Sep 22 (Tue) — San Francisco → Yosemite

Stay: Cabin — Wawona · check-in 4:00–11:30 PM

Logistics

06:45 PDT Depart the Airbnb with LK and drive to SFO
~07:15 PDT Drop LK at SFO for her 08:48 PDT flight to Kansas City: booking; the group then heads to Yosemite
LK stays at Hotel Phillips Kansas City for JNUC 2026, Sep 22–25
SFO → Yosemite: take US-101 south to SR-92 east over the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, then I-880/CA-238/I-580 east and Hwy 120 via Oakdale, ~4 hrs to the Valley
The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge is toll-free eastbound. FasTrak charges this bridge in the westbound direction only; no toll is due on this route. A navigation reroute over another Bay bridge could have different toll rules
Check out of the Airbnb by 11 AM
Groceries and a full tank in Oakdale — last supermarket; Wawona has a small store. No gas in the Valley; in-park pumps at Crane Flat (Hwy 120) and Wawona (by the store), 24 h pay-at-pump
Wawona host notified Sep 19: estimated arrival approximately 8:00 PM
Entrance pass: planned daytime entry at Big Oak Flat; show the digital pass and MS's photo ID, ask the ranger for a physical pass, and carry the printed PDF in case an entrance is unstaffed

Menu: parks_sights.md. Route runs west→east into the Valley, then out via the Wawona road so Tunnel View comes at sunset.

~11:30 AM Enter via Big Oak Flat (Hwy 120); down into the Valley
Midday Bridalveil Fall (5-min walk) → lunch in Yosemite Village
Afternoon Lower Yosemite Falls loop (1 mile) or rest; falls may be dry
~5:00 PM Cook's Meadow Loop — 1 mile, flat, Half Dome in warm light; ~40 min. Park at Sentinel Bridge; the loop starts across the road
~5:50 PM El Capitan Meadow on the way out — face lit from the west; 15-min stop. Northside Drive is one-way west, so there is no second pass. Two pullouts beside the meadow, in driving order: east end (by the El Capitan Drive crossover) and west end. The El Capitan Picnic Area is before the meadow. If both pullouts are full: continue over Pohono Bridge, east on Southside Drive, stop at Cathedral Beach Picnic Area (El Capitan across the river), then left at the El Capitan Crossover back onto Northside Drive — ~20 min extra. Do not loop for the picnic area; that is ~40 min
~6:15 PM Valley View, a few minutes further on, just before Pohono Bridge; small lot at the viewpoint, 10-min stop
~6:35 PM Tunnel View — arrive 20 min before the ~6:55 PM sunset; lots on both sides
~7:45 PM Wawona check-in — Hwy 41 south ~40 min, then right on Chilnualna Falls Road at the Wawona store, ~2 min to North Wawona. Verify the Booking.com PIN (4317 in the Sep 18 email vs 5937 in the saved confirmation) before leaving coverage; the property door code remains 0517.

Place	Address	Map
Cabin — Wawona	2627 Spelt Road, Wawona, CA 95389 · green house on the left · door code 0517 · wifi `Yosemitecabin` / `!Yosemite!` · host +1 209-347-6333 · staff +1 559-598-0890	37.54718, -119.64746
Bridalveil Fall lot	Southside Drive	37.71954, -119.64932
Sentinel Bridge lot (Cook's Meadow)	Southside Drive, Yosemite Valley	37.74420, -119.58973
El Capitan Meadow — east pullout	Northside Drive, at the El Capitan Drive crossover	37.72708, -119.63033
El Capitan Meadow — west pullout	Northside Drive	37.72453, -119.64089
El Capitan Picnic Area	Northside Drive, before the meadow	37.72818, -119.62057
Cathedral Beach Picnic Area (fallback)	Southside Drive	37.72292, -119.62438
Valley View	Northside Drive, before Pohono Bridge	37.71728, -119.66187
Tunnel View	Wawona Road (Hwy 41)	37.71557, -119.67689