YOSEMITE FAVORITE HIKES AND VIEWPOINTS
With over 800 miles of trails, Yosemite National Park has a wide range of hiking opportunities ranging from short family-friendly hikes to longer strenuous day hikes and long remote backpacking trips in the wilderness. Several roadside viewpoints also offer outstanding views with little effort beyond fighting for a parking space. Bring the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map with you to find your way through the different sections of the park. IMPORTANT: You are responsible for your own safety. It is up to you to determine if a hike is appropriate for your ability.
BRIDALVEIL FALL
Short family-friendly stroll.
Bridalveil Fall is one of the most famous and recognizable waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, welcoming visitors as they first enter Yosemite Valley. While Bridalveil Fall can be seen from many prominent roadside viewpoints, a short paved trail allows you to get fairly close to the base. The fall is most impressive in spring when snowmelt adds to its awesome beauty.
LOWER YOSEMITE FALL
Short family-friendly stroll.
At 2425 feet tall, Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America and is one of the most famous landmarks of Yosemite National Park. A visit to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall is a family-friendly stroll that every first time visitor must do. But since this is one of the most popular landmarks in the park, be prepared to share the trail with crowds of other people.
THE MIST TRAIL (Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, John Muir Trail)
Fairly strenuous to strenuous day hike.
The Mist Trail is one of the quintessential hikes in Yosemite, working its way up the narrowing gorge of the Merced River to. Along the way, hikers enjoy close-up views of two of Yosemite's iconic waterfalls: Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. For the return hike, the alternative John Muir Trail offers a drier and more gradual descent with sweeping views of the Nevada Falls pantheon.
HALF DOME (via the Mist Trail)
Very strenuous hike with exposure near summit.
What is the most iconic and recognizable rock formation in Yosemite National Park and serves as a beacon that can be seen from all over the park? Half Dome!!! What is the most famous and strenuous day hike in Yosemite that includes the intimidating cables near the summit and is so popular it requires a permit to control crowding? Half Dome!!!
MIRROR LAKE
Family-friendly stroll.
Mirror Lake is one of Yosemite's most popular tourist destinations, located in the northeast corner of Yosemite Valley at the mouth of Tenaya Canyon with several hiking trails and a paved biking road leading right to it. During the spring runoff, Tenaya Creek floods and forms several beautiful lakes that are indeed quite reflective, especially in the morning light.
UPPER YOSEMITE FALL TRAIL (and Yosemite Point)
Moderately strenuous to strenuous day hike.
The Yosemite Falls Trail is a clever constructed trail that zigzags its way up and around faults and ramps to the rim at the top of the falls. From 3000 feet above the valley floor, hikers can enjoy awe-inspiring views of the surrounding area and those who are willing to hike a bit further to Yosemite Point are also treated to some classic views of Half Dome.
DISCOVERY VIEW (Tunnel View)
Roadside viewpoint.
Located along Wawona Road (Route 41) heading south up and out of Yosemite Valley, Tunnel View (also known as "Discovery View") is one of the most famous roadside viewpoints in Yosemite National Park, offering up a classic Ansel Adams view that is one of the best of the park. From the viewing area, you can get a wondrous view of Yosemite Valley framed by El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall.
EL CAPITAN and EAGLE PEAK (from Big Oak Flat Road)
Strenuous to very strenuous hike.
El Capitan is one of the most famous granite monoliths in Yosemite with its intimidating 3000-ft tall sheer vertical wall that stands across from Bridalveil Falls and welcomes awe-struck visitors into Yosemite Valley. A through hike from Big Old Flat Road up to El Capitan and nearby Eagle Peak and down the Yosemite Falls Trail makes for a long trek though some beautiful scenery.
MARIPOSA GROVE OF GIANT SEQUOIAS
Family-friendly stroll to strenuous hike.
The Mariposa Grove is the largest and most famous grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park and has been a large tourist draw for over a century and a half. Several trails allow you to walk in the shadows of these magnificent giants, including the famous "Grizzly Giant," "Faithful Couple," and the now-fallen "Wawona Tunnel Tree," to make your way to Wawona Point.
GLACIER POINT (and Washburn Point)
Short family-friendly stroll.
