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Ultimate Yosemite Elopement Guide for 2025

January 8, 2025

Table of Contents:

Is it even a question why I’m writing a guide to eloping in Yosemite? It’s only one of the most ICONIC national parks in the country, and has been for so long. You’ve seen it all over Instagram, on computer screensavers, in Ansel Adams’ photos, on postcards. . .you name it. Yosemite has always been one of the most famous destinations in the country that people come from everywhere to visit, thanks to its insane landscapes, massive waterfalls, and amazing hikes – all of which also make it an epic place to elope! 

In this full guide to how to elope in Yosemite National Park, I’m going to be letting you in on allll the important info that ya need to know to plan the best Yosemite elopement, including permit info, the best locations, best hikes, and more. I’m so excited for you to elope in this incredible park and to come along with ya to see it all 😉

Get to Know Yosemite National Park

Where is Yosemite National Park?

Before I start gushing about why I love Yosemite so much, let’s talk about where it is + how to get there. Yosemite National Park encompasses nearly 1,200 square miles of land in the Sierra Nevada mountains, located in eastern central California. It’s about a 4-hour drive from San Francisco and a 3-hour drive from Sacramento.

How to Get to Yosemite

If you want to fly into a major international airport for your trip to Yosemite, you have a few options:

You can also fly into Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH), which is a smaller regional airport about 1 hour from Tuolumne Meadows or 2.5 hours from Yosemite Valley. This is a great option if you want to add a trip to Mammoth Lakes into your time in California! It really depends on what part of the park you want to spend the most time in + where you’ll be staying, and how long you want to drive. But I def recommend renting a car so you can explore freely and check out the park on your own schedule!

Where to Elope in Yosemite

Wondering where you’re allowed to elope in Yosemite National Park? 

If your group has fewer than 11 people, you can have your ceremony anywhere in the park except for open meadows and riverside locations. The world (park) is your oyster! As long as you respect the land and follow Leave No Trace principles to minimize your impact on the park’s terrain. I’ll be sure to give you all my reccs for the most beautiful spots in the park for private ceremonies, don’t worry 😉

If your group has more than 11 people, you can get married at any of the permitted ceremony sites on the map below. Each location has its own maximum person & vehicle capacity, which I’ve also included in the following list so you can easily identify which ones might work for your unique group. And keep in mind that an additional monitoring fee is sometimes required by the park for groups over a certain number of people, depending on the location!

Here’s a full map of all the permitted wedding ceremony sites in Yosemite for groups larger than 11 people:

Yosemite Valley wedding locations:

Glacier Point & Wawona wedding locations:

Tuolumne Meadows wedding locations:

Big Oak Flat Area wedding locations:

Best Hikes in Yosemite National Park

If you’re considering eloping in Yosemite, you’re probablyyy into hiking at least a little bit, right? Yosemite has some of the best hikes in the country, so you HAVE to take advantage while you’re there! 
I’ve compiled some of the best hikes in Yosemite National Park for ya that would be amazing to incorporate into your elopement, either for your ceremony or just for some epic portraits in your elopement outfits. And the greatest thing about Yosemite is that there are hikes for everyone, so I’ve included a variety of easy, moderate, and challenging hikes depending on what level of adventure you’re lookin’ for.

Easy Yosemite Hikes

Bridalveil Fall Trail (currently closed)

Total Distance: 0.5 mi

Elevation Gain: 80 ft

Lower Yosemite Fall Trail

Total Distance: 1 mi

Elevation Gain: 50 ft

Mirror Lake Loop (Half)

Total Distance: 2 mi

Elevation Gain: 100 ft

Moderate Yosemite Hikes

Taft Point and The Fissures

Total Distance: 2.3 mi

Elevation Gain: 354 ft

Mirror Lake Loop (Full)

Total Distance: 5 mi

Elevation Gain: 200 ft

Valley Loop Trail

Total Distance: 6.5 mi (half loop)

