Leave Sweetwater early
6:30–7:00Get moving before Valley parking turns into the dumbest part of the day.
Walk 0 miIncline noneHwy 120Big Oak Flat
Overall Map
Use this as a planning map, not a navigation map. Saturday is Sweetwater to Yosemite Valley, with Sentinel/Cathedral Beach as the water anchor. Sunday alternates branch north to Hetch Hetchy, east to Tenaya Lake, south to Glacier Point, or straight west toward Alameda.
Grocery Order Split
Costco is for the bulk grill staples and water. Safeway is for smaller perishables, ice, condiments, and anything where Costco pack sizes would become camp cleanup comedy.
Last checked 2026-08-20 11:00 PDT. Costco Same-Day links showed live item cards for 94501 delivery. Safeway was logged in for Alameda / South Shore pickup, but its product grid was stuck, so Safeway links are exact searches rather than verified item cards.
Costco
- Kirkland St. Louis spare ribs About 8.5 lb pack, live check ~$38.55 at ~$4.53/lb. Better size than the 9.1 lb loin back ribs unless the group wants maximum ribs. Open Costco ribs
- Kirkland fresh chicken party wings About 6.9 lb pack, live check ~$21.87 at ~$3.17/lb. The air-chilled pack is bigger at about 8.3 lb for ~$26.31. Open Costco wings
- Kirkland ground beef patties 18-count, 1/3 lb patties, live check $32.56. Good no-brain grill option. Open Costco beef patties
- Impossible veggie burger patties 10-count, 4 oz patties, live check $12.47 sale. Best vegetarian grill item found. Open Costco veggie burgers
- Hamburger buns Bimbo sesame 12-count live check $4.76, or St. Pierre brioche two-pack live check $5.32 sale. Open Costco buns
- Kirkland purified water 40-count 16.9 fl oz bottles, live check $4.53. Obvious Costco win. Open Costco water
- Snacks / chips Use Costco only if the group wants party-size bags or variety packs. Otherwise push to Safeway. Open Costco chips
- Eggs if breakfast needs them Organic pasture-raised large eggs, 24-count, live check $9.52. Skip if breakfast is not egg-heavy. Open Costco eggs
Safeway
- Asparagus Costco Same-Day showed no asparagus result, so this belongs at Safeway. Open Safeway asparagus
- Tomatoes, normal quantity Costco tomatoes are mostly 1.5-5 lb packs. Use Safeway unless the group wants lots of tomato. Open Safeway tomatoes
- Mushrooms, normal quantity Costco mushrooms are 24 oz. Safeway is better if this is just a grill side. Open Safeway mushrooms
- Sliced cheese Costco cheese is 2 lb+ territory. Safeway if only burgers need cheese. Open Safeway sliced cheese
- Condiments Ketchup, mustard, mayo, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, pickles. Buy normal bottles instead of pantry-commitment sizes. Open Safeway condiments
- Ice Get close to departure so it is still ice when it matters. Open Safeway ice
- Saturday picnic lunch top-ups Sandwich bread or wraps, deli/cheese, fruit, chips if not bought at Costco, and a trash bag. Open Safeway picnic lunch
- Last-minute perishables Anything fragile, small, or preference-specific goes here: salad greens, fruit, dips, coffee creamer, drinks mixers. Open Safeway top-ups
Saturday Main Plan
Drag to reorder
Park once in Yosemite Valley
8:00–8:45Aim for Yosemite Village / Valley parking, then switch to walking and shuttle mode.
Walk 0.1–0.4 miIncline flatBathroomsNo timed entry in 2026
Cook's Meadow Loop
8:45–10:00Flat, short, very Yosemite. Half Dome, meadow views, and no fake-hard hiking cosplay.
Walk ~1 miIncline flatBathrooms nearbyViews
Village reset
10:00–11:00Coffee, snacks, restrooms, water refill, sunscreen reapplication. Boring and essential.
Walk 0.1–0.3 miIncline flatBathroomsSupplies
Lower Yosemite Fall walk
11:00–12:30Optional scenic walk. Falls may be basically dry in late summer, so treat this as wall-gazing.
Walk ~1 miIncline flatBathrooms nearbyOptional
Sentinel or Cathedral Beach picnic
12:30–3:30The anchor. Lunch, towels, sandals, feet in the Merced, and zero urgency.
Walk 0.1–0.5 miIncline flatBathrooms nearbyFeet in waterPicnic
Mirror Lake if the group rallies
3:30–5:00Easy 2-mile round trip. If everyone is sunk into river mode, leave this card right here and ignore it.
Walk ~2 miIncline gentleBathrooms at trailheadOptional
Golden-hour Valley pullouts
5:00–7:30El Capitan Meadow, Valley View, maybe Tunnel View if traffic hasn't lost its mind.
Walk 0.2–1 miIncline flat/gentleBathrooms varyPhotos
Alternates
Drag into Saturday or Sunday
Tenaya Lake water day
Half-day+Best alpine water option if Tioga Road timing works. Great swimming/picnic energy, worse for Alameda exit.
Walk 0.1–1 miIncline flatBathrooms seasonalWater bestExtra driving
Hetch Hetchy quick visit
1–2 hrGood Sunday add-on from the Groveland side. Reservoir views, short walk, then point the car home.
Walk 0.5–1 miIncline mildBathrooms near damNo wading
Glacier Point drive
2–4 hrBig view payoff with limited walking. Use only if the group prefers overlooks over river time.
Walk 0.2–1 miIncline mildBathroomsDrive heavy
Skip the extra stop
SundaySlow breakfast, clean pack-up, leave without pretending Sunday has to become a second vacation.
Walk 0 miIncline noneBathrooms at camp/road stopsAlameda friendly