I wanted to leave a review because the beginning of this trail can be tricky. At least it was for…read moremy friend and I. I hiked this trail about 2 weeks ago (December 2025). You will park at a designated parking lot. The lot says you have to pay $10. There is an envelope and you write your license place number and name on it. It says to drop thr payment at a local store. I don't know if they check if you have paid or not. The trail head is not far from the parking lot. It will be to the left of you if you are facing away from the road. The trail is beautiful you start off along the river. You will hike along the trail for a short while then it dead ends and opens up to the road. You will cross the road and there is a sign that says trail, follow that trail. There is somewhat of a fork go to the left, you will cross a wooden "foot bridge". There is also a sign telling you to be careful on the slippery rocks. Then you follow the trail, it is easy to miss the turn off where the trail continues and goes up the mountain. At a point it goes up to the right and there will be another sign that says "trail". We missed it, and could not figure out where to go. Because the trail continues a long the river but then dead ends. We back tracked and realized there is another trail where we were supposed to turn and go up the mountain. It gets steep after you go up, but you get amazing views. It's worth the climb. This trail eventually dips back down and you are along the river again and get river access again.

This experience was definitely one for the books. We took a dip in the natural spring water which…read morewas quite COLD. I'd say this hike was medium to difficult, but we were able to get over rocks, stumps, and loose gravel with sneakers. The temperature and the time of day were just too much to bare and we stopped whenever we'd come across a small body of water. The water streams were quite peaceful. The wind brushing again the trees and birds chirping was just magical.

I wanted a low-key place so my cat wouldn't get overwhelmed by crowds, so I decided to go here…read more There's a small parking lot and beautiful views. The trail isn't particularly difficult and wasn't very busy when I went, which was perfect for me and my adventure cat. We ran into about 4-5 people while out; they were all extremely friendly, polite, and excited to see my cat. I enjoyed reading all the signs along the trail. It's great to learn while enjoying nature. We also walked across the street to the lake. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a less crowded, easier option, with nice views. FYI, I carried my cat in his backpack most of the time but did let him out in the rocky areas.

Mono Trail, Bass Lake: 2025 Feb 17 (5 of 5)…read more One of the oldest lake in North America, Mono Trail was home to the Kootzaduka'a Tribe. The lake has millions of birds and fresh water tributary. This 0.5 mile loop trail is spectacular at this time of the year. It's a quick trail for non-hikers (only 15-minute walk) who wants solitude and amazing views. Mono Trail is open year-round, and features some elevation gain. At the top of the large rocks, a splendid view of the lake comes into view. The sun beats down on the lake which reflects back it's brilliance. From the rock, the trail can be confusing to follow. Make sure you are well-versed before attempting this short hike.

Perfect location for an impromptu photoshoot/nature time! The parking lot is located at the end of…read morea semi sketchy "share the road" road but is definitely worth the drive. There are a variety of trees here, large and small and there are several trails that you can enjoy. I really wouldn't consider this a hiking location but its great for taking a walk and pictures. NOTE: - the bathrooms here are sick... and also bring your own toilet paper (BYOTP). - No entrance/parking fee!

I wish I'd visited without snow. This is not a great snowy hike…read more My 15-year-old and I visited during snow season. Parked on the corner of 6S47Y and 6S90. Nice walk along the fire roads, but a bit long for the reward. By the time we reached the Shadow of the Giants National Recreational Trail the kid was bored. The recreational trail is hard to following with deep snow, and there's no real indication as to what you're going to see, except for tall trees of course. There's an outhouse bathroom a the beginning of the scenic loop, and I think I saw a picnic table. This would have been a lot more fun if we'd been able to drive to the scenic loop.