Elevation Gain: Mostly flat

Challenging Yosemite Hikes

Vernal Fall via Mist Trail

Total Distance: 2.4 mi

Elevation Gain: 1,000 ft

Upper Yosemite Falls Trail

Total Distance: 6.6 mi

Elevation Gain: 3,254 ft

Half Dome Trail

Total Distance: 14 mi-16.4 mi

Elevation Gain: 4,800 ft

Best Time of Year to Elope at Yosemite

Overall, the best time of year to elope in Yosemite is from summer to early fall, between June and September. While Yosemite is technically open all year, many areas of the park are closed off to cars in the winter due to snow, usually from around November to May (even into early June), including Tioga Road, Glacier Point Road, and Mariposa Grove Road. The weather is also the best for hiking + outdoor activities in the summer, with highs usually averaging between 80-90°F.

However, one thing to keep in mind about eloping in Yosemite in the summer is the possibility of wildfires. Unfortunately Yosemite has experienced quite a few wildfires (or at least bad air quality from nearby wildfires) in recent years, so be prepared to change your plans if needed due to unsafe air quality or road/trail closures due to fires. It’s also possible that wildfire smoke could obstruct the views you were hoping for, so it’s best to prepare yourself ahead of time for all the worst possibilities so that you’re not disappointed if something does go unexpectedly!

Another factor you should consider when you’re choosing what time of year to elope in Yosemite is CROWDS! Because Yosemite is so famous, there are pretty much always tourists visiting, especially in the summer since it’s peak tourist season; specifically, the months of May through September. If you want to avoid crowds as much as possible, I recommend:

  • Eloping at sunrise
  • Eloping at a more off-the-beaten-path/lesser-known spot
  • Eloping on a weekday (ideally Monday-Thursday)
  • Eloping in the spring or fall
  • Eloping just outside of the park, and coming into the park just for a hike or portraits instead of a full ceremony

No matter what time of year you elope, make sure you keep an eye on current park conditions when your elopement day is coming up, so that you know if there are any unexpected closures that you need to plan for!

Yosemite Wedding & Elopement Permits

Let’s move onto one of the most important parts of this guide: permits! Because Yosemite has become sooo popular for adventure elopements and small weddings, the park has pretty strict rules + regulations when it comes to permits. So it’s important to do your research and set appropriate expectations before starting the permit process!

Entrance Fee

Entrance fees are not waived for anybody participating in your elopement. So you, your guests, and your vendors will still need to pay the regular park entrance fees. A standard 7-day vehicle entrance pass costs $35, or you can get a $70 annual park pass if you plan to visit more than once in a year!

Special Use Permit

If you want to elope in Yosemite, you’ll need a Special Use Permit. You can apply for your permit up to one year in advance and no later than 21 days in advance of your elopement. I recommend applying as soon as you’re able to so you can get the process started and so the park office has plenty of time to process your application. 

Here are a few things that are NOT allowed for weddings in the park, even with the proper Special Use Permit:

  • Throwing birdseed/rice/confetti/etc.
  • Decorations (balloons, arches, etc.)
  • Signage
  • Seating (chairs, tables, etc.)
  • Audio disturbance
  • Pets
  • Formal receptions
  • Drones

A Yosemite Special Use Permit costs $150, and you may also have to pay a $50 hourly monitoring fee if the park requires your elopement to be monitored for any reason. 

  1. Fill out this application
  2. Include payment of the $150 non-refundable application fee with your application
  3. Wait for the park to process your permit
  4. If your permit is approved, wait for it to arrive in the mail
  5. Review, sign, & return your permit to the park office for final approval

Timed Entrance Reservation

Finally, you may need a timed entrance reservation depending on when and where you’re eloping. As of the time of writing this in January 2025, a reservation is required on weekends between February 8-23, and it’s TBD after that. Keep up on the latest announcements here for up to date info!