Located on the southern rim high above Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point is one of the most famous and awe-inspiring overlooks in Yosemite National Park and it's also one of the few viewpoints that you can drive to. As one of Yosemite's most famous and accessible tourist spots, be prepared to deal crowds and parking headaches, especially during the summer tourist season.
TAFT POINT and SENTINEL DOME
Easy to moderately strenuous day hike.
The Sentinel Trailhead is the starting point for a hike to two scenic and easily accessible viewpoints. Taft Point is an amazing viewpoint along an exposed ridgeline with sheer vertical cliffs that offer amazing views down into Yosemite Valley. Sentinel Dome is the inconspicuous highpoint far above Glacier Point that offers panoramic views in all directions.
PANORAMA TRAIL
Fairly strenuous day hike.
The Panorama Trail is probably one of the most famous hikes, leaving Glacier Point to head down towards Nevada Fall. Along the way, the trail crosses Illilouette Creek just above the impressive Illilouette Fall, and an old spot known as Panorama Point offers one of the best views looking down into Yosemite Valley. Continuing down the John Muir Trail makes for a great day hike.
TUOLUMNE GROVE OF GIANT SEQUOIAS
Easy to moderately strenuous hike.
Located west of Yosemite Valley near Crane Flat and the junction of Big Oak Flat Road and Tioga Road, the Tuolumne Grove consists of a handful of large sequoias scattered in a dense pine forest of Douglas firs and sugar pines. The most notable landmark of this hike is a morbid curiosity--the Dead Giant Tunnel Tree that was tunneled out in 1878 to attract more tourism.
OLMSTED POINT
Roadside viewpoint and short stroll.
Located along Tioga Road in the heart of Yosemite high country, Olmsted Point is one of the more prominent roadside pullovers. Olmsted Point offers a wonderful straight-shot view down Tenaya Canyon with Clouds Rest high in the foreground and Half Dome far in the distance. A short 10-minute hike takes you to a little viewpoint that gives you an even better view.
TENAYA LAKE
Roadside landmark and short stroll.
One of the standout landmarks along Tioga Road is the beautiful Tenaya Lake that tempts all tourists driving by to pull over and relax for a bit. Located roughly 2 miles east of Olmsted Point, several roadside parking areas provide access to different sides of the lake if you want to take a stroll along the shore, have a relaxing picnic along the shore, or even go kayaking.
NORTH DOME and INDIAN ROCK
Fairly strenuous day hike.
North Dome is one of the more prominent dome formations standing directly across from the face of Half Dome. While you can hike up to North Dome from Yosemite Valley (usually as a strenuous backpacking trip up the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail or Snow Creek Trail), hiking to North Dome from Tioga Road makes for a more manageable day hike through Yosemite's forested high country.
CLOUDS REST (from Sunrise Trailhead)
Strenuous day hike.
With an elevation over 1000 higher than Half Dome and massive bare walls that slope thousands of feet down into Tenaya Canyon, Clouds Rest is an impressive peak that can be seen from all over the park. A hike to Clouds Rest from Tioga Road makes for long but reasonable day hike through some beautiful wilderness scenery to walk on top of the narrow and exposed formation.
MAY LAKE and MOUNT HOFFMANN
Moderately strenuous to strenuous day hike.
May Lake is one of the more popular high-country lakes to visit and is also the site of one of the famous High Sierra Camps. A day hike to May Lake makes for a fairly easy adventure thanks to the short trail with moderate elevation gain. But looming 1500 feet above the lake to the west is the impressive Mount Hoffmann that rewards hikers with top-of-the-world views.
LEMBERT DOME and DOG LAKE
Easy to moderately strenuous day hike.
One of the many pleasant and fairly easy hikes in the Tuolumne Meadows area is the hike to Dog Lake and Lembert Dome. Dog Lake is a tranquil alpine lake surrounded by grassy banks and open views, and Lembert Dome is the nearby granite formation whose imposing vertical face looks over Tioga Road. A hike to either or both makes for a great day in the high country.
HETCH HETCHY to WAPAMA FALLS
Moderately strenuous day hike.
Located in the lesser-visited northwest corner of Yosemite National Park, Hetch Hetchy is a beautiful valley surrounded by tall granite walls that was controversially dammed in the early 1900s to serve as a stable water source for the San Francisco Bay Area. Hiking to the base of Wapama Falls makes for a pleasant and moderately strenuous day hike.
