Yosemite National Park: A guide for beginners

Some tips for visiting Yosemite: -Park at a visitor center and hop on a free shuttle bus that will take you around the park. It'll save you time, gas (which can be mind-bogglingly expensive the closer you get to the park), and effort, and you can relax and enjoy the views rather than worry about the traffic. -Cell service can be spotty-- don't rely on getting a signal for maps/directions, communicating with pals, or posting that epic shot of Glacier Point. Pack a paper map, just in case. -Since you're in a valley, things will be a little cooler than you might expect. Even in the summer, you might want to pack a sweatshirt along with your shades and sunscreen.

It's about an hour drive from Yosemite Valley to the famous overlook at Glacier Point, but it's one of the most incredible overlooks in the entire country. The walk from the parking lot to the lookout is short and paved, but it doesn't matter since the view is literally heart-stopping. If you're afraid of heights, seriously, be careful, you're three thousand feet above the valley, and can see forever; some find it pretty intense.

Bridalveil Fall is a year-round feature of the park, and is one of the more popular waterfalls in Yosemite. You can hike to it, or appreciate it from afar. However, it's totally worth the hike, since the Ahwahneechee tribe, who lived in the valley, believed that inhaling its mist would improve your chances of marriage. Then again, they also reportedly believed that those leaving the valley couldn't look directly into them, lest they be cursed by the demon guarding the valley.

Yosemite Falls offers yet another iconic view. The park's tallest and most imposing waterfall (and the 6th tallest in the world) is actually made of three drops, each more powerful than the last. It's at its peak in the spring when snow melt and rain swell the flow. You can see it from all over the park, but hiking up to it really highlights how massive it is.

Half Dome is one of the park's most challenging hikes, but it requires no actual climbing skills and should be well-marked enough for older kids to complete. It's 17 miles and part of it involves helping yourself along with wooden planks and metal cables. You'll also need a permit. Otherwise, watching hikers make the final ascent from the meadow below is almost as intense.

Set off to see some waterfalls on the lovely Mist Trail. You'll find that it's at its most misty (we're talking rain gear-level misty) in the spring. There's a three mile loop (which takes you to Vernal Fall) and a seven mile loop (which goes on to take you to the top of Nevada Falls). If you have the time and the energy, do the whole thing, though, because it's truly an incredible view.