Activity Type: Hiking Nearby City: YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK…read moreLength: 13 total miles Elevation Gain: 3700 Trail Type: Out n Back Skill Level: Moderately Strenuous Duration: 3.5-4.0 Season: Year-round Smith Peak is the highest point in the area and offers outstanding views. It has two trail head options. One route begins 6 miles beyond the entrance station. This trail is 13 miles round trip with 3700 feet elevation gain. Patches of snow the week of Thanksgiving day was everywhere. This is a very much less visited area of Hetch Hetchy. The trail to go up the peak itself is not very clear so a GPS is highly recommended. The beginning of the hike starts on an almost vertical switch back from the start. The trail head is the last one on your right as you're driving in before you reach the reservoir. The top boasts of an expansive view of the Hetch Hetchy area. The sun was shining and it was warm when we got to the top. A "seal" that was placed there in the 1940's was at the very highest point. Rocks to sit and enjoy the view was everywhere. Definitely a vertical fall if one is not careful. This is definitely a place to visit and to enjoy solitude. NO ONE was on the trail except us. The other route begins at the entrance station is 16 miles round trip with 3300 feet gain. The Smith Peak trails can be used to access the high country.

Beautiful trail just outside of Yosemite off of Highway 140 in El Portal. My husband and I hiked…read moreabout 2.5 miles of the trail mid June. The whole trail is 4.5 miles one way- about 9 miles round trip if you want to go all the way to Hite Cove. We wanted to go all the way to the end, however temperatures in the canyon rise fast during the summer and it was easily 100 degrees by noon. The trail follows up above the Merced River. There were a few times when you can get right down to the river. About 1.5-2 miles in, there is a section with rocks that looks like it is made for jumping in the river. The trail is entirely single track with some areas with steep drop offs. Make sure to pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and bug spray. There is very little shade and the trail is almost completely exposed. To find the trail, just look for the Red Bud Lodge and park right across the street. There is a sign that points just to the trailhead next to the lodge. I would recommend to come as early as possible if you are coming in the summertime.

Considering that everything else in El Portal is some pee stained remnant from the Sears catalog,…read morewe didn't have high hopes for the 'trail' that came recommended. It's not that encouraging as you drive up either. Seems very average and nondescript. As it was our first night in the greater Yosemite area, we definitely wanted to get out and so we went for it. In retrospect, I would say it was one of the nicer hikes we went on. You walk high above the Merced River on a narrow trail amongst wild flowers and with a beautiful view of the mountains. The power of the river and the beauty of the land impressed all of us. It and easy/intermediate hike. One drawback is that it's not a loop. So you can go as long as you want (to the end even) and come back. We went and hour and turned around. Recommend.

First, there is no cell phone reception so print directions…read more Second, you do need an SUV. This is not a joke. There is about two miles of serious dirt road with very uneven surfaces. Third, it is lovely and quiet (even in the summer on a weekend) and the trees are so majestic.

Okay so on the app maps it says this place is permanently closed.. possibly because of all the…read morefalling trees. On Yelp though it says it's open 24/7 so my family and I took a chance and went anyway. It appeared there were multiple fallen trees, but workers cut them so the road was clear! My problem was we never even got to see the trees.. it was an endless road with little to no direction on where the sequoia trees were located. I took a picture of the map, but my family and I weren't able to reach the trees:(

Classic Yosemite backpacking route. 30 miles, +/- 4000 feet…read moreelevation. White Wolf to Glen Aulin/Tuolumne Meadow. Either way is good, it goes down and goes up, so either way is similar elevation wise. This is one way route, so carshuttle is required. Or you could catch YARTS but it could be full, so it is risky. 2 night/3 days is appropriate. This route is along Tuolumne River. This has massive amount of water. Since there is a lot of elevation gain/loss, you can see many beautiful waterfalls. The most specutacular falls is Waterwheel falls. As the name indicates, the falls look like waterwheel. It is gorgious. I was just staring at the falls for a while. Not only waterwheel falls, california falls, White Cascades are also very pretty. This is real wilderness Yosemite.

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.

I can't believe I haven't written a review for this spot. I have been here lots of times over the…read morelast decade though my last hike was 3+ years ago,and its one of my favorite hikes. I love it, it's challenging in the best ways, beautiful, has waterfalls, its about 6-7 miles or so depending on where you start, make sure to bring a lot of water, more than you think you need as you will go through it and pack snacks as its not an easy hike but its a beautiful hike. Top of vernal falls is a best place to have lunch, make sure to bring a zip lock bag to carry your trash with you!