Yosemite Family Adventure
6 days
From $ 2899
Duration6 days
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Enjoy breathtaking views and spectacular landscapes on a 6-day family adventure. Yosemite National Park is a wilderness playground brimming with activities for outdoor adventurers of every age. There are few better destinations for reawakening the sense of wonder that so often lies dormant in everyday life. This trip provides an easy way to experience the joys of the outdoors, reconnect with family and experience the exceptional leadership of our knowledgeable guides. Our Yosemite Family Adventure combines an REI Signature Camping experience with plenty of outdoor activity, showcasing many of the iconic highlights of this magnificent park while eliminating the planning, pitching and cooking chores normally associated with an extended camping trip. Each day incorporates another memorable hike suitable for the entire family. Witness the dramatic natural features that make this park so extraordinary, including towering granite peaks, thundering waterfalls and majestic giant sequoia. Each evening, we enjoy a welcoming outdoor lounge area, camp games, delicious meals and deluxe, oversized tents, all in the company of new friends and loved ones. Kids get an REI day pack — Kids traveling on our Family Adventures will receive an REI day pack for their adventure! Kids age 8-17 will receive the REI Flash 18 Pack (while quantities last, colors may vary). Learn more about REI Family Adventures. Not travelling with kids under 18? Check out our Yosemite Hiking & Camping trip.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 6 days
    Service level: Standard
  • Starts in: Inn At Oyster Point
    Physical Grading: Average
  • Ages: 18+
Yosemite Family Adventure - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive in Yosemite and hike to Artist Point.

Start place: Inn At Oyster Point

Our trip begins in Oakland, California. We rendezvous with our guides at our host hotel at 7:45am and, following a brief orientation, set off for the soaring granite peaks, cascading waterfalls and giant sequoia groves of Yosemite National Park. Reaching Yosemite in early afternoon, we stop for a picnic lunch before continuing on to Tunnel View and beginning a three-mile warmup hike to Artist Point, gaining our first views of El Capitan and Yosemite Valley.
While we enjoy our time on trail, our camp host is busy setting up our Signature Camp at Yosemite's Hodgdon Campground in preparation for our arrival. Once at camp, we can relax in our comfortable outdoor lounge area and sleep in spacious tents fully outfitted with cots, sleeping pads, floor coverings, lighting, and an assortment of REI camp furniture. Lunch and dinner included.
Hiking: 2–3 miles with 500' elevation gain/loss; Terrain: Dirt and stone trails. Drive time: 5 hours.
Meals: D
Day 2: Hike the iconic Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls.
Today's exhilarating hike on the aptly named Mist Trail is a Yosemite classic, offering up-close views of one of the park's star attractions, 317-foot Vernal Falls. Starting from the Happy Isles Trailhead, we begin our climb up the Mist Trail towards Vernal Falls, ultimately ascending 600 stone steps cut directly into the granite alongside the thundering cascade. Reaching the top, we break for lunch; large granite slabs with fantastic views of the falls serve as the perfect dining table. For the hike down, we walk along the gentler John Muir Trail, offering different vistas of the surrounding landscape and a less steep alternative for our descent. Tonight, before settling into our tents for bedtime, we have an opportunity do some additional exploring, this time of a night sky filled with a multitude of stars twinkling into view overhead. All meals included.
Hiking: 5–7 with 1,500' of elevation gain/loss; Terrain: Dirt and stone trails including many stone steps. Drive time: 2.5 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Hike to Sentinel Dome and Glacier Point for breathtaking panoramas.
After a hearty camp breakfast, we set out on a hike to Sentinel Dome (8,127') for amazing panoramas of Half Dome, Tenaya Canyon and the towering granite peaks of the High Sierra spread out before us. Our vehicle awaits at trail's end to transport us to Glacier Point, where a short walk leads to an overlook with commanding views of the park's iconic granite formations. We return to camp this afternoon with a newfound appreciation for the majestic natural beauty that has drawn explorers, hikers and photographers to this park during the past century. All meals included.
Hiking: 3.5 miles with 600' of elevation gain/loss; Terrain: Dirt and stone trails. Drive time: 2.5 hours.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4: Hike to an alpine lake in the awe-inspiring High Sierra.
Today, we set out to explore Yosemite's magnificent high country. Our guides lead us on a hike through wildflower-dotted meadows to one of the high country's sparkling alpine lakes, tucked in among the surrounding granite peaks. Taking in the quintessential High Sierra scenery, we eat a lakeside lunch and perhaps go for an invigorating swim before starting our walk back to the trailhead. Back at camp, throw a Frisbee, catch up on some vacation reading, or lounge on a sunny slab of rock. Yosemite is the perfect playground for kids of all ages!
Hiking: 4-5 miles with approx. 900' of elevation gain/loss; Terrain: dirt and stone trails. Drive time: 2 hours.
Day 5: Hike to Mirror Lake and Tenaya Canyon.
The first portion of today's hike leads us to Mirror Lake, a big pool in Tenaya Creek that lies close to the base of Half Dome. As we walk by the lake, we take in the same views of Half Dome and the surrounding landscape that captivated the renowned photographer Ansel Adams during his Yosemite explorations. Continuing on into Tenaya Canyon, we're treated to all of the beauty of Yosemite Valley but with fewer crowds than on the more heavily trodden routes. We pass under the giants of Half Dome, North Dome and Basket Dome and put our feet into the snow melt of Tenaya Creek before following our loop trail back to the start of our hike. All meals included.
Hiking: 4 miles with 100' of elevation gain/loss; Terrain: dirt trail.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6: Visit a giant sequoia grove before returning to Oakland.
We leave our camp for the final time this morning and, prior to beginning our return trip to the Bay Area, stop to spend time in the Tuolumne Grove of giant sequoia. We hike through the grove as our guides teach us about the lifecycle of these ancient, massive trees that make the park their home. Stopping for lunch en route, we continue our drive to Oakland, arriving by 7pm. Please do not schedule a departing flight from Oakland until after 9pm tonight. Breakfast and lunch included.
Hiking: 4.5 miles with up to 500' of elevation gain/loss. Drive time: 5 hours.
Meals: B, L

Inclusions

Included

  • Camping in REI Signature Camp accommodations

  • Accommodation

    Signature Camping, 5 nights

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