before dawn and turn back at the slightest storm: wet granite and lightning have already killed people on the cables.

A summer-only road across the high country to Tioga Pass at 3,031 metres, past Olmsted Point, Tenaya Lake and the vast subalpine meadow of Tuolumne ringed by granite domes.

💡 The road generally opens between late May and late June and closes with the first heavy snows in November: check the park's road conditions page before setting off. Climb Lembert Dome, a 4.5 km round trip, for the view over the meadow. Fill up beforehand, as fuel stations are scarce. Price: included in park entry.

The park's largest grove of giant sequoias, more than 500 mature trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant, reached by free shuttle from the south entrance in season.

💡 Park at the Welcome Plaza near the south entrance and take the free shuttle, which runs from early May to November: the grove's car park is reserved for holders of a disabled parking placard. Out of season, allow 3.2 km on foot each way via the Washburn Trail. Price: included in park entry.