Oh my gosh, you’re thinking of eloping in Yosemite! That’s so exciting! I may be biased (because I absolutely love Yosemite), but it’s easy to see why you’re considering it. Yosemite is a world heritage site and a breathtaking location for an elopement. The majestic Sierra Nevada mountains in CWa- wait a second, you also came to mind with an idea of eloping in Yosemite?! That’s so exciting! Now I might be a bit biased (I truly love Yosemite), but really, can you blame someone for wanting to consider it? Yosemite is a delight for anyone that attends an elopement at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Basked in the California sunshine, it is serenely located with a backdrop of those majestic Sierra Nevada mountains. While these photos more than 1000 words, they are no substitution for the real thing. Yosemite Yosemite- the granite mountains of El Capitan to towering Half-Dome all stay with you for life. Night view of the little lights on valley wall climbers and background sounds from Merced River & Waterfalls adds to an unforgettable experience. Added to this is extraordinary light which enhances the aesthetic within the park.
The logistics can be dificult to navigate, so there is a great deal to consider in preparing your Yosemite elopement. Interest in the park as a venue for marriage has grown in recent years, and with good cause. The views are jaw-dropping. Yosemite is beautiful in all aspects, but this guide will focus on helpful information for your elopement day.
Please Note: Yosemite will institute a new reservation system for peak periods in 2024. I have lived minutes from the park and witnessed wait times to get into the place as well, not just parking (because sometimes there would be crowding issues that made it necessary for them to actually close). This system is a bit confusing in the beginning but it was needed to control how many people could access this area per day. If you are coming on a busy day, either have (a) reservations or (b) stay at my inn. This is where permits come in handy — you just bring your permit, not a confirmation of any kind because this event had no record of who RSVP-ed or how. Dates and times you will need a reservation for:
- Jan 1 – Feb 9: Reservation not required.
- February 10-25: A reservation is necessary on Saturdays, Sundays and Washington’s Birthday (Monday, February 19)
- No reservation required from February 26 – April 12.
- April 13 – June 30: Reservation on weekends and holidays (May, April) from 5 am to noon.
- July 1 – August 16: Daily, from5AM-4PM,a reservation is required.
- August 17 – October 27: You must reserve in September on weekends and holidays. (Sundays, Sept. II & Oct.-}4)
Reservations for the 2024 dates (April 13 – October) will be available starting on January 5th, at Recreation gov— and it won’t be an ongoing one, everything opens up at the same time for the whole year. More reservations will be available 7 days prior to your arrival at 8 AM Pacific Time. The end-of-the-line spots will be a combination of full-day reservations — with no time restrictions on entry or exit earlier in the day than traditional afternoon windows. More information is available here.
PRO TIP: If you are staying within park boundaries (i.e. at an official lodging or Airbnb in Yosemite West or El Portal), you will not need a reservation beforehand.
First thing: Yes, You’ll Need a Permit to Elope in Yosemite
Yes, You Need a Permit to Elope in Yosemite Starting in 2023, you only need a permit if you want to have some kind of ceremony within the park. However, you should not need a permit if all you are doing is taking portraits or even getting married outside of the park. Ok, ok if you are exchanging vows within Yosemite than total must get a permit through the park’s permit officer. I coach my couples through every bit, so if that sounds overwhelming, relax! I help you with the paper work and the timeline to ensure everything is covered.
When’s the Best Time to Elope in Yosemite?
Do not forget to remember this when planning your Yosemite Elopement. Whether muffled in winter snows, cascading with spring water or enveloped by rich summer greenery and golden autumn hues—the seasonal personality of the cool pines surrounding Yosemite.
But if you push beyond that veil of beauty, each season comes with it’s very own unique headaches and sometimes armaments, hello crowds double yellow lines oh has it snowed in August! Let’s break it down:
Winter
The magic of winter This looks like a dream, and snow all over the valley wow But snow means road closures, too (Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Road will be closed), restricting access to favorites such as Taft Point or Tuolumne Meadows. But on a brighter note, at least you get the most peace in Winter. Best participated in early December and mid-February through March — with tire chains should snowstorms affect road conditions.
Spring
I call it “second winter” or Spring. Most of the park is still closed and will not reopen until May or June. But when the weather warms, the waterfalls pour and it is a green paradise. Remember, road openings can be different from this so look up historical patterns.
