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.

Upper Yosemite Falls trail was definitely the hardest hike I've done. It was about 7.2 miles…read moreroundtrip, took exactly 7 hours starting at 10:40am and finally making it down at 5:40pm (5 hours going up, 2 going down), and was 2,700 ft of elevation gain. The terrain is mostly rocks and goes up most of the way, so it's an insane leg workout that left me sore for a couple days after. Going up was exhausting, but there's plenty of spots to sit down and take breaks. About halfway through, we stopped and ate snacks. Going down felt more difficult on my knees, but it was a lot faster. It also started to rain so we had to be careful about slipping. The views were absolutely beautiful and worth it every step of the way. I constantly stopped and took photos and admired it all. Once you get up to the top, you can get really close to upper yosemite falls on a narrow path along some rocks. If you're afraid of heights, you might be a bit scared. It was super chilly when we got up there. Almost everyone we encountered on the trail was super friendly, and it was fun to see familiar faces when we got up to the top and overhear people exclaiming how proud they are of themselves. Going in May when the weather was still cold (about 40° when we were here) was definitely helpful. I don't know if I would have been able to do it if it were hot outside. I get lightheaded pretty easily and there were times I felt like I was going to pass out, but I did it!! Definitely take breaks, don't rush yourself, drink plenty of water, and bring snacks. Make sure you have hiking boots!!! If I didn't have hiking boots I probably wouldn't have been able to do it.

Went mid-March valley floor hardly any traffic early 8 am. Got busy after 10am. Rode bikes Yosemite…read morevalley loop El Capitan, Half Dome, Horsetail, Bridal veil, and Vernal falls. Tried singletrack that paralleled then the crowds at Yosemite village slowed our pace to a crawl. A family of four walking side by side blocking the path completely. Even oncoming hikers gave them dirty looks. Selfish people have zero consideration or self awareness. If you go biking, go early to avoid crowds.

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.

One of my favorite hikes I've ever had the privilege of doing. We started in the morning, passed by…read moreVernal Fall, and went all the way to Nevada Fall. It was a scorchingly hot day when we hiked, so we took many breaks throughout. Luckily, there are plenty of shady, comfortable resting spots. The view from the top of Vernal Fall was already lovely, but I would highly recommend the trek all the way to Nevada Fall. The scenery from the top of Nevada Fall was breathtaking, and it was so lovely to see the beautiful rainbows at Vernal Fall. Keep in mind that there are slippery, steep steps on the way to Vernal Fall. It was a pretty steep hike up to Nevada Fall as well, with many loose rocks - we saw quite a few individuals slipping around. I'd recommend taking your time and going slow for the steepier sections.

We hiked From the beginning of Mist trail to base of Vernal fall. Parked at curry village and took…read morea shutter #14 to #16. It's a paved path with immediate incline. Like many people, we stopped a few times to catch our breath. Took our time and enjoyed the views and took lots of pictures on the way. When you get to the flight of stone stairs, you do have to climb up the stairs to reach the bottom of Vernal fall to get the whole experience of the mist. NO PONCHO or Raincoat needed at this point. Nice refreshing mist. You will not get soak or wet. After this point you will need it. We turn around and took the same route back down. Hope this help for people that does not want to hike the whole way up but still able to enjoy the view and experience the mist from the spectacular Vernal fall.

This park is SO underrated for its beauty, quality of life added to each visitor, and the joy it…read moresparks! It is choose your own adventure national treasure that can not be replicated. It is accessible to all fitness levels due to drivable viewpoints and challenging hikes. Please do not underestimate nature though - you could get swept over a waterfall or fall if you do. This is by far one of the most beautiful places to exist in on earth. Like mountains? Take your pick of the ones to hike to or snap a picture from a view point. Hiking 101: Always bring more water than you need. Wear hiking shoes, take your time, and lather on that sunblock. Research shows hiking hills can add years to your life. Yosemite can help you with that. A must see is Mist Trail and Nevada Falls (same hike - just further on). The steps are no joke and slippery. The views, awestruck "wow"s are worth it. With scenery famous for its complexity, it cannot be duplicated. The numerous waterfalls alone are worth the entrance fee. You leave feeling years younger than you came. We hiked the Mist and Nevada trail early morning and cooled off in the river by Cathedral during the hottest times. Highly recommended this to avoid heat sickness and the majority of the foot traffic. You will feel like you are in a Disney movie, it's so beautiful. Eating in the park can come with some lines. The workers are awesome though. They clear trails, move giant rocks, and will make you a hummus sandwich. Talk about hustle. The restaurants are clean, customer service is excellent, and the food slaps after a long hike. I'm cheap and brought in almost all of my food. Just pack out any remains or place in the designated bins. It takes ALL of us to keep our parks clean. Overall, this park is a out of 5 stars in EVERY area .

