Finding a place to park for this hike was a struggle! We failed the last time we visited but…read moremanaged to figure it out this time. We parked at Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking, took a short walk to Happy Isles and where the restrooms were, then took the free shuttle, got off after one stop at Mirror lake! And going back to the parking lot, we took the shuttle one stop again and it was a short walk back to the parking lot. This hike reminds me of the Little Yosemite hike in Sunol, CA in the Bay Area! It's paved for most of it and there's restrooms at the beginning and about midpoint of the hike. The fall foliage was beautiful, but the lake wasn't full since its fall. There was still some water in it since it rained and snowed not too long ago.

I had not done my research and was taken aback that mirror lake was completely empty when we came…read morein late September 2025. I was hoping to show my husband the lake for the first time to get the beautiful reflection but not this time. It was still fun to walk around in the lake bed and hike the surrounding trail and picnic here, but a real bummer not to get the reflection.

The Wawona entrance to Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias was a new to me area of…read morethe park, when I visited in Mid-June 2026. Without the reservation system this year, even a weekday brings lines at the entrance kiosk. It was about a 45 minute wait. But, once entering the park, the Mariposa Welcome Center parking area had ample parking. The grove's gateway is just a couple of minutes from the Wawona entrance where there's a gift shop, restrooms and the shuttle bus to the grove (only runs seasonally.) I found the shuttles to run efficiently, albeit crowded. However, unless you want to hike up a steep paved road and add 2 miles to your hike, they're the only way up to the grove, as private vehicles are not allowed to drive or park there (those with disabilty tags are the exception.) The lower grove was packed and features the popular and iconic trees such as the Grizzly Giant and Tunnel Tree. It was too chaotic to really enjoy fully, but I was on my way to Wawona Point and the upper grove, so didn't linger in the main area too long. Once past the Grizzly Giant loop, the crowds exponentially thinned out and the forest became peaceful. It's a beautiful area and has a decent length hike to the upper grove, where the Guardians Loop trail was the standout along with Wawona Point (featuring a scenic overlook of the Wawona area.) The upper trails reminded me of a shorter version of Sequoia National Park's "giant forest loop." The trails were well kept and featured an array of wildflowers, green meadows and of course the iconic sequoias. You can make a longer loop or out and back and see most of the area in a longer day hike. It's a quieter and beautiful area of Yosemite that gets overlooked in comparison to the touristy lower grove and the valley. It is about a 45-50 minute drive to connect back down to the valley so you can visit both in one day, but I decided to linger and take my time in the beautiful upper grove areas. Either way, Mariposa Grove is a worthwhile stop in your Yosemite itinerary

We came here during the government shutdown. Shuttle services was still operating although the…read moreVisitor Center was closed. We had stayed in Oakhurst for the night, so this was a stop before going to Yosemite Valley. We had to park at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza where the Visitor Center was and took the free shuttle to get to the start of all the trails. We saw some deer on the way! The giant sequoia trees were a magnificent sight to see, and the trails were nice and defined.

Altitude: 4,657 ft. Lake Type: Reservoir…read morePrimary: Eleanor Creek Surface Area: 953 Acres Water: 26,100 acres ft Surface Elevation: 4,657 ft. The lake was formed in 1918 by damming Eleanor Creek as part of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir system, constructed to supply water and power to the city of San Francisco. Lake Eleanor is situated on the site of a smaller, natural lake of the same name. The lake was named after the daughter of Josiah Whitney, leader of the California Geological Survey in the 1860s. The lake now provides opportunities for angling, hiking and camping. It's an easy 2 mile hike from Miguel Meadow. You will see two gushing falls from across the lake in May and early June. So beautiful. Words can not express the serenity and admiration it brings to one when exposed to such sight. The water is amazingly clear and the tiny islands in the middle of the lake evoked such curiosity in me.

Don't think, just stop. This is the best $10 you will ever spend, besides maybe that NFT investment…read moreyou made last year...yes, we all know about it. Anyways, this place is the real deal. Right off the highway, clear water, big leaves like in the dinosaur movies you still watch (no judgement), and the perfect cliffs to jump off of with a rather safe landing. There is a sign about hazards, but I think it's a governmental approach at satire, because everybody and their grandma was jumping (saw one cannonball with walker). Nice work feds, you finally did something right. But still, make sure to bring your goggles and thoroughly inspect all conditions before jumping, flipping, and / or bellyflopping into the best day of your life. I'll post a full story and underwater videos on YouTube and IG soon IG: instagram.com/luke.kitchel YouTube.com/@PlantBasedLuke