Summer
Swaying meadows and soaring.streams. It does mean, however, that the park can get crowded—with 75% of Yosemite’s tourists flocking to Yosemite between May and September. It can get crowded, and you may find yourself fighting traffic or looking for parking but with a regular amount of planning and some care it is possible to maintain solitude. This, however; is wildfire season so no matter how far a fire might be burning the smoke will travel.
Fall
My all time favorite for a Yosemite elopement. Come mid to late October, the crowds have dissipated by then; you’ve already seen El Cap and Lightning Rod. battered but not scorched yet again lower fires risk has been removed from consideration and the valley turned just as beautiful shades of autumn reds in brown tones during that same time period loophole Is a bottle it is fugly! The downside? By now the waterfalls are bone dry, but there’s a nice bounty of fall color to more than make up for it.
What About the Day of the Week?
I highly recommend scheduling your elopement on a weekday. There are less crowds during the week, creating a more intimate experience in Yosemite. Weekends, on the other hand is when this park sees a ton of foot traffic making it easily noticeable more under-capacity and fewer serene little hideaways to call your own. On that same note, Yosemite does not allow weddings to happen on holidays or holiday weekends so if you plan around those it is a must.
Yosemite Elopement Locations
In Yosemite, they have various locations which are available for staging out ceremonies and this varies with the number of guests you may opt to invite. If you elope with 11 people or under (that includes the couple and your photographer), then we can go just about anywhere else in Hawaii together!
This flexibility can mean a world of possibilities, if the location is accessible to an average guest in the park, then it’s probably fair game for your ceremony. One common caveat with these locations (including Taft Point and Glacier point) is, to get a feeling that they are literally unique in your Instagram feed most people even at sunrise!! That is why both viewpoints are high in demand, with incredible views of the fall! If ultimate privacy is important to you, then I think choosing a more obscure location for your vows and using the iconic locations as the perfect backdrop afterwards would be ideal. Just be prepared that those iconic views will probably come with a few other couples getting married too.
Yosemite has turned into an elopement paradise, and I do not write that to take the wind out of your sails but rather to paint a good picture. Do not get me wrong, you absolutely can have an epic elopement here — it’s just going to take a lot of planning and some compromise in what is most important to you.
Pro- tip: When deciding on your Yosemite elopement spot, try to look at it this way— Those iconic views are popular for a reason but that may also mean crowds. If privacy is a higher concern, be prepared to step off the beaten path and that may also mean some tradeoffs in convenience. It is true not only for Yosemite but most destinations in demand.
1. Glacier Point
At sunrise, police the serene and vast landscape seen from Glacier Point with Half-Dome boldly climbing in view. PNG is a more popular choice for elopements, but you might have to share with other hikers and couples. The path is more of a short walk then real hike, but dont let that fool you — it is kind of far and ends up being about 50 minutes from everything after the roads.
Keep in mind; Glacier Point (there are road to Taft Point as well) is open only during summer and before the winter of late fall closes access on park roads. Or indeed (apologies for the pun) if you really must go to THIS place, be prepared and time your trip as not to get caught out.
2. Taft Point
One of the best sunset views in America, Taft is quickly becoming one epic spot for elopements. This view is a knockout, but as crowded with tourists such views are becoming during the early hours and golden hour I would keep this spot handy more so for portraits. The chances are that you’ll have to make room for several other couples, as many as nine on occasion. If you prefer a more intimate celebration, plan to say your vows in the earlier part of the day or perhaps on lil quieter location — such as at sunrise angle next morning Walk the 2-mile round trip Taft Point for sunset views you will never forget.
Note, as with Glacier Point, which closes in late fall until next summer: Taft Point can be accessed only during the warm months. Don’t forget to take into consideration seasonal closures of Taft Point, if it is on your travel list.
3. El Capitan Meadow
El Capitan is inarguably one of the most iconic features in Yosemite Valley where and climbing history is seemingly being made daily (it only second to Half-Dome). A stunning backdrop while getting eloped against this awe-inspired granite wall. And, below the meadow spreads out wide and beautiful allowing you to watch climbers specks marching up and down sheer rock face —occasionally doing their funny triumphant or frustrated calls. Being next to that immense near-vertical wall of El Cap and feeling a speck standing at its base makes you realize just how small we are against nature comment.
