Best nat'l parks near San Jose -Yosemite, Kings Canyon, what else?

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TwinMom+1

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Andover MA
Best national parks near San Jose, where we're attending a wedding in mid-June?
Did not intend to go to San Fran as we've done Muir Woods and Point Reyes etc. there.
Crossing fingers that Nat'l Park staffing insanity arising from DOGE firings/rehiring etc. is mitigated by then.
We figured we'd hit Yosemite and Kings Canyon as both are around 3 hours outside of the San Jose area.
Anything else? Is Pinnacles worth it?
Must-do Yosemite hikes for people used to doing 4K's, ones not requiring a lottery deadline that I already missed?

Nothing technical or requiring extensive tents tents - we're bringing boots, poles and backpacks. Our fit but non-hiking daughter is with us, a lovely young women who nonetheless whines if hikes are too long or we don't allow a zero day here and there for just relaxing.

Thank you everyone, for being our go-to source for all things hiking.
 
Well, it has been a while since we visited Yosemite and Kings Canyon, but we used to live in Monterey so am familiar with the area. Regarding Yosemite, I would offer one bit of information: 90% of the visitors to Yosemite congregate in 10% of the area (Yosemite Valley). If you've already seen Half Dome, El Cap, etc, I would recommend staying out of that area. Assuming the Tioga Road is open (I don't know how much snow they got this year) there is tons of area to explore and hike (Tuolumne Meadows for instance). Mid June usually sees high water, so be careful about hikes that cross unbridged rivers/streams. Clouds Rest is an interesting hike for the adventurous. If you venture into the Valley, take the Glacier Point Road to the trail for Taft Point, a spectacular spot. Have fun.
 
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