YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Yosemite, with its roughly 1,200 square miles of grandeur, has always been popular. It’s the fifth most-visited of the U.S. national parks, with more than 4 million people entering its gates each year. That places it higher on the list than Yellowstone, (No. 6), which many people consider the country’s signature park.

And Yosemite’s influence continues to grow. The acclaimed film "Valley Uprising" delighted audiences with the raucous tale of the park’s essential role in the history of rock climbing. And when Alex Honnold scaled El Capitan with no safety gear, something National Geographic dubbed “the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport,” the park’s jaw-dropping beauty was broadcast to a whole new audience worldwide.

If you’re planning a visit of your own, the National Park Service’s website is an excellent place to start. You’ll find information on permits, fees, pets, food, weather conditions and safety advisories. You can also download a free travel guide and a hiking map.

Included below are five additional suggestions that might help make your next visit to the park a memorable one.

Plan your lodging

Yosemite isn’t the type of place where you can just roll in unannounced and expect to find a great place to stay. Whether you’re looking for a campsite or a hotel room, you need to schedule and book in advance. Here’s a helpful lodging resource from the National Park Service website.

Don’t get distracted

The amount of people visiting Yosemite is only topped by the sheer number of animals living in the park. So stay alert whenever you’re behind the wheel and resist the temptation to stare at the beautiful scenery or speed along the windy roads. Collisions with vehicles, people and animals is the No. 2 cause of fatalities in the park.

Walk to Bridal Veil Falls

Visitors from Utah are often intrigued by this picturesque waterfall that bears the same name as the famous waterfall in Provo Canyon. Turns out, there are a couple dozen different “Bridal Veil Falls” in the U.S. Yosemite’s version is one of the prettiest, and it's just a short walk from the parking lot for you to get up close and personal with it.

People love to say things like, “If you don’t like the weather in (insert location), just wait a minute and it’ll change.” Yosemite definitely fits this description, as the temperature can vary wildly during any given day. Prep for this by wearing layers of breathable clothing that you can comfortably cycle through as the temperature rises or drops.

Venture out of the valley

There’s a reason Ansel Adams spent so much time photographing the Yosemite Valley. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. However, the valley accounts for less than 1 percent of the park’s area, yet 95 percent of visitors spend all their time there. Once you broaden your range, you’ll encounter even more stunning scenery with nary a crowd in sight.

Do you have any tips or recommendations for visiting Yosemite National Park? Let us know in the comments.

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