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.

We made it to Angel Falls! This place was easy to hike to…read moregood for kids too. The water is freezing and super clear. It was a hot day so we didn't mind taking a dip. The rocks are very slippery so please be careful. We had a chance to take a dip and dry off too. when in bass lake you need to make it to angel falls.

Great hike! This hike is relatively easy, almost 4 miles (3.8 according to my AppleWatch), it is an…read moreout-and-back trail. There are sooooo many great places to stop along the way and enjoy the water, one spot was the perfect little lagoon with a rope swing. It was slightly busy; hikers, mountain bikers and trail runners but everyone is very friendly and makes way for others. There is a bit of incline right when you start the trail but just hang in there because it is so worth it! Would absolutely do this again! NOTE: There is a small parking area just up the street from the trail head; it cost $10 and they only accept cash.

A nice, short hike for those who want to have something to do before or after checking into the…read morehotel for your Yosemite trip. The trail is uphill for about 20-25 minutes at a moderate pace, before going downhill slightly. There you will find "Glass Rock" where there is a lot of natural rock seating for you to enjoy the lake view. If you time it right, you can enjoy the sunset here, but make sure to bring a headlamp to assist with the return trip since it will be pretty dark by then. The hike uphill is grueling enough to make you squirm a little bit, but rewarding with a great view and seating. This area is really remote, with only a few road-side parking spots. To spot the "trailhead" look for the trail right next to the cut up logs. The trail is in average condition. Hopefully people can take better care of it by carrying out their own trash and adhere to "no trace" exploring. It seems someone also built a fire pit here too (not sure if that is legal).

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.

We were staying in Oakhurst with some friends over the weekend. After spending a long day in…read moreYosemite Valley the previous day, I wanted to do some more hiking and found this trail less than 10 minutes away. I started at the trailhead near Corlieu Falls, went north towards Red Rock Falls. It was a beautiful hike with some varied terrain going slightly uphill for parts of it. The fall foliage was beautiful, and it was nice to hear the running water all along the way. There is occasional highway noise since this runs parallel to the main road, but I didn't mind it. Went at 730a and didn't see another person for about two hours. Red Rock Falls was peaceful and beautiful. I crossed the stream a bit clumsily and ended up with wet feet, but it was worth it for the photos. I made my way back. Corlieu Falls had a good amount of debris around it, including part of a bridge. Round trip was less than 4 miles, and I got back in time for brunch.

A nice and easy walk but make sure to bring water and sunscreen because it gets HOT and there are a…read morelot of areas on this trail that are not shaded so you're just getting beat down by the hot sun. Unfortunately, we had two small kids with us in tow so we didn't make it too far on the trail but I hear there are some nice waterfalls as a visual treat if you finish the trail. The trail itself had some slopes and elevations but nothing too crazy. There isn't a lot of parking available in the designated lot - we were lucky to grab a spot as someone was leaving right when we pulled up, otherwise I don't know where one would park to easily get to the trail head.

Wonderful experience and plan to return. I went on a weekend expedition to the Ansel Adams…read moreWilderness by Yosemite. It was absolutely incredible. I went with a church group with 10 other men and we were greeted late at night by two guides that had the best attitudes even though we arrived super-late. They had everything ready to go at the campsite so we didn't have to worry about any gear and just go right to sleep. They took care of all of our meals, too. The next morning we took a 6-mile hike and went swimming in a mountain lake all the while discussing meaningful things in our lives to connect with one another. It was a real bonding and growing experience. We later did a 3-hour solo trip to be alone for 3 hours and really enjoyed it. The next day we went rock climbing and learned a great deal from the experience, much more than just rock climbing. We were only there for about 36 hours in total, but loved every minute of it. Some other things about the company: They have multiple pre-packaged "courses" in addition to the ability to create customized courses which is what we went on. Their pre-packaged courses include Father-Children courses, Leadership development courses, single parent courses, among many other adventure courses. All of the courses are aimed at giving a God-centered educational experience that you will not forget. Activities include camping, hiking, rock climbing, swimming, among other activities. They are headquartered in a cool cabin in Bass Lake, CA, but operate all over the world. Adventure sites include some of the most beautiful places in the world like Mt. Rainier, Yosemite, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Holy Land and South America among other places. Super helpful guides and instructors who obviously love their jobs (I'm candidly a little jealous). From the website: "Our focus is providing custom programming using service, adventure and experiential education as tools to strengthen relationships with God and others......Since 1973, Summit Adventure has used wilderness and adventure as tools to facilitate transformation, build compassion, strengthen relationships and deepen faith. These processes take place through time-tested and proven strategies that Summit Adventure has used over the past four decades." The adventures are reasonably priced. Summit Adventure is a not-for-profit organization.

An absolute GEM Spring cove was just perfect for my family and I. The campground was perfect the…read moreset up, the bathrooms near by were clean and well kept. The showers were also very nice and clean. Parking for one car only, there's an option to park another vehicle but its 10$ for extra cars. The lake was so close, just a small walk away. Rangers were so nice and checked on us often. We absolutely LOVED this campsite.

This is a fantastic location. Great campground. It was very clean and very well organized. The camp…read morehost Mathew McCabe was outstanding appeared to be constantly at work and readily available. A very attentive host, who clearly took great pride in his work.

