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.

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.

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

So many thoughts... My relation to Yosemite Valley began…read moreabout 64 years ago. In the Cub Scouts, I think. Ralph John loaded a squad of loud, wiggling, excited boys into his blue Plymouth station wagon for the 250 mile drive from Sylmar to Yosemite. No Interstate 5. Valencia was a carrot field, Magic Mountain an oak studded pasture for the Newhall Family cattle operation. Thank you Ralph, thank you Lord Baden-Powell. My most memorable trip, my intro to modern tourism, was when Ted Germond and I took two days of November Coast Guard Liberty from the USCGC Blackhaw, drove from San Francisco one afternoon, arrived at night, pitched camp in the center of Yosemite Valley, covered our sleeping bags with a tarp, woke at dawn under that frost-crusted tarp. We threw that crunching canvas off, shook off the frost, and threw our gear into Ted's Land Cruiser. He took one photo of the valley. We drove back to San Francisco, a handful of photos proving the journey. Aside from my tourism, I have known members of the Southern Sierra Miwok Tribe, keepers of Yosemite Valley and the surrounding area for millennia until gold miners, livestock grazers and the U.S. Government arrived. Priscilla and her husband built a very successful real estate enterprise in Oakhurst, deciding their children needed a better education in a bigger city. I got to know Priscilla through her daughters, was accepted by the family, caring for the sons and meeting The Matriarch, another very sucessful real estate entrepreneur in Southern California. Never a word, never a peep, never a hint the female side of the family were Native American Indigenous people until I was much older. Too much shame. So much taken from the Guardians of Yosemite Valley. May 22, 2026. The Friday of Memorial Day weekend. A perfect set of days to stay away from 21st century Yosemite. We knew this. I chose to cross Yosemite returning home to Phoenix. As our trip home from Coastal Washington began jelling, I checked several times to see if California 120 over Tioga Pass was clear of snow. At first, Tioga was closed, then announced open for the start of The Season, 2026. We breakfasted light at the Angel's Camp Best Western, started early, entered the park with very short lines and rolled for Tioga Pass. We did not enter the valley. Tourist aspects are so slick, capitalized and bussed, we did not choose to deviate from Cal 120. There are many burned areas from recent fires. Fear not! Intrepid sightseer. With Miwok vegetation management ending in the 19th century, the Gifford Pinchot ethos of 1912; the Environmetal Movement, no fire, no tree cutting; plus drought, higher temps and lower humidity. Expect immense burned areas across the Sierra Nevada. Prescribed fire was brought back to The Valley by Harold Biswell in the 1960's, carried strongly in the 1990's and 2000's. Many notable and positive changes are visible in forest ecosystems where fire has been laid down in moderate temperatures and humidities. I note one thing as I close. The turnouts dor the first paved roads to this region were chosen for their breath taking vistas. The forests have grown as forests do. We the tourists in our climate-controlled, musically diverse, internet-connected pods see only tree trunks these days. Lots of tree trunks. Bring Back the ancient and 20th Century Vistas! Yes Park Service, a few trees must go. But, my wife and I stopped near a deck of Incense Cedar logs at one turnout and got a view worth more than Xanterra's cash flow. We need those vistas - to honor the Miwok and their cathedral; the vision of Frederick Law Olmstead and the National Park Service's first Landscape Architects. Most of all, we members of Our Family Human, traveling here from across our planet need those humbling, magnificent, Creator-realizing views to be properly set in our places. To understand our puny, self important sparks in time and space mean nothing at all to geology, nature, and the endless seasons. We can only take care of our beautiful world generation by heneration. Said the Southern Sierra Miwok.

Visited Yosemite Falls on May 1st, and it felt just right…read more No crowds, perfect weather -- not too hot, not too cold. The waterfall was powerful, full of life, rushing down like it had something to say. Yosemite National Park felt wild and peaceful at the same time -- clean, untouched, and deeply beautiful. Grateful for everyone who takes care of this place

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!!

