How many days in Yosemite the first week in April

We are planning to visit Yosemite the first week in April- second time for me and my wife, first time for kids (11 and 9).

We are planning to camp in the valley, but aren%26#39;t sure how many days to stay since some of the park will be inaccessible. I found several suggested one and two day itineraries, but nothing for around four days.

Any suggestions for length of stay and/or suggested multi-day itineraries for early April?

mtb

How many days in Yosemite the first week in April

When planning a visit to a place like Yosemite, you can think on two wavelengths: sightseeing and vacationing. Sightseeing involves seeing all there is to see; vacationing means relaxing and enjoying them for awhile.

It%26#39;s true that there are fewer things to see in the winter (since April is still winter in the high country), but there%26#39;s still plenty to see and even more to enjoy. Just the act of camping together is a great experience.

In terms of sightseeing, you will want to take in all the sights of the valley itself, including hikes into Vernal Falls, MIrror Lake, and of course Yosemite and Bridal Veil Falls. You can also bring or rent bikes and do the wonderful bike trail; if you bring your own, you can also bike further down the valley and spend some time exploring the meadow below El Capitan. (This is off the bike trail so rental bikes aren%26#39;t allowed.)

If Badger Pass is still open, you could take the bus up there for some snowshoeing, skiing or sledding. Then of course, you need to see the Big Trees. If the Mariposa Grove isn%26#39;t open yet, then you%26#39;ll want to take the 1 mile hike down into the Tuolumne Grove. And at night inthe valley, the Curry Village Skating rink could still be open. (Juday from this site recommends going to the Yosemite website and checking out the archives for ';Yosemite Today'; to see when openings and closures have occurred in the past)

And plan on spending some time at the Ahwahnee- we like to ride our bikes there inthe morning for breakfast or lunch (it%26#39;s more casual in the daytime)

So, to me, you still have a good 2-3 days of sightseeing, which could easily stretch into 4 if you include a little vacation down time in your itinerary.