Hiking in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park in California was first protected in 1864 and features waterfalls, giant sequoias, granite rock formations and beautiful lakes in the High Sierra. Make sure to check before visiting to see if a reservation is required for entry into the park.
Staying inside the park is a great option, so you don’t have to wait in line at the entrance each day you are there. We stayed at the Wawona Hotel, a Victorian-era hotel originally established in 1856.
On our first day exploring, we headed toward the Valley Floor. One of the first stops you come to is Tunnel View, where you are treated to the iconic view of El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks and Bridalveil Fall.
We parked at the Ahwahnee Hotel and walked over to hike to Lower Yosemite Falls. It’s an easy 1.2 mile trail with 55 feet of elevation gain. The falls were flowing at record rates when we were there, so prepare to get wet from the spray!
In the afternoon, we did a Discovery Hike through the park that led us to beautiful Mirror Lake. We hiked 4.5 miles with 300 feet of elevation gain.
After the lake, we continued hiking back toward the Ahwahnee Hotel and were treated to gorgeous views.
The next day, we took the Valley Floor Tour on an open-air tram. The tour departs from the Yosemite Valley Lodge several times daily and lasts two hours.
They gave us great information about Yosemite on the tour and we saw El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite, Falls, Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall and more.
In the afternoon, we embarked on the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. It’s 1.6 miles (round trip) with 400 feet of elevation gain to the Vernal Falls footbridge and 2.4 miles (round trip) with 1,000 feet of elevation gain to the top of Vernal Falls.
It’s definitely a steep climb and you will get soaking during the last part. Be prepared with a poncho or rain jacket. There are lots of steps to climb near the end that are also slippery so use extra caution, but the views are worth it!
The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is in the southern part of Yosemite and has more than 500 mature giant sequoias.
We hiked on the Mariposa Grove Trail and Grizzly Giant Loop Trail a total of 3.25 miles with 550 feet of elevation gain. This is the California Tunnel Tree that was cut in 1895 so that horsedrawn stages could go through it.
The Grizzly Giant is one of the largest in Mariposa Grove and estimated to be close to 3,000 years old. Look for other legendary trees in the grove, including the Fallen Monarch and Faithful Couple.
Check out more things to do nearby in San Francisco and Napa Valley.