I cannot say enough about David and the two days he spent with us in the park. It was our first…read moretrip to Yosemite and David planned two great days that really gave us a feel for the incredible natural beauty that surrounds you in the Valley. While you can only see so much in two days, his skillful guiding made the most of that time covering the multiple waterfalls in the valley, the Sequoia Grove, Hatch Hatchy and many others. He is a self taught naturalist and gave us just the right mix of park history and insights into the floral and fauna. He also balanced our hiking so it was challenging enough to keep me interested but not to difficult that Thelma could not enjoy it as well. He was also terrific about assisting her through some of the more difficult and rocky sections so she was never uncomfortable. His planning was simply impeccable and more than worth every penny as we could never have enjoyed as much as we did on our own. There is just no substitute for having a professional guide a Dave was as professional as it gets. Simply cannot thank him enough and more highly recommend him to anyone who wants an extraordinary experience.

We hiked this on a perfect day. We started early at 5 am and got up to sub dome before the crowd…read more I was able to get a permit two days before the hike. It was so fun going up the cables that I did it two more times, but resorted to outside the cables as it got more crowded during my second and third time. My friends had to stop me after 3x because they were afraid i was going to free solo it. So fun. Please come and create your own adventure.

Half Dome really said "welcome to your villain origin story"…read more We pulled up thinking we were fit... nature said "prove it." 15+ miles, 5,000 feet up, clinging to cables like our lives depended on it (because they did??) By the time we reached the top, our souls left our bodies... but the views brought 'em right back 10/10 would get wrecked by this mountain again. Half Dome: 1, Us: spiritually stronger (physically ruined)

We came from Tenaya lake and it was my favorite hike in Yosemite. The trail and the rock…read moreformations were utterly stunning. Summit allows you to have an amazing view of Half Dome. Please come and create your own adventure.

My first hike in Yosemite, and it happened to be this one...I didn't know what I was getting myself…read moreinto. Cloud's Rest is a strenuous and challenging hike that will exhaust you for a couple days or more! This hike isn't for beginners, if you want to attempt this, you will have to actually enjoy hiking. Cloud's Rest takes around 6-8 hours to complete and is a 14 miles hike with an elevation gain of 2,700 ft. Parking - We arrived around 9:30 AM and found parking at the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead. The earlier you arrive, the better, to avoid crowds and get a good spot to park. There is one pit toilet at the trailhead and would be my first stop after arriving because you're going to be consuming plenty of water during this hike, including many more bathroom breaks in nature. Don't be afraid to take plenty of breaks during the hike, rest stops are great to enjoy some snacks and water. After crossing the wooden bridge, follow the signs pointed towards Cloud's Rest and you'll be right on your way! What I like about this hike is the changes in scenery throughout the hike. It was like a different hike every couple of miles! The first part takes you through a forest-like scenery and then the incline switchbacks, which were extremely tiring and difficult. After conquering that part, the trail takes you through a well-deserved flat area with a nice view of a lake. The final stretch includes a steep, straight incline and then finally the granite steps, which requires a bit of climbing to reach the summit. The views are spectacular at the summit, you will be able to see Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley. We arrived at the top around 1 PM and took a lunch break as well as many pictures. The descent was just as challenging as the ascent, if not more, because you're already pretty tired. Take your time and pace yourself, I think we took ever longer breaks on the way down. Overall, if you're looking for a challenging hike in Yosemite, Cloud's Rest is that hike! Great views at the summit and changing sceneries makes this hike a great one to reflect back on and tell stories.

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!

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.

i hiked from badger pass ski area to glacier point on 3/28 and posted a vlog on yoütübe including…read moretips and info so you can be prepared! search "Nikko Gandia Travels." wilderness permit issued at badger pass ranger station (200 ft. to the right of main ski lodge) or a-frame. self registration on porch when open. make sure to keep up with the road closure/construction updates! fresh powder so the snowshoes were needed. camped near ostrander rocks.

