LONG before sustainability measures and go-green campaigns, there was John Muir. The efforts of this dedicated naturalist led to the establishment of Yosemite National Park in 1890.

As one of America’s top national parks, Yosemite receives approximately 4 million visitors per year. Its granite cliffs, lush valleys and spectacular waterfalls provide jaw-dropping scenery. From staying at the prestigious Ahwahnee Lodge and strolling along the valley’s paved trails, to camping in the backcountry and hiking the High Sierra, Yosemite offers activities to suit all levels of adventurousness.

With 1,200 square miles of wilderness, it would take weeks if not months to explore the far corners of Yosemite. After making the half-day drive from major cities along the California coast, most visitors only have time to spend a long weekend here. Having been on similar road trips myself as a former resident of the Golden State, here are tips on how to make the most of a few days in the park.

Entering Yosemite from the south on Highway 41, it’s a step back into time at the first major stop, Wawona. The local park visitor center is housed in the former art studio and gallery of 19th-century painter Thomas Hill. Next door is a National Historic Landmark, the European-style Wawona hotel, with its Victorian architecture and fountain-graced grounds.

A short walk down the hill is the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, where a covered bridge, wagon and stagecoach displays, and narrated blacksmith demonstrations bring Wild West history alive. Numerous historical buildings include homes, a barn, an office, cabins, a bakery, a bank and even a jail. The most exciting activity is the stagecoach ride. Though the ride is dusty and bumpy, the clip-clop of the horses galloping across the covered bridge will echo in your mind long after you have left the center.

Continuing to head north on Highway 41, the main road reaches Mariposa Grove, home to Yosemite’s most numerous cluster of giant sequoias. Five hundred of these silent sentinels of the forest grow here, and many of the most interesting can be seen on a self-guided tour (e.g., the 2,700-year-old Grizzly Giant with its 7-foot-diameter limb, or the hollowed-out California Tunnel Tree, through which visitors can walk). The shortest hike is 0.8 miles each way from the parking lot, so be prepared with water and good walking shoes, or take the one-hour tram tour that runs from late spring until early fall.

Glacier Point is a 32-mile round trip detour off of the highway into Yosemite, but the extra hour to an hour and a half of driving will yield not-to-be-missed views of the valley. From a height of 7,214 feet, the panoramic vistas include Half Dome, the high country and many of the park’s most famous waterfalls: Vernal, Yosemite and Nevada.

It’s a stunning place to watch the sunset, and wildlife such as deer and ground squirrels frequent the area. Glacier Point was also the starting point of the former Firefall tradition, during which burning embers were allowed to drop 3,000 feet to the valley floor in resemblance of a fiery waterfall. Firefall, deemed an unnatural event and the cause of overcrowding, was discontinued in 1968.

Right after exiting the tunnel leading into the park is Tunnel View Lookout. The classic backdrop of Yosemite Valley, including El Capitan, Half Dome, Cathedral Spires and Bridalveil Fall, is like a postcard come to life.

From Tunnel View the road heads downward into Yosemite Valley. It has been a fairly full day already, so for those who have planned ahead and are staying in the valley itself (the park accommodations are often booked far in advance), it is a good time to rest up for tomorrow’s valley explorations.

Accommodations here vary from the Curry Village canvas tent cabins to the upscale Ahwahnee Lodge.

The next day is devoted to exploring the heart of the park. Here is where most visitors spend the bulk of their time: Yosemite Valley. The scenery is so stunning that nearly everyone reaches for their cameras; no wonder Ansel Adams chose Yosemite as the subject of many of his photographs.

Starting from the east side of the circular road that leads through the valley, the first stop will be Bridalveil Fall, drifting down a short hike from the parking lot. Proceeding onward, the craggy Cathedral Rocks are on the right, and El Capitan towers over its namesake meadow on the left. Near Sentinel Beach and Swinging Bridge, popular settings for wedding ceremonies, Half Dome is mirrored in the Merced River.

After passing Yosemite Chapel on the right, park at the bustling Yosemite Village. Here the main visitor center, through exhibits and a film, provides an overview of the park’s geology, his­tory and flora and fauna. Next door, the compact Yosemite Museum displays artifacts from the local Native American tribes, the Paiute and Miwok. Guests can meander through a village replica, peruse a timeline of a sequoia tree’s rings and watch various demonstrations (while we were there, a local craftsman was carving obsidian arrowheads). The works showcased in the Ansel Adams Gallery are inspiration for taking photographs of Yosemite’s natural beauty. It is worth stopping by the Ahwahnee, one of the National Park Service’s most prestigious lodges, especially if your wallet permits a meal in the lofty and capacious dining room.

Before leaving the village, take an easy 1-mile round-trip walk to Lower Yosemite Fall. Another doable hike is the equally long Cook’s Meadow Loop, which loops back through the Sentinel Bridge area. Mirror Lake/Meadow to the west offers 2-mile paved, or 5-mile partially paved, round-trip options. There are plenty of more challenging hikes available (Half Dome, anyone?), but heed any posted warning signs; nature with its waterfalls, bears and storms can be unpredictable.

The village has plenty of activities to occupy the rest of day: art workshops, photography walks, theater performances, ranger talks, stargazing, campfires and family crafts. Events range from a full-moon bike ride to a forum on "Use of Genetics and Stable Isotope Analysis to Investigate Black Bear Forging Ecology and to Evaluate the Human-Bear Management Program."

Heading westward out of the park, take in the neck-craning views of El Capitan on the right, and enjoy one last view of this amazing national park from Valley View lookout farther along on the left. If there were only time enough to visit the other major areas of Yosemite: Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy Valley, Tioga Road and Tuolumne Grove. John Muir’s words written in "The National Parks and Forest Reservations" (1896) still ring true:

"Yosemite Park is a place of rest, a refuge. … This one noble park is big enough and rich enough for a whole life of study and aesthetic enjoyment. It is good for everybody. … None can escape its charms. Its natural beauty cleans and warms like a fire, and you will be willing to stay forever in one place like a tree."

Monica Quock Chan is a Honolulu-based freelance writer. She has lived in Europe and Asia and has traveled to 75 countries.