Yosemite Insider Experience

Looking for the ultimate insider Yosemite experience? This is the package for you. After you spend a day and a half with an experienced Yosemite Conservancy naturalist you’ll see Yosemite in a whole new light, and appreciate not just the majestic cliffs and scenic waterfalls, but also the stories behind the landscape. You’ll get answers to how the landscape came to be this way, become familiar with the rivers, wildlife and ecology and be delighted with tales of the people who helped to shape the national park as we know it.

Yosemite Insider Experience Pricing

The Yosemite Insider Experience includes:

• 3 days/2 nights in Yosemite
• A day and half of exploration with a Yosemite Conservancy naturalist

Cost: $108/person + lodging

Sign up for a Yosemite Insider Experience
or call us at (801) 559-4884

* Rates do not include taxes.  Package may not be combined with other discounts, packages or special offers.  No refunds for early check out or unused portions of package.  Offer is subject to change with NPS approval.  Advance reservations are required.  Package is for specific days only.

A Sample of What to Expect

Day 1

• Relax and make yourself at home at Yosemite Lodge.
• If you’ve forgotten something, you may be able to pick it up at one of the gift shops nearby.

• Meet the Yosemite Conservancy naturalist in the lobby at 9:00 a.m. Bring your daypack with lunch, water, sun protection and prepare to explore Yosemite Valley. Don’t forget your camera.
• Evidence of the powerful glaciers that carved Yosemite Valley and created the grand waterfalls is all around you. Ramble through the valley like John Muir, catching the news of nature, and reading what the world has to tell you.
• Enjoy a picnic lunch with the group while you soak in more of the scenery.
• Continue your explorations in the afternoon. Ask questions of your expert naturalist. Get a glimpse of how the Ahwahneechee lived before and after Euro-Americans arrived in the valley, the role of the national park service, or how the boulder fields formed and now provide habitat for various wildlife.
• Return to Yosemite Lodge at 3 p.m. Now you’re free to return to some of your favorite places during the day, or to explore on your own. Consider treating yourself to a sit-down dinner at the Mountain Room Restaurant.

Day 3

• Check out of the lodge by 9 a.m. and rendezvous once again with the Yosemite Conservancy naturalist and your fellow nature-lovers in the hotel lobby.
• Time to explore another area of the Valley. Hop on a hybrid shuttle to discover the Fen and other intriguing corners of the eastern end of Yosemite Valley.
• Return to Yosemite Village or Yosemite Lodge via shuttle bus at noon. You’re now free to grab a delicious freshly made sandwich at Degnan’s Deli in Yosemite Village before heading home, or continuing your own explorations of the park.
  

A few additional thoughts

What do you want to learn about?
Feel free to help to shape the focus of your Yosemite exploration. Yosemite Conservancy naturalists have a wide range of expertise about Yosemite, and are excited to share those things that will be most interesting to your group.

How far will you go?
Each step in Yosemite reveals new wonders, so you don’t have to walk far to gain a rich understanding of the park. However, if everyone in the group is interested in a more challenging hike, there are certainly plenty of places to go.

What if the weather is bad?
The weather is never bad. It may be cloudy, raining or even snowing, but that is good for the ecosystem, and good for Yosemite. Plus, stormy weather can lead to some of the most dramatic scenery. Please plan ahead and dress appropriately.

Who are these Naturalists?
Some of the best around. Get to know the Yosemite naturalists you'll meet at Lodging and Learning before you come.