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.

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.

One of my favorite places in Yosemite. In the summer it's all about the swimming in the beautiful…read moreshallow waters on the edge of the lake with little boulders to sit and sunbathe on. In the fall/winter we enjoyed walking on the beaches and watching the sunrise on the lake that was covered in a layer of steam.

Did a pit stop here and it was so much fun! Got to dip my feet in the lake and just admire the…read morelandscape around us. There is parking alongside the road

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.

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is absolutely stunning--a truly magical place filled with…read morebreathtaking trees. There's a large parking lot and a visitor center with very friendly, helpful staff who gave us great information before we headed out. From there, we took the shuttle up to the walking path (note: if you're handicap, you can actually drive up directly). There are restrooms both at the visitor center and up by the trees, plus a convenient water fill station with fresh snow water from the area. The walking path itself is easy to follow, and every turn offers incredible views of these majestic giants. An unforgettable experience and a must-see in Yosemite!

The most beautiful , challenging, worth it hike for me. I love this hike, It is a 7.4 mile hike…read more(1,500 foot). we love to do this hike end of spring beginning of summer. Make sure to bring your water, snacks and energy. My kids love this trail/hike and look forward to getting to the Top of vernal falls for lunch and a dip in the water. There are 3 restrooms on this trail and 1 water fountain to fill up your water bottles. Take as many breaks that you need do not push yourself to much. Be very careful and watch your step. BIG TIP: If you have children please keep them close. i witnessed 2 small kids walking down the slippery wet stairs and almost lost their balance while the parents were nowhere near. My heart almost stopped. I highly recommend this trail. I LOVE THE MIST TRAIL.

What a gorgeous hike. Would 100% do this hike again. It was absolutely breathtaking. Took a few…read morebreaks throughout this hike and honestly wasn't too hard. The main hard part was walking up the stairs where it was wet and many people stopping every few steps to admire the view. I wish they would step to the side because it affected my momentum going up the stairs. There are many points in the hike where you can stop and view the hike without being in the way of the hikers! Definitely would recommend this hike! I didn't get super wet, like others mentioned. But definitely was very misty and got sprinkled on here and there. The floor is quite slippery though.

This review is for Wapama Falls Trail which was a ~4.7 miles round trip that took ~2.5 hours to…read morecomplete. Located away from the busy and crowded hikes of Yosemite; this trail was worth the stop. Beautiful views of the reservoir and waterfall! Rocky at some parts of the trail with annoying flies. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/Xy-VTDD_Zpg

Wapama Falls is the second most powerful waterfall in CA! Definitely worth a visit if you're in the…read moreHetch Hetchy/Yosemite area. The hike is around 5 miles round trip, not bad at all. It's pretty hilly and not completely uphill which is great for beginners and intermediates alike! My coworkers and I finished the hike in around an hour and a half. The hike back to the O'Shaughnessy dam was a little less than an hour. You start at the dam and then walk through the tunnel. The trail is pretty well marked and clear, just note that when you get to the fork in the road with multiple signs, stay to the right! There's a bunch of picturesque places on this hike so remember to bring a camera! When you get to the falls, the bridge may or may not be covered in water! Keep in mind that it is very dangerous to cross the bridge if the waterfall is flowing over it... That should be a given, right?? Haha but thankfully it was open when I went, and I got to see so many views of Wapama Falls! The waterfall is so tall and majestic and absolutely beautiful! Surrounded by the beauty of Hetch Hetchy reservoir, you can't help but be amazed!

We bought the Senior Park Pass for $20 and now have free access for a year to any National Park…read more So we got into Yosemite on our second day of vacation for free! A favorite of ours is Bridle Vail Falls. It's a rest stop with plenty of bathrooms, but also there's a really nice easy walking trail and Bridle Vail Falls is up close so you don't have to hike a mile or more to see it. A great place to refresh and stretch your legs. There was some road construction so naturally with a two lane road there are delays. Not too long of a wait. The previous fire damage is obvious as is the new growth. Once inside Yosemite Village things are back to normal (thankfully) and the glory that is Yosemite reigns supreme. Expect a 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive into and out of the park. Take maps because cell service can be tricky. Go!

