It’s time to start creating your personal bucket list of must-do activities when visiting Yosemite. These 20 Must-Do Things in and around Yosemite will make sure the 2020s aren’t just fun but roaring!

Every year during the first full weekend of May, the Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce holds a different kind of derby. Instead of the winner being the biggest fish, over a 1,000 fish are tagged for prizes all the way up to $10,000.

Go back in time to the Gold Rush era by hopping on board a historic 3 ft narrow gauge railroad. This scenic 4-mile journey into the Sierra National Forest is the EXACT same one that was used by the Madera Sugar Pine Railroad.

Set in the scenic Bass Lake area, just minutes from Yosemite National Park, this is your chance to experience what many visitors like to call “the smaller version of Lake Tahoe”… except it has warmer waters. The triathlon includes swimming in the lake, biking around its shores, and finishing off with a run under the pines and through Bass Lake Village.

Cake is good. Cookies are fine. But Pie is the ultimate dessert. Its aroma is electric. A reminder of nature’s bounty. It also lets you top it off with whipped cream or ice cream. And when it comes to this “crusty” dessert, there’s no better than Jones Store, fourteen miles northeast of Bass Lake.

Beat the heat and try the fastest-growing water sport – Wakesurfing. With an easy learning curve and a fun social aspect, you can’t go wrong. Whether you’re looking to surf the biggest wake or tube in style, Miller's Landing and Bass Lake Boat Rentals (aka Bass Lake Watersports) rent boats and equipment to make sure you have the most fun on the water. Surfing not your thing? There are many more options for playing in the waters of Bass Lake.

Photo by: Steve Montalto/HighMountain Images

At an impressive 2,425 feet in height, Yosemite Falls isn’t just tall but the highest waterfall in North America and the 6^th highest in the world. The best part is that you can experience the beauty of a cascading torrent in multiple ways. Catch views of it reflected in the Merced River from Swinging Bridge. Gaze upon it from across Cooks Meadow, where, with the proper perspective, you can see all three sections of the falls: the Upper Fall, the Middle Cascades, and the Lower Fall. Take a short and easy hike to Lower Yosemite Fall Trail to the Lower Fall viewing area where, when flows are high, typically in the Spring to early Summer, you can enjoy a good and serious "misting."  Make sure to have a good lens cloth handy if taking pictures is a key objective for you. 

Want more of an adventure and a serious leg workout, too? Tackle the Yosemite Falls Trail. It's a strenuous 7.6-mile (round-trip) hike with a 2,600-foot elevation gain from the valley floor to the top of Yosemite Falls.  Think of it as climbing up the stairs of the Empire State Building... twice! Challenging.. most definitely, yes, but the views along the way are second to none.   And for the cherry on top of your waterfall hunt, try to see the wondrous natural sight of a Moonbow.

Considered by many wine enthusiasts as the best kept secret in wine, the Madera Wine Trail isn’t just the oldest wine region in the US. It gives you the opportunity to actually talk to the winemakers themselves as you sample a variety of different wines.

Launched in 1927 and co-created by Ansel Adams, the Bracebridge Dinner transforms the Ahwahnee Dining Room into the magical manor hall of Washington Irving’s Squire Bracebridge. Held yearly in December and containing over 80 actors and actresses, it’s become one of America’s best-loved traditions.  It is dinner theatre at its finest!

As we grow older, sadly, our sense of wonder begins to diminish. Rekindle that joy of awe by visiting Mariposa Grove and the land of the Giant Sequoias . Words cannot do them justice. Experience in person the some of the largest living things on the planet.

No matter how you look at it, spiders get a pretty bad rap. Make this the year the one you learn something about them & become an arachnophile not an arachnophobe at the Tarantula Awareness Festival.

Photo by: Local FreshiesAt over 3,000 feet above the valley floor, Taft Point has one of the most dramatic views of Yosemite Valley. To step up the experience, start your hike an hour before sunset to watch the sun’s rays glinting off of El Capitan. And if you time it right… see a moonrise over the landscape. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight or headlamp.

Within the park's confines, the Merced lazily flows through the valley. But, just a few miles outside the boundaries, the river picks up speed and flow. It’s so good that the mighty Merced offers one of the best whitewater rafting paddle trips in California, or if you feel a bit less rambunctious, there are sections you can lazily float down.

It's a road-trippers dream. This curvy route is filled with scenery, many examples of the most distinctive granite domes in the Sierra, and glacial valleys filled with scenic stops along the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway like Globe Rock.

Anytime is the perfect time to start thinking about those snowy trips. From skiing at the oldest ski area in California – Badger Pass Ski Area to snowshoeing three thousand feet above the Yosemite Valley, it’s an excellent basecamp for winter fun.

It's considered by many as one of the best and most comprehensive views of Yosemite National Park. Glacier Point provides a sweeping panoramic view of the valley, including classic landmarks such as Yosemite Falls and Half Dome. For a full-day adventure, consider taking Four Mile Trail to the top of Glacier Point. As the name dictates, it’s a little over four miles to the top with an elevation gain of over 3,200 feet. Or, for those not up to the hike, drive or take a park-operated Glacier Point Bus tour. 

Important note: Glacier Point Road closes seasonally.

In 1993, a sanitation worker at the Fairmead Landfill made an astonishing discovery when he unearthed a giant mammoth tusk. And the discoveries continued — 15,000 fossils (and still counting), to be exact! It was the 2^nd largest fossil find in California history, and you can see a host of them at the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County in Chowchilla.

Image by Breeze Turner Willson 

Tenaya Lake is a long way from Yosemite Valley, meaning that the crowds will be MUCH less. A great example and arguably one of the most beautiful alpine lakes within the park, it’s surrounded on three sides by granite peaks and domes.

Yosemite has always been the hotbed for rock climbing. Dip your toe, per se, by summiting Half Dome. At over 18 miles roundtrip, 5,000 feet of elevation gain, and the last 600 feet requiring you to pull yourself up via the steel cables, reaching the top of  Half Dome is quite challenging. To protect the wilderness and improve safety, only 300 hikers per day can access it. The Clouds Rest hike is another great option that doesn’t require a permit and still provides the challenger with fantastic views.

Photo by: Steve Montalto/High Mountain Images

Due to light pollution in cities, millions and millions of people have never experienced the wonder of the Milky Way. Fortunately, Yosemite is one of the great places that you still can! Take a cosmic voyage by booking a tour to help you find things like meteor showers, constellations, comets, and even planets. Or for those that want to do it on their own, you can't go wrong heading to Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome or during the summer months, Olmsted Point. Check out our full list of the best spots to stargaze in and around Yosemite.

It’s a scientific fact that people who spend time in nature are happier, healthier, and can deal with life better. Make this the year you introduce your kids to the fresh air, the smell of trees, and the beauty of national parks by having them sworn in as a Junior Ranger. All they need to do is complete a small workbook, help clean up our forests, and get sworn in as a Jr. Ranger by a real ranger.

As Teddy Roosevelt said in his experience, “It was so reviving to be so close to nature in this magnificent forest….” Make this year the year you experience your Must Do’s when visiting Yosemite and the surrounding area.