!!Warning!! We witnessed a young boy suffer a traumatic head injury here. Please don't dive…read more Protect and supervise your children. There is no reception so getting help takes time (and you have to run to the entrance for help). It took the ambulance 30 minutes and the medical helicopter even longer. We came here late summer 2026, parking is $10 cash only. Parking is very limited but there is plenty out back (10 minute walk). It gets crowded. I'd say the main pool is not a place for kids under 7-8. Rocks can be slippery and there isn't much of a safe space for the littles. You can drop off your gear by the restrooms on the way up. They have smaller pools above the waterfall that may be more suitable for the littles, regardless, parents beware. Many were jumping off the cliffs (we did too) which may be relatively safe for the olders but no way for young ones. Please take care I'd give this a 4 of 5 if I had not witnessed what I did. Swimmers beware

Sierra Point. The…read morevery spot in which Ansel Adams hiked to in 1916 at the age of 14 with his new Kodak 1 Brownie camera and took some of his very first pictures. It was this moment that inspired him to want to be a photographer and ultimately come back to Yosemite later in life and take some of the most recognized Yosemite pictures in the world. Talk about one historic spot. A little history on the trail itself. (Which is no longer in use due to a rockslide in the 70's but is still there...just not maintained.) "During the late 1800s early explorers were looking for an area that would view all five major waterfalls. On June 14, 1897 Charles A. Bailey and a friend located the area called Sierra Point by triangulation. This process is achieved by lining up three central points to locate any given area on a map. From this location one can view all five falls, Upper and Lower Yosemite, Illilouette, Vernal and Nevada Falls." I only found out about this spot through a friend who has been going to Yosemite for 30 years. You REALLY have to know where you are going to find the trail...its on older Yosemite Park maps, but because of the rockslide in the 70's the Rangers will not tell you where it starts and will advise you against doing the hike. It took me three times to finally make it all the way to the top, but that was because I had to find the old trail, (which took a couple attempts) and then take one full trip to make sure I had the time to get to the top. Its only an 800 foot climb over less than a mile, but you might lose the trail once or twice the first time so don't get discouraged. There is one spot about halfway up where the rockslide occurred and you have to do a bit of scrambling, but I have never ever climbed anything in my life and I was able to do it just fine. Just keep close watch were you step and you should be fine. Once at Sierra Point you are treated to one of the most amazing spots in all of Yosemite. To top it off, basically no one knows about this spot or how to get here so you almost feel like John Muir in that you feel like you have the whole park to yourself. (There are hundreds of people on the Mist Trail below you.) This trail isn't for everyone, but if you do enough research online and give yourself some time its totally something you can do. You won't regret it at all, its one of the most amazing hikes I have ever accomplished. :0)

You are truly off the beaten path on this one (trail) but only for a tiring short distance. A steep…read more800 feet in under a vertical mile used to get hikers to this lookout point. When you hike the Sierra Loop trail or Mist trail to Vernal falls in Yosemite you are on the busy beaten path. This epic trail to Sierra point veers off the Vernal falls trail way before the bridge but you will not find a marker since the trail is no longer maintained since a huge rockfall covered it. There is a marker that can be used as a guide to find the trail and that is an informational sign that is labeled Rock Piles and has information about Talus, the jumbled rock piles. Since the trail is not recommended to be used this is just for historical information. Walking back from the sign towards happy isles about 25 yards you will see a huge vertical walled stone slab through the trees which is sort of a marker. From that huge slab the old trail is to the right through some scrambling and climbing a rock pile then heading up hill. Hikers who found their way to the railed lookout on top were able to see Yosemite falls, Illilouette fall and it's gorge, Nevada and Vernal falls and the point of Glacier Point. I found my way to the old trail but was not able to get to the lookout. The trail disappeared possibly due to recent dirt slides. You can how ever, see Sierra point from a safer location. If you continue hiking towards Vernal falls on the mist trail eventually you can see Sierra points railings by looking back and up towards the ridge above you. You may find another Sierra point on some maps located near Yosemite Point. The mix-up could be similar to the two rainbow views known in Yosemite.

Trail head Elevation: 3818 Feet…read more Top Elevation: 5,900 Feet Trail Type: Out-and-back Range: 2.7 Miles from Rancheria Falls Type: Moderate to Strenuous Tiltill Valley is a remote valley in northern Yosemite National Park. It is accessible only to hikers. The valley is most easily reached via trail heads in the vicinity of the Hetch Hetchy Valley and Lake Eleanor.The valley provides access to many remote alpine lakes throughout the largely untamed wilderness that defines the northern portion of Yosemite National Park and the adjacent Emigrant Wilderness. This route tours the northern edge of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Across the lake, the views of Kolana Rock and the sheer granite walls of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne are majestic, contrasting pleasantly with the intimate serenity of Tiltill Valley. The trail was barely used. Strewn with broken trees and branches. We had to jump over some big branches and I have a few scratches to show for. This is one of our three day hikes from the base camp in Rancheria falls Sunday. It was a solitary hike. No one was there at all. We can not see the trail at 5900 feet. At the top at 5900 feet there was about two feet of snow. We were sinking and it was fun for a little bit but without our snow shoes it just won't work. We also decided that since we can not see the trail it is not safe to proceed. So we headed back down to camp.