One of my most favorite places on earth. Beautiful day or…read morenight, summer or winter. The most breathtaking views, waterfalls, cliffs. Best way to see it is by bicycle ( lots of places to rent here). Be sure to utilize the free and frequent park shuttles as day trippers clog the streets and parking ( the one downside)...ok, getting camping reservations is difficult too, even when totally prepared, but it's a testament to how breathtaking Yosemite is. First timers have no idea what awaits them at Tunnel View- so make sure to pull off (and hope to find parking!!) and let your jaw drop!! Also make sure to attend at least one Park Ranger talk as well as Yosemite Conservancy lectures--very informative and interesting. Spend as much time as possible here, and educate yourself prior as to what is around the Valley to maximize your stay.

When you enter into Yosemite be prepared because it's a really huge national park. To get to…read moreSentinel Dome and Taft point it takes about 40 minutes once you get inside the park however, Yosemite in general, especially this hike is worth the drive. This has to be one of the most scenic hikes that I've been on. You have full view of the Yosemite Valley, and all the peaks that come with it the hike itself is medium in terms of challenging. There is some uphill which will push you but worth it when you get to the top if you feel like cheating, you can actually park in the parking lot hike about a mile and you're already at Sentinel Dome. If you go the back way, which I did the whole trip is just under 6 miles.

This was such a nice and beautiful hike. The views at Taft Point was unbelievable. Very peaceful.read more

We had an excellent day with David. We booked a private tour for my wife and me. We are not so…read moreyoung so David tailored it to our pace and abilities (still made it to the top of Sentinel Dome- well worth the effort!). Literally went from the valley floor to the peak of sentinel dome. His knowledge of the park is outstanding. He picked us up at our lodge and dropped us there at the end of the day- even gave us the picnic we couldn't eat during the trip because clouds blocked the astrophotography portion. He even apologized for the clouds! An all day adventure; we were happily exhausted when we got back to Evergreen Lodge. Highly recommend.

Dave is AMAZING! We had the best day with him on our private tour of Yosemite. He is so fun,…read moreknowledgeable, a great conversationalist and made the day fabulous. I had the best time and felt like we got to really see Yosemite and get to know the park. I would 100% recommend booking with him and his company. Hands down the BEST!!

This is probably one of my favorite hikes as I love the view of the waterfall, how close the view…read moreis, the large rocks you can climb if you'd like and the walking bridge. If you are looking for a short and fairly easy hike, I'd add this one to the list. There are also man made seesaws from logs right outside the trail which are fun to check out!

A must do trail for anyone visiting Yosemite. Definitely very popular but for good reason!read more

Review is for the Merced River Trailhead near Briceburg, this is very south of Yosemite but I…read moredidn't want to make a new review page just for this small trailhead. If you are taking 140 south leaving Yosemite you'll drive right next to the river and you can stop here. You can get under the freeway underpass for some nice variety but the main attraction is the River. There are small tributaries throughout this area and the kids enjoyed building dams with the rocks here. There are also some nice flat stones closer to the water if you want to teach the kids how to skip stones. There is a bridge you can hike over to for a higher view of the scenery, cars and trucks did drive in this smaller bridge so we didn't cross it all the way. Overall, it was a nice stop with plenty of parking and no one else there when we went, it's much more secluded than some of the more popular Merced River stops closer to Yosemite.

Beautiful river that feeds into Yosemite Valley…read more If you are entering the valley from the west which we did, you will be driving along the river for a while before the entrance of the park. The water is beautiful and clear and lots of people fish in the river. Tubing is also a fun activity to do. Take photos, enjoy the view!

Our tour guides were absolutely amazing (John and Mia) and they were very knowledgeable and helped…read moreanswer all of our questions (about Yosemite in general, specific famous features on our hike, and even random questions about birds and plant life). The hike is as advertised (in terms of ratings and what features you will see). They always put safety first and even offered to help carry our back packs when we got tired or were crossing a small stream! They treated us like close family/friends, were encouraging us along the way, and adapted to our pace and schedule. Our group ranged from age 6 to adult and we couldn't have made it to the end of the hike without them! Book them for your tours and have fun on your Yosemite Vacation!

Will definitely be booking again with John and Y Explore!!! Honestly when we booked the guided half…read moredome hike I went into it thinking we were just utilizing the purchased permits as hadn't won the lottery ourselves but as the day progressed I became more and more grateful for the wisdom and knowledge of our guide. From breathing techniques and tips for ascending and descending the cables to the order of of our group and perfectly timed rest breaks this was worth every penny as we had not only a successful summit but an overwhelming positive experience! Hubby and I are excited to travel again to more destination with Y Explore in the near future!