Over the past few years, I’ve been able to experience some of America’s greatest national parks. I’ve seen black bears in the Great Smoky Mountains, found accessible hiking trails in Shenandoah, sat in awe of the Grand Canyon, rolled on the famous Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park, and more. But despite how incredible other national parks are, nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of wheelchair accessible Yosemite National Park. Without a doubt, I can say that Yosemite National Park is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever visited.
Recently, I stayed in Tuolumne County and was able to experience Yosemite National Park, and more of the county, over the course of a couple fun-filled days. From staying in a wheelchair accessible villa to rolling on accessible trails and even riding through Yosemite on an open-air wheelchair-friendly tram, my time in Yosemite and the surrounding area was exceptional and something I’ll never forget.
If you are interested in visiting Yosemite National Park as a wheelchair user, I have everything you need to know in my blog post below. I’ll start by telling you all about wheelchair accessible Yosemite National Park attractions and trails, and then I’ll talk about other accessible things to do near Yosemite, and finally I’ll tell you all about where I stayed (seriously, it was one of the best stays of my life!!). By the time you finish reading this blog, you should be fully prepared to explore Yosemite as a wheelchair user!

Wheelchair Accessible Yosemite National Park
While I was in Tuolumne County for a few days, I had about a day and a half devoted to exploring as much of Yosemite as I could. You could absolutely spend more than one day in Yosemite, and I would actually encourage planning a few days for Yosemite because the park is huge, but I certainly saw the highlights and fell in love with Yosemite National Park in the 1.5 days that I had in the park. Let’s talk about how I made the most of my time there!

Yosemite gets extremely busy during peak season (summer), so finding accessible parking spots can be tricky. That’s why I opted to use alternative transportation options for getting in and out of the park. On the morning of our visit, my mom and I drove our accessible rental van to Rush Creek Lodge, which is very close to the park’s entrance. At Rush Creek Lodge, there is a YARTS bus station. What does YARTS stand for, you ask? It’s the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System and it can take you into the park.

All YARTS buses are wheelchair accessible with a lift and tie-downs to secure your chair. I would recommend making a reservation online in advance of your visit though just to ensure that you will get the accessible spot if you need it. You can make a reservation on the YARTS website here.


From Rush Creek Lodge’s YARTS bus station to Yosemite Valley Lodge, where our Yosemite adventures started, it was about an hour and a half ride. The YARTS bus was really comfortable throughout the entire ride though and I was able to take in the amazing views through the large windows. Along the ride, I saw waterfalls, giant mountains, and I was constantly on the lookout for wildlife. It was a beautiful ride and I loved that YARTS made it so easy for us to get into the park without having to drive our accessible vehicle!

Once we arrived to Yosemite Valley Lodge, I exited the YARTS bus via the lift and it was time to start our adventure in Yosemite! Since we had a limited amount of time in the park, we decided to take a tour to see the highlights. One of the most accessible, and most unique, tour options is the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour.
The Yosemite Valley Floor Tour is two hours long and takes place in an open-air tram during the summer season. The tram is wheelchair accessible with a lift, so I was able to sit in the back and take in the spectacular views without a roof in my way. This was my first time ever in an open-air vehicle, so I was pretty excited! The driver also used tie-down straps to secure my wheelchair.

As we rode along in the tram, a park ranger told us all about what we were seeing and he explained the history of the park. He was super knowledgeable and I learned a lot about Yosemite over the course of the two hour tour, but the real highlights of the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour were the many jaw-dropping views. We saw iconic sights like Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan, and more.


The tram tour made a couple stops as well, where I was given the option to exit the tram for a few minutes for photo ops. Our first stop was at Bridalveil Falls, which is over 600 feet tall. Since I could easily see the falls from the tram though, I opted to just stay onboard during this stop. We still took plenty of great photos of this gorgeous area.

The next stop was at Tunnel View, which is one of the most iconic views of the scenery in Yosemite National Park. I really wanted the best possible photo op and views in this location, so I did get off the tram for about 15 minutes at Tunnel View and it was simply remarkable. The views were better than I could’ve ever imagined and the pictures below definitely don’t do it justice. This is a view that needs to be seen in-person to be believed.


The Yosemite Valley Floor Tour was a perfect introduction to the park and I would highly recommend doing it as soon as you enter the park, so that you can get acquainted with the park’s sights and layout. The tram tour costs $40 per adult and $28 per child, and reservations should be made in advance. You can make your reservation for the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour by clicking here.
At the end of the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour, we were dropped off back at the Yosemite Valley Lodge. It was time for lunch, so we decided to eat at the lodge. The Yosemite Valley Lodge has a food court with a variety of options and there is a full Starbucks as well. I opted for a latte and a sandwich from Starbucks, but no matter what kind of food you’re in the mood for, you are sure to find something yummy here.