We rented two single kayaks from Bass Lake Water Sports. The good: we got there waaaaaay early and…read morethey accommodated us. Of course we got there way early because the instructions said arrive an hour before your appointment time. Good little soldiers we, arrived at 8:02 for our 9am paddle. By 8;10 they wanted to know if we wanted to get breakfast first or just go. Pffft! Lemme at it. The other good: okay, it's the Sierra Nevada. How can it not be glorious on a lake? Buuuuuut... here comes the bad: waiting, waiting, waiting at the end for someone to notice we came back. I blew my requisite emergency whistle twice in frustration and still nothing. Probably ten minutes of employees not seeing us, or maybe preoccupied with the gasoline powered craft. Which brings me to the next maybe not bad but not great... we were the only people who didn't need to sign the disclosure that we had to pay for our fuel separately. That, in and of itself isn't so bad... but it meant this 3.5 mile lake was choppier than some oceans on which we've kayaked. Constant wake. We had to stay on the shore side of the large orange buoys, and the motorized pontoon boats, sea-doos, jet boats with water skis... they were on the other side. It's like when I was a kid flying 11 hours LAX - LHR in the 1970s and the smoking section's boundary changed based on the ratio of smokers. Yeah, there was segregation but hoo, didn't make a lotta difference. Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy. Still, we're on the lake, it's a beautiful day, what's not to love? The ugly wasn't appalling by any stretch but it wasn't great either, and it's the reason I'd rate this place 3 of 5 stars. It got the job done but I didn't see any evidence that people cared. The kayak was dirty and had trash in/on it - half a paddle padding torn off and river weeds. The paddle was held together with peeling electrical tape, had only one drip ring with no padding (maybe sitting on the prow?) and the paint was chipping off. And the drink holder was half full of slimy river water. Blech. Who wants to risk drinking nasty water running down your bottle? For $250 for two hours, I would expect better.

I would advise exercising serious caution before renting anything from this shop. Our experience…read morehere was severely disappointing, and overall really sketchy. Rental Contract Overall okay, if not a bit disorganized and confusing. It took a fair amount of time to get the contract. They presented us two options for the deposit: a $25 non-refundable flat fee to not have to think about damages, or a $200 refundable deposit. We were told several times, "but if you choose this option, it might take up to 10 days to get it back." No problem - $200 seems a bit high for a kayaking rental deposit, but we were fine with that. They also took photocopies of our IDs and and credit cards without telling us, which was a bit strange. Getting Kayaks Really strange experience. There was a nebulous "wristband" system that half our party got, and half didn't. When we noticed, we went to ask, and then they haphazardly gave us wristbands, which were never used. A while later, eventually we were ushered to an area where we got a safety briefing and then the kayaks by the dock. We were told that when we came back in from the water, we should wait until an employee ushers us back in. Then we were off. Returning Kayaks This is where things got weird. On the water we noticed an extremely fast, dangerous jet ski zooming down the water in a slow area. Later, when we came back to return the kayaks, we followed the instructions and waited for an employee to usher us back in. There were about 4 other kayaks already waiting. There were a couple employees at the dock, chatting, not acknowledging the kayaks that were waiting. Eventually, we had to go in, so we just went for it, and one of the employees ran over. No apology, and the plot twist - it turns out he was the speeding jet skier! We eventually return our gear and equipment (with no employee assistance or directions). We get our gear back from the locker, and are about to leave. One of our party members asks us if we got our deposit back. Confused, we asked an employee. Turns out they wouldn't have given us the deposit back unless we asked. So much for the automatic 10 day period. We asked what would have happened if we forgot, and turns out we would have had to physically come back. We, presumably like many of their clients, are from out of town. So I imagine there are a lot of "mistakes" like this. Overall The sketchiest part of this was definitely was them clearly hoping we'd forget to ask for our deposit back. I don't know if this is because the whole shop seemed to be run by teenagers, but I would definitely not return.

Outdoorsy Yosemite has become one of our favorite camping spots. No matter the season there is…read morealways something to do. During the summer we enjoy the pool, fun entertainment the staff host like bingo, ice cream socials (our favorite), live entertainment for dancing, club house games, or just enjoying the community bonfire. We especially love the hospitality we receive every visit from the staff. Especially, Leslie who is always so helpful and knowledgeable with all of our family needs. We love Outdoorsy Yosemite and will continue to vacation here years to come.

Could use onsite restaurant. But there is one Nextdoor but you have to drive to it. Pretty close to…read moreYosemite.

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.

The road to get there is pretty rough. We should've taken my boyfriend's Subaru Outback which is a…read more4 wheel drive but took my Passat ( a sedan ) and we were pretty nervous about going up on this dirt road with lots of potholes and a stream crossing but we made it. I highly recommend driving either a pickup truck or SUV four wheel drive just to be on the safe side. But as a reminder, the road is very narrow, barely one car fits. I'd be nervous if there were cars coming from the other side but luckily we had no on coming traffic today. The stream and the waterfalls at Big Ed trail is really beautiful and just the whole area is peaceful and smells like pine trees and relaxing. There are several trails you can take like Chimney Tree Trail , Bull Buck Trail , etc... there's a campground by the stream also. Bull Buck tree is impressive, it's 2,700 years old and it's huge !!!! It's only a short 1/4 mile hike from the campground so it's worth seeing. Unfortunately after the 2017 fire in the area , the shadow of the giants trail is closed.