This is the road to some of the most popular attractions in Yosemite Park, but only open half the…read moreyear, closed in the winter due to snow. We were driving from the Bay Area to Yosemite, 4 hours including a potty break in Mariposa, to Yosemite Valley, and then another hour going by dried up Bridalveil falls, and then the tunnel view, to Glacier Point. Glacier Point Road is some 22 miles long, and intersects Highway 41 between Yosemite Valley and Wawona, on the way to Fresno. It's not only a winding mountain road, but takes you from the 4500 foot elevation of the Yosemite Valley, to 7700 foot Glacier Point. As we go up the road, we pass a sign saying 'road closed 7pm', on Sunday November 1, 2015. No overnight parking allowed after October 15. The first part of the road is relatively straight roadway with 35 mph speed limits, through dense forests on both sides of the road, going up the mountain. Last April when the road opened, we saw a heavy duty construction grader, with chains on all four giant tires, each taller than a man, towing snow removal equipment. Badger Pass skiing resort is here, and once the road is covered with snow, cross country skiers will be able to ski on the road. There are very short turn outs on the sides of the road, for pulling over for faster cars to pass. Inevitably if I drive at the 35 mph speed limit, some guy in a hurry comes on my tail. This time its somebody in a pickup, probably local, as he is the only occupant. I speed up to 50 mph, but he clings right up to me, even when I slow down for a car in front of me. Long distances of solid double lines -no passing. The recently paved smooth asphalt road going uphill reaches a peak, and degrades into cracked surface with potholes and jagged edges. At the 16 mile mark, I pull over to the small parking lot at Sentinel Dome, the tallest location on the road, where we do both the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point hikes in 3 hours. At 4:30 pm we drive down the remaining 6 miles to Glacier Point, to enjoy the sunset. Speed limit drops to 15mph as we go down through some hairpin loops in a darkened forest, when all of a sudden, Half Dome rises on the horizon, prior to Glacier Point. We leave at 5:15 for the 1 hour trip back to Yosemite Valley. This part of the Glacier Point road has a 15mph speed limit, with hairpin 180 degree turns, and steep cross traverse roadways in a deep forest. One guy going way too fast approaches us, going way over the center line on the hairpin turn. We were going real slow, and just missed a head on collision. The road becomes dark, and there is nothing like driving on a dark winding mountain road. Amazingly enough cars are still driving up the road to Glacier Point in the darkness! Full moon at Glacier Point? I'm going the speed limit, when some joker comes up right behind me, lights in my rear view mirror, saying go faster. I'm not about to go 50 mph in a 35 mph zone in the dark. Last April I saw a coyote on the road, and the last thing I want to do is hit a bear or deer at dusk, and damage my car. I pull over at the Sentinel dome parking lot, to let the speedster past. Inevitably another car comes onto my tail, and actually passes me on the road in one of the few straight aways, only to pull over at the next turn out to enjoy the setting sun on the horizon, emitting a purple glow. About half way down the road, another car comes onto my tail,.I find a turnout, and let him pass, and then comes a whole series of cars, all going 10-15 mph over the 35 mph speed limit, like it is the Indianapolis 500! Dusk becomes complete darkness. Fortunately the road has a newly painted center line, and two bike lane solid white lines on the edges of the road. Another car comes onto my tail. but this time, I can't utilize the turn outs, as it is too dark, and I have no way to estimate the length of the turnouts. And there are snow poles on the side of the road, to delineate the roadway when covered with snow. The guy follows me at the speed limit for what seems like half an hour, down to the end of Glacier point road, past the tunnel view, onto the Valley loop, where the road becomes two lanes in one direction. At least he never blew his horn. It's 6:15 pm, on this first day of standard time, and is completely dark, when we arrive at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, after the hour drive from Glacier Point. The following day, it rains hard the entire day. Glacier Point is closed with snow and ice, at least temporarily, and perhaps for the season, until next April, or June if El Nino materializes.