The most popular attractions at Yosemite are in the valley, but there's some great ones outside it like the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequioas and Olmsted Point. I actually commend the National Park Service for requiring advance reservations when I went in the summer of 2024 because it really helped keep congestion at the park down, unlike Yellowstone and Zion National Parks, which were a total mob scene when I went. There's a lot of tall waterfalls, primeval looking forest and crystal clear water here.
The most prehistoric looking forest I've ever seen.
A free shuttle will take you from the parking area up to the grove, since the road is closed to private vehicles. There's lots of winding, interconnected trails that are relatively flat until you start to approach the upper grove. A lot of the major attractions like the California Tunnel Tree, the Grizzly Giant and the Bachelor and Three Graces can be seen at the lower grove without much walking. If you want to get to the overlooks, you'll have to take the 6.7 mile round trip hike up to Wawona Point at the end of the Mariposa Grove trail.
Bring your bathing suit. Trust me.
Vernal Falls was easily my favorite hike on the Yosemite trip. It's a straight incline the whole way up, much of it along a very narrow, steep and crowded rock staircase, but the view of the waterfall is stunning. The stairs become wet from the mist but they didn't seem slippery. After you reach the top of the waterfall the area opens up into the Emerald Pool. Here you can chill and take a swim or eat, or continue onward to Nevada Falls, but I had to cut the the trail short due to time constraints.
Half Dome can be seen in the distance.
It takes about an hour to reach Olmsted Point from Yosemite Valley along the very scenic drive on Big Oak Flat Road to Tioga Road. There are multiple amazing mountain tunnels along the way, and a sweeping view down into Yosemite Valley as you drive up the side of the mountain. The viewpoint itself is only a few minutes from the parking lot and is definitely worth checking out for those interested in overlooks. Tenaya Lake is only a short drive down the road from here.
Olmsted Point is only a few minutes up the road from here.
The water at Tenaya Lake is crystal clear. The parking area is right at the lake itself, so it's a great spot to just relax at, swim, or paddleboard. There's lots of other points of interest along Tioga Road, like Olmsted Point, Tuolumne Meadows, and Lembert Dome, so it's easy to hit multiple spots in one day in this area.
El Capitan looming on the left.
The most iconic view at Yosemite National Park is only a 15 minute drive from the valley, just outside the Wawona Tunnel, another cool mountain tunnel in the park. The parking lot is right at the overlook so no hike is required. The view of El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall is great here. When you're in the valley itself, you're too close to get the full picture.
The view of El Capitan from the meadow.
Other than Tunnel View, El Capitan can best be seen from El Capitan Meadow. There's also a great view of the Cathedral Rocks in the meadow. The hike to the top of El Capitan is over 20 miles and generally done over multiple days, so viewpoints are probably your best bet for seeing it.