Getting Your California Marriage License

You also need to get your California marriage license in order to elope in Yosemite! You need to be at least 18 years old, and you need to have at least 1 witness present at your ceremony to sign your marriage certificate. Once you get your license, there’s no mandatory waiting period which means you can tie the knot ASAP! It’ll be valid for 90 days, so make sure you get married before that time runs out so that you don’t have to go through the process again. 

To get your license, you need to apply through a county clerk’s office in California. Yosemite is a part of multiple counties, so find the county closest to where you’re staying via this list and apply through that county – or if you’re from a different part of California, you can apply in your home county! You’ll apply either in-person or online, go into the office to show proof of your ID, and then pay the required licensing fee (which varies by county). Then you’re good to get officially hitched in the state of California!

10 Fun Ideas for Your Yosemite Elopement

You could seriously spend DAYS exploring Yosemite, so don’t worry about running out of things to do or places to go! If you’re trying to figure out what to do during your time in the area, here are 10 things that would be super fun to add to your elopement timeline & that you will NOT want to miss.

1. Go stargazing 

2. Drive up Glacier Point Road

3. Visit the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Valley

4. Stay at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel

5. Enjoy the iconic views from El Capitan Meadow

6. Learn about + find native wildflowers

7. Hike Cathedral Lakes Trail

8. See the giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove

9. Visit the Tunnel View overlook

10. Watch the sunset from Taft Point

Best Places to Stay for Your Yosemite Elopement

Yosemite has sooo many amazing, unique places to stay, from gorgeous lodges to glamping tents to renovated campers. Here are the best lodges, cabins, campgrounds, & glamping companies in the Yosemite area!!

Lodges & Cabins in Yosemite

Glamping in Yosemite

Camping in Yosemite 

Yosemite Elopement Packages + Pricing

Hiiii I’m Bree! I’d love to be your Yosemite elopement photographer!

My Yosemite elopement packages start at $5500 and include the following:

  • Location suggestions
  • Custom timelines
  • Vendor recommendations
  • Edited, full resolution photos
  • Custom online gallery that stays up forever
  • Printing rights
  • Travel fees included

When you’re ready to inquire, make sure you look at my Pricing Page for updated package info!

Final Yosemite Elopement Tips

Before I send you off to plan your dream day, I wanted to include a few final Yosemite elopement tips for you to keep in mind:

  1. Because Yosemite National Park doesn’t have a specific address that you can plug into your GPS, the NPS recommends keeping a map of the park on hand to guide you.
  2. On that same note, cell service is pretty limited in the park – so it’s best to have offline maps downloaded (of both the roads + trails) and/or paper maps with you.
  3. Keep an eye on up-to-date info about winter road closures here to make sure the locations you want to go to are open when you visit in early spring or late fall. Snow can arrive earlier or later than expected so you can’t be sure that certain parts of the park will be open at the same time every year.
  4. Pets aren’t allowed on trails in Yosemite, only in developed areas, on fully paved roads, and on sidewalks. So it’s best to leave your pups at home and maybe just take some cute in-home photos with them instead!
  5. Make sure you wear proper footwear to explore the park. I promise you can find super cute hiking boots to go with your elopement attire, here are some of my personal fave hiking boots for adventure elopements.

Yosemite Elopement Photographer

I hope you’re feeling ready to plan an EPIC Yosemite elopement after all that, I know I’m sure ready to tag along with you 😉 If you’re looking for a Yosemite elopement photographer to take you around the park and document your one of a kind day in this incredible national park and help you open your bottle of celebratory champagne, pick your dress up off the ground, and hand you tissues during your ceremony, I’m your girl. Let’s do this!!

More California Elopement Resources

Know you wanna elope in Cali but aren’t sure where yet? I got you! Check out more of my California elopement guides below!

Redwoods Elopement Guide

Palm Springs Elopement Guide

Death Valley Elopement Guide

Big Sur Elopement Guide

Joshua Tree Elopement Guide

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  1. Ultimate Palm Springs Elopement Guide says:
    July 28, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    […] How to Elope in Yosemite […]

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