If you want some souvenirs to commemorate your trip to Yosemite National Park, a large souvenir store is located across from the food court at Yosemite Valley Lodge. The store has every kind of souvenir that you can imagine. I bought a magnet and a Christmas ornament, both of which I try to get in every destination I visit.
Now that we had eaten lunch and found some souvenirs, we were refueled and ready to explore more of Yosemite. Luckily, Yosemite has some wheelchair accessible trails and one of the most accessible trails is just a short 5-minute walk/roll from Yosemite Valley Lodge. This accessible trail is the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail. From this wheelchair accessible trail, you can see Yosemite Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in North America.

The eastern portion of the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail is completely paved and wheelchair accessible. It is about a half mile to the base of the falls and along the path, there are a couple of steeper sections, but everything is smooth and paved. I had no issues in my powered wheelchair, but if you use a manual wheelchair, you may need a bit of a push at one section.
From the end of the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, there is a footbridge, which is accessible, and from this point, I could feel the mist from Yosemite Falls while taking in the amazing views. I sat and watched the falls for quite a while, and took about a million photos of the falls. This trail is definitely a necessity for any accessible trip to Yosemite.


I have heard great things about other accessible trails in Yosemite and you can learn about more wheelchair-friendly trail options here. Since I had a fairly limited amount of time in Yosemite, I didn’t check any of the other accessible trails out. If you’d like to though, you can use the free Yosemite Valley shuttles to get around in the park. All Yosemite Valley shuttles are wheelchair accessible and have tie-down straps to secure a wheelchair. You can learn more about Yosemite Valley shuttles (and their routes) by clicking here.

Our next stop within the park was Yosemite Village and it was only about a 15 minute walk/roll from the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail. In Yosemite Village, you’ll find the Yosemite Museum, dining options, a theater, and more. It’s an expansive area and you can easily spend a couple hours experiencing it.
We started by watching a film about Yosemite National Park in Yosemite Village’s theater. The film explained the history of the park and I really enjoyed learning more about it. The theater was accessible and had wheelchair seating areas. Next, we checked out the museum, where we learned even more about the park’s offerings and the museum was completely wheelchair accessible as well.

By the time that we finished exploring Yosemite Village, it was time to leave the park for the day. We hopped back on the YARTS bus, which drove us back to Rush Creek Lodge, where our accessible rental van was parked. It was a phenomenal day in Yosemite National Park, but we were able to return to the park the next morning and see a bit more.
The next morning, we drove our accessible rental van to Hetch Hetchy, which is a part of Yosemite National Park. To get to Hetch Hetchy, you do need to drive your own vehicle because the park shuttles and YARTS buses don’t go here. From the Yosemite National Park entrance near Rush Creek Lodge, it takes about 45-60 minutes to drive to Hetch Hetchy. The road is completely paved, but quite bumpy, so do be prepared for that if you have poor upper body or neck control.


Hetch Hetchy is a beautiful reservoir and water system, and the water from here is the primary water source for 2.7 million residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s dammed by the O’Shaughnessy Dam, which is 430 feet tall. It is a gorgeous sight and definitely worth checking out.

There were accessible parking spots near the dam and the viewing area near the dam was paved and easy to access. Plaques were on display and they told about the history of Hetch Hetchy, which was interesting to learn about. We spent about 30 minutes admiring the incredible views of Hetch Hetchy and even saw a vibrant rainbow at one point (see it in the photo below).

Throughout our time in Yosemite National Park, I was constantly in awe of the beauty. Honestly, I never knew that a place could be this beautiful and Yosemite certainly gave me a greater appreciation for national parks, and the outdoors in general! After visiting Yosemite, I fully believe that this is a destination that absolutely everyone needs to experience in their lifetime.
Watch the short video below of my wheelchair accessible day in Yosemite!
Other Accessible Things to Do in Tuolumne County
Most of my time in Tuolumne County was spent exploring Yosemite National Park, but I did have a chance to see a bit more of the county as well. Tuolumne County’s largest city is Sonora and over half of Yosemite is in the county. There are many interesting and wheelchair accessible things to do in the county, so let’s talk about a few of them.

You could start by rolling around the historic Gold Rush town of Groveland. In downtown Groveland, there are shops, restaurants, and saloons. Many of the businesses in downtown Groveland are accessible, but I did notice a few that had steps to enter. The downtown area is really just one street and not huge, so you can easily see it in an hour or so. You could also visit the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum, which details the area’s natural and cultural history.
In Groveland, I also visited and had lunch at Around the Horn Brewing Company. This brewery had a variety of draft beers with creative names like “Gold Mines & Tan Lines” and “Hetch Hetchy Haze”, just to name a couple. Around the Horn had some delicious food as well and I really loved the pretzels with beer cheese for an appetizer and the brisket sandwich for my entree. The brewery is easily wheelchair accessible and has an accessible companion-care restroom.

