Mom Seeking Planning Tips to Yosimite And/or Yellowstone

Hi A.,

I've been to both Yosemite and Yellowstone and both are beautiful. However I can confidently say that you are more likely to see an eagle at Yellowstone than you are in Yosemite. I've been to Yosemite many times (my mother lives 16 miles outside of the south entrance) and Yellowstone only once. In all the times I've been to Yosemite I've never seen an eagle but the one time I went to Yellowstone I got to see a nest with babies and two adults. Where you want to stay will depend on what entrance you are at and what time of year you go. You can go to the following website www://nps.gov/yell and it will take you to the National Park Services website for Yellowstone. You can also find Yosemite on the nps.gov website. Good luck and I hope you have a great time whichever trip you decide to take!

I don't have any suggestions regarding the park, though have recently been informed that there is a website where you can observe a family of eagles and babies in their own environment. If you search "eagle cam", I believe it will be near the top of the list. If he has access the the web, this may be entertaining for him! Good luck!

I highly suggest bathing in or spraying on Avon's skin so soft product. It smells great and is the best bug repellent.

I have been to Yosemite many times and it's wonderful. Most everything is within driving distance and there are incredible vistas. The highlights within the valley are: Glacier Point, Yosemite Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Ribbon Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan, and of course the Merced River. There are also some short hikes to see more waterfalls, but they are all steep elevation and quite exhausting to hike. There is a tram ride out of Curry Village that is quite nice and gives the history of Yosemite Valley. Also, Yosemite Village has a nice nature center, shops, etc.
Nice places to stay in Yosemite are: Yosemite Lodge and the Ahwahnee. There is also the Wawona Lodge about a 1/2-3/4 of an hour away from the valley. However, these places can be quite pricey, so staying outside the park is always an option.
To be honest, I have hiked most of the park and never seen an eagle. I have, however, seen many bears. They are like fleas in the valley. Please make sure you pull all food out of your vehicle before you go anywhere and store it in a metal food locker. Bears will destroy your vehicle to get at a wadded up piece of chewing gum. No joke!!!
The park also offers a lot of free nature tours offered by rangers. I am confident that one of them would know where you could go to see an eagle in the park if there is one.
The area up near Tioga is also incredibly beautiful. Lots of meadows, wildflowers, and flowing rivers. Be sure you get the Ansel Adams CD while you drive around the park. The music is inspirational and really fits the beauty of the park.

I have been to Yosemite several times and it is wonderful. I have also been to Yellowstone a handful of times, which is also beautiful. If you are looking for wild life, Yellowstone is the place to go. Yellowstone is also a little easier to find lodging. The only place I have ever seen a a bald eagle was in Kalamith, Oregon and Northern California. If you go to Yellowstone, you can travel through this way. Yellowstone is also next to the Grand Tetons which are amazing. I think your dad would really enjoy either place. I have traveled to several National Parks with my dad! If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me directly!

D.

I think you might have a better chance at seeing eagles in Yellowstone than at Yosemite. Check out http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/w_life.html for Yellowstone wildlife information.

About 80% of the US population of eagles can actually be found in Alaska, but if that is not a reasonable destination for you, then Yellowstone might work.

Both parks are wonderful. I wish I was planing a trip to either. During the summer both can get quite warm. Or quite cool with a sudden storm. As far as wildlife viewing, Yellowstone is the best of any park I know of. Camping is fun, but dirty and tiring. If you must, then I suggest you also plan to try out the park lodges, which are great. When I go, I stay at several different ones as I travel across the park. That way I get to see a lot more and rest and enjoy each new area. Staying in the lodges requires reservations long in advance, camp sites also require advance reservations. Check out the park websites which give you all kinds of information about what to do there as well as important updates on stuff like road constrution, fires, and traffic conditions. Geeze, there is so much to see and do in either park it would be impossibe to tell you half of it here. Hiking in either park is so beautiful, and both have lots of easy trails. In Yellowstone bring LOTS of bug spray. A quick synopsis: Yellowstone- amazing geo-thermal activity (geysers),large heards of elk, and buffalo, grizzly bears, and Yellowstone falls. You should also plan to see The Grand Teton park just a few miles from the south border of the Yellowstone. It's SO beautiful you just wouldn't want to miss it being that close. Yosemite: Yosemite valley, half dome, the giant sequoia grove and the alpine meadows. I have only seen eagles in Yellowstone. Actually, bald eagles, because they like to fish and Yellowstone has lots of lakes and standing water. Sigh, I wish I could go with you.

Hi A.,

The last time I visited the Yosemite area (in 2006) my family and I saw a bald eagle on the 4th of July. What a blessing that was! Actually, we saw the eagle twice. Once at a lake and later on a short hike up in the high country. I have seen a bald eagle at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park in Washington, and I have seen an eagle flying high in the sky on the country roads of Idaho. We were on our way to Yellowstone at the time. Our best eagle siting was in Yosemite though, he was really close. As for animals, Yellowstone is wonderful for that, we saw Bison, Moose and Elk.

As for places to stay in Yosemite, the valley might be easier for your father. The valley is pretty flat and fairly easy to get around, but that is not where the eagles hang out. Plus, you need to make reservations a year in advance to stay in the valley, but there might be some openings at the Wawona Hotel. May is a good time to go as most of the snow is melted and the waterfalls are very full. Here is a link to lodging in the area: http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/
Here is a link to a rustic resort in the high county:
http://www.tiogapassresort.com/
They are very friendly at Tioga Pass and ready to answer questions you have. This is where our family likes to stay. Last time we had a cabin with a porch and it was wonderful to just sit and enjoy the mountains.

I hope this helps.
God bless,
B.