Reservation is required to drive into or through the park on some dates/times through Oct 27. Check…read morethe website for more information. You can enter the park without a reservation before 5 am or after 4 pm. Reservations are required at any time in between. The YNP South Side is amazing! Breath breathtaking views, beautiful waterfalls (Vernal & Nevada Falls), and much to explore. It takes about 45mins-1hr to get from the South Entrance to Yosemite Valley. We stayed about 25 minutes from the South Side Entrance and arrived at YNP around 4:30 am. We did not have to pay entrance fees and could experience the beautiful sunrise. If you can do that, please don't hesitate; it's so worth it. Plus, if you start early, you avoid the crowds and see more of YNP!

Pro tip: Take the shuttle (approximately $15 per person round-trip). You take it from the Main…read moreLodge and they run every 20-30mins from 7amish to 730pmish (as of Aug 2025). You want to get off at Red's Meadow and hike to the falls. It's easy-easy/moderate and is the shortest distance to the falls. Do not take it from Devil's Postpile because it will add 1.5 miles of open sun hike to the falls. Once there, reward yourself with glass of wine and lunch. The water is cool to cold (depending on the time of year) and refreshing. Highly recommended

There's almost a guaranteed rainbow and maybe even a double rainbow if you're lucky at Rainbow…read moreFalls! From the shuttle stop, it's a 1.6 mile exposed hike to the falls, then some stairs to the bottom. We were prepared wearing our swimsuits to take a dip in the frigid water! Totally worth it. So beautiful!

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.

When you pick five stars the rating shows 'Woohoo! As good as it gets!' Uh well it should be 'damm…read moreit's as hard as it gets'. Don't believe the 'several dozen' switchback nonsense that the NPS will tell you. I think that means like 36. HA! I counted 113 on the way down. Erin S and I went on a backpacking trip up this trail last week-end. Our winter trip in summery conditions. Our packs were heavy because of the 4 season tent, bear can, and warm clothes. I was wearing a Suunto Ambit that said we had only gone a mile. How the 'H' is that possible when we had been climbing for almost two hours? This dang thing must be broken. The switchbacks are never ending and steep. Imagine this. For every tenth of a mile you will climb 100 ft. Can you visualize this? We set off from our car at the Happy Isle TH parking and made it to the TH cutoff for Snow Creek by 12:15. Hey we only have to climb 2.7 miles right? We should be at the top in camp by 4:00. At 4:00 I had readjusted my expectations to just get there in time to climb into my bag. A couple of day hikers passed us, and at the same time passed judgement, based on me laying on the ground gasping and crying for air. My pack was lying in the middle of the trail blocking any forward progress; I don't think they had much confidence in our (my) success. We finally made it to the footbridge as dusk was fading to full dark. Fortunately we had two days to recover and not think about having to go back down the evil switchbacks. I guess I should mention that the views are amazing of Half Dome, Quarter Domes, and all other manner of memorable granite objects. Take a moment from staring in misery at the ground as you trudge ever upward and take in the scenery. Makes it all worthwhile! BTW....the Suunto was correct. Ow...I need to take some more Advil and soak in some Epsom salt now. After I crawl out of my bed.

I bought all my shit to go backpacking and to become a mountain man. I've done a few day-hikes and…read morefelt I was ready for a big one, according to me. This is about a six mile hike, two miles through Mirror Lake and about four going up about 2,800 ft. in 99 switch backs. This hike beat me the F-ck up! It took me six hours to get up to the top, had dinner, good dinner and when we woke up we just decided to pack it up and get the hell out of Dodge! Coming down presented a new world of pain, I got a blister and my big toe nail turned purple??? This hike was way out of my league, I would not recommend it unless your are in shape, oh and by the way I was carrying 30+ lbs. of shit on my back! Incredible waterfalls through the hike and spectacular views once we got to the top including an incredible view of Half Dome from an angle I have never seen before! This is a great hike!