If you’re looking for another great restaurant in Tuolumne County, I’d highly recommend the Rush Creek Tavern, which is located inside Rush Creek Lodge. After exploring Yosemite National Park all day, we had dinner at the tavern and it was seriously one of our favorite meals in months!

For an appetizer, we had spinach artichoke dip and crispy fried cauliflower. Both were delicious, but the cauliflower was by far the best fried cauliflower I’ve ever eaten… and the portion was huge! For my entree, I had the BBQ chicken flatbread and ended up eating the entire thing. It was so good, I just couldn’t stop eating it.

One last attraction that we were able to experience in Tuolumne County was the train at Railtown 1897 State Park. Railtown 1897 is located in Jamestown and in addition to the train, you can visit a working roundhouse, shops, and a movie museum here since many movies and TV shows (including “Little House on the Prairie”) were filmed in this area.

Every Saturday and Sunday between April and September, you can ride on the historic Sierra Railway through California’s Gold Country. The train ride lasts for 45 minutes and goes for about six miles. Tickets start at $23 per adult and can be reserved in advance online.


The train is accessible for most wheelchairs. A lift was available to get me onboard, but the trickiest part happened once I got on the train. To get to the wheelchair accessible seating area, I had to roll through a narrow door. My powered wheelchair fit through it perfectly, but if my chair would’ve been an inch wider, there’s no way it would fit. My wheelchair is 24 inches wide, so as long as the width of your wheelchair is 24 inches or less, you should be good.

The train ride at Railtown 1897 was a lot of fun and if you can do it, I’d certainly suggest it. It was a unique experience and I loved checking out some of Tuolumne County’s accessible offerings during my trip!
Where to Stay: Firefall Ranch
For my time in Tuolumne County, I stayed at the gorgeous Firefall Ranch. Having just opened in May 2024, it is one of the newest places to stay near Yosemite National Park (just a 20 minute drive from the park’s entrance). Firefall Ranch isn’t your average hotel though… the property is made up of numerous cottages and villas, so you can enjoy a private and luxurious stay.

We stayed in a 3 bedroom wheelchair accessible villa and without a doubt, it was one of the best places I’ve ever stayed. Firefall Ranch also has accessible one bedroom cottages and accessible two bedroom cottages if you’d prefer something smaller.

Our villa was a full cabin and wheelchair accessible. On the lower level, there were two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and in the most wheelchair-friendly bedroom, the bed was 24 inches tall and had plenty of clearance underneath for a hoyer lift or hoist. It was spacious as well, so I could easily maneuver around.

In one of the bathrooms (the one by the most accessible bedroom), there was a roll-in shower with smooth entry, a pull-under sink, and grab bars. The bathroom really couldn’t have been more perfect for my accessibility needs.


In the living area of the villa, there was a fireplace and a dining table with a mini kitchen. There was also a staircase, which led to the upper level. On the upper level, there was another bedroom with two twin beds. The upper level isn’t wheelchair accessible, but since everything, except for that one bedroom, is on the lower level, I didn’t mind.


One of my favorite parts of the villa was the outdoor deck. It was easily accessible and I was impressed with how large it was. I really enjoyed sitting out on the deck and relaxing. It was a perfect way to end the day after exploring Yosemite.

Firefall Ranch has a full store connected to the lobby with food, drinks, and plenty of souvenirs. There are also outdoor pools and they do have access lifts, so if you want to get into the water, you definitely can.

If you’re looking for a great place to eat, Firefall Ranch has that as well! There is a more formal restaurant on-site or a tavern with more casual foods. I only had a chance to eat at The Tavern during my stay, but it was fantastic. I had the “corn ribs” for an appetizer, which was corn with Aleppo-lime butter and citrus herb Greek yogurt (similar to elote, if you’ve had that). And for my entree, I chose the Wagyu burger, which was tasty!

I really can’t imagine staying anywhere else for a trip to Yosemite. Firefall Ranch was perfection and made our overall Yosemite experience even more memorable. If you want to have the best Yosemite trip ever, look no further than Firefall Ranch. You can learn more about the property and check rates here.

This trip to Yosemite National Park was one of my favorite trips in a long time and it really gave me a greater appreciation for nature, and traveling in general. It was a remarkable experience and I am so happy that Yosemite is a destination that everyone, including wheelchair users, can enjoy. If you haven’t already visited Yosemite, I am urging you to make a plan and go. And even if you have visited Yosemite in the past, there’s always more to see! In fact, I am already looking forward to my next trip to wheelchair accessible Yosemite National Park.
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*Thank you to Visit California and Visit Tuolumne County for working with me on this trip and showing me the best of wheelchair accessible Yosemite National Park! While my experiences were complimentary, all opinions expressed are authentic and my own.
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Hey Cory, first time commenter, love your blog and just curious when did this trip happen?
Thank you,
Ted
This was in June 2024
Hello 🙂
What is the best season to visit Yosemite?