Mount Hoffmann, Yosemite: 2026 Aug 13…read more From Yosemite Valley, take highway 120 to the Crane Flat turnoff onto Tioga Road. Continue driving until you get to the May Lake trailhead. You can park and use the toilet before you start your hike. Heavy-duty, wildlife-resistant containers are available to store your food in. Elevation at the trailhead is 8,710 feet. Mt. Hoffmann elevation gain is 10,845 feet. It is a 10,850-foot peak near the geographic center of Yosemite National Park. Mount Hoffmann is named after Charles F. Hoffmann, cartographer. Charles F. Hoffmann named lake number 5 May Lake. May Lake nestles below Mt. Hoffmann. The hiking distance is only 5.6 to 6 miles round trip but this is a difficult and strenuous hike. The unmaintained boulders with loose rocks make this short hike challenging. The elevation and thin mountain air makes it hard to breathe and may cause your heart to beat faster. You may tire easily. This can also lead to altitude sickness if you do not rest and adjust. Make sure you hydrate constantly. Our pace was slow as we scramble up this 10,850-foot peak. Mt. Hoffmann's unmaintained steep and rocky granite boulders with loose rocks was extremely challenging for me. We didn't get to the very top. I heard thunder and felt droplets of rain, and decided to climb back down to avoid slipping on the rocks. The final push of about 200-feet involves climbing on loose gravel and granite rock that are covered with decomposed granite, one of the most insidiously slippery substances. These are some of the steepest and most treacherous climb, but if you make it to the top, you will be rewarded with a panoramic 360-degree views of Yosemite, including distant views of Half Dome and Tenaya Lake. The Mt. Hoffmann trail also includes some bonus views of May Lake. On the climb up, we saw a Marmot hanging out on a rock. He was a large, stout guy -- looking more like a house-cat than a squirrel. This guy probably weighs around 11 pounds. He was tame and quiet -- just holding on to the rock and allowed us to take pictures of him and even video-tape him. He must be used to humans scrambling up and down 'his' rock every day. On the way down, we moved to the side for horses to trot up the mountain. The poor horses were weighted down by heavy-looking camping gears. I hope they're well cared for and appreciated by humans who use their services. Along the way, stop and admire views of Clouds Rest and Half Dome. From afar, the distant mountains look majestic with a soft blue hue against the sky. We may attempt this hike again but I'll need to be better prepared for it. Source above: Wikipedia, Google

Yosemite Valley Tour (Tram) OUTSTANDING tour of Yosemite…read moreValley. Starts at Yosemite Lodge, tickets required but worth every penny. You ride in an open air trailer with audio description by a US Park Service Ranger. It was HOT and ice cold towels provided along with ice cold water made it a bit more bearable. Anthony was our driver and is THE MOST PROFESSIONAL DRIVER I have ever encountered in all my travels. Gentle starts and stops, constantly in motion at both our stops giving out water and extending and retracting the trailer's step for our use. Providing the audio portion of the tour was Ranger Emile. She's a real GEM! Her depth of information, humor and wit made the tour and grand event. She loves Yosemite and it shows! Equally as hard working at our two stops to make sure everyone stayed hydrated because of the excessive heat. [Note to her Mom, you did great raising her! Make sure she sees this review!] If you go to Yosemite, make time to go on this tour. You get more and better pictures than from your car and learn the history of the Park. One last thing, drive to Glacier Point. The view is awesome and worth the drive.

Like Nevada Fall, Vernal is a gorgeous waterfall but it was a little small when I visited due to…read morethe lack of rain. Nevertheless, an amazing site and experience. Please come and create your own adventure.

The journey it took me to get here was crazy and I almost gave up twice, but that VIEW? All of the…read morenature and smell of the trees was breathtaking. The water was insanely cold, but felt really ~ refreshing ~ to jump in. Added years on my life and made me think about life. Great 5/6 mile hike, but expect lots of elevation and prep with the stair master! Bring your bathing suit and shoes that can get wet because it gets misty and rainy up there... I'd come back again! Parking is a bit rough, but just keep circling around because people are constantly leaving and arriving. Bathrooms are available right before the trail and halfway through the hardest part of the hike.