Yosemite National Park is 60 miles north of Fresno on Highway 41 — about 1.5 hours' drive under good conditions. Fresno serves as one of the main gateway cities; many visitors flying into Fresno Yosemite International Airport base themselves here and make the day trip rather than staying inside the park, where accommodation is expensive and limited.
The park's main valley is the destination for most day-trippers: a 7-mile glacial valley floor under sheer 3,000-foot granite walls, with Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, and El Capitan all visible from a single lookout point. In summer, the valley is very crowded — day visitors need a reservation to enter. In spring (April–May), the waterfalls are at maximum flow from snowmelt and the crowds are lighter. The Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias near the south entrance is accessible by shuttle from the Wawona area; the giant trees require no reservation.
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are an alternative gateway trip, reached via Highway 180 east from Fresno — about the same distance and equally spectacular, with far fewer visitors.