The great news? As the Valley is open year-round, if you’re eloping in spring or out of season then there may be less people and tourists around. You can also hover on the edges of Tahoe Meadows for an equally beautiful experience, but please do not trample off trail in order to protect this precious meadow system from human impact. For a couple who desire the natural beauty along with thrilling experience would want to consider having their wedding in an El Capitan Meadow.
4. Tunnel View
Tunnel View is spectacular. You are driving through a dense forest, only to pop out of a long dark tunnel where the whole Yosemite Valley unravels in front of you. It is a sight which makes you pause and shaggy. The problem is that a lot of other people feel the same, which means Tunnel View can be one big parking situation. More of a roadside pull-off with zero privacy and not exactly an ideal spot for your elopement ceremony.
Nevertheless, it’s well worth a visit for some cool photo. I wouldn’t recommend you reciting your vows at Tunnel View, but it’s a stop that you definitely want to make during your stay in Yosemite.
5. Yosemite Falls
Several beautiful waterfalls reside in Yosemite, but here’s a quick tip – they only exist when the spring and early summer runoffs push them up over their edges. The moments they run, is when magic breathes life back into the park. Simply standing by a waterfall felt so refreshing, with the mist upon my face. Despite these stats though, this is a waterfall that most of Yosemite visitors will be able to get up close and personal with – it’s the park falls closest to a busy road and relatively easy hike.
This makes it an amazing stop when you are in the valley and is a perfect place to cool off, take some great photos of nature’s power. The only caveat is that this beauty follows the weather: Your best bet (when it comes to seeing some serious roaring water and posing for your insta) would definitely be the rainy season!
Lesser-Known Gems
Yosemite, it turns out is very big. So many stunning places to elope that are less crowded. I highly suggest to at least think about some of these not so popular locations for part or all of your elopement. I am not listing them here, as Yosemite itself suffers enough from overcrowding, but for anyone after solitude who can cope with the majesty of a financial predator threatening to claim us all back any day now.
Where to Stay for Your Yosemite Elopement
Yosemite Hotels: Yosemite Valley Lodge, The Ahwahnee
The park has several hotels (some more expensive) Living in the valley has its benefits being right where Teton National Park is located with amazing scenery to match. Nevertheless, unless you are visiting in the high season when there is horrendous traffic to get everywhere.
The Ahwahnee, in the valley itself, represents pure hotel luxury. Yosemite Valley Lodge, lesser priced family-friendly option The park also had lodging known as “glamping” sites such as Curry Village, Housekeeping Camp and Tuolumne Meadows Lodge.
Yosemite Airbnbs
Yosemite has so many great Airbnbs. Pro tip: Unsure how far your Airbnb is from the Yosemite Valley Visitors Center, well whip out Google Maps and compare driving time. If Glacier Point or Taft point is on your list, make sure to stay in Yosemite West. It comes from being within the park and at the base of Glacier Point Road, in a sense avoiding reservation issues.
What Can We Do During Our Yosemite Elopement?
What a great question, because there are so many different things you could do in Yosemite!
What about structuring your day, if you paused to ask each other what are some of their favorite activities. What brings you joy weekly in terms of hobbies or pastimes? How might you incorporate those into your elopement day for a unique experience?
Need some inspiration? Plan a little ahead with the ideas for planning:-
- Hit a Yosemite trail (with 800 to choose from)
- Bike rentals to enter the valley on two legs
- Fast forward to a grove of Giant Sequoias
- Drive the winding roads up Tioga Pass for a different view of Yosemite
- Dance underneath the sky so high
- Kayak along the Merced River
- Take a dip in the hot tub on your Airbnb
- Nettelbosje relax in geen je de stilte op met hangmat node bed ligt
- Practice yoga in nature
- Capture the surrounding beauty in sketch or paint form
- Picnic in the views
- Share a cup of tea or coffee
- Hike a section of the John Muir Trail
- Backpack for an adventurous elopement
- Dip your toes in Mirror Lake
- Finish the day off with stargazing
Engage any of these and have a sincere sense of elopement day that embodies your favourite things as couple.
