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

Visited Yosemite National Park for the first time in a while on Easter weekend! Definitely…read morerecommend coming on a weekday/non-holiday time or arriving early as the park gets pretty crowded - we waited about 30 minutes to get through the entrance on Saturday. Park is well maintained and very prompt on trail closures. There's something for everyone here from straightforward and short paved walks to more intense ones like Half Dome. We hiked the Vernal Falls & Nevada Falls trail on Friday, and part of the John Muir trail was closed due to snow so we had to do it out and back instead of a loop. Views were stunning and there was a lot of water in the falls this time of year! Took us a little over 4 hours to complete. Only downside was that this is a very popular trail so we were having to move slowly and wait behind people on some narrow portions. We stopped by Lower Yosemite Falls on Saturday and it is a simple, easy stroll with a great view, but super super packed. We weren't able to find parking so one person had to keep circling the lot until. Gift shops were nice and I picked up a couple of magnets as souvenirs. Overall, I would definitely return, and will plan my next visit around the crowds. Pro tip: find accommodation inside the park if possible. The roads leading into the park are very windy and going back and forth made me a bit car sick. All the lodges were already completely booked, so next time I will plan well in advance.

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!

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.

Great park in the heart of Mammoth Village. This public park has obstacles and a very well laid…read moreout park for children to play. We came here after having breakfast at Mammoth Coffee Roasting only 1 minute away. Wonderful place to enjoy especially when the weather is beautiful which is just about 80% of the year in sunny California. 5 stars and two thumbs up!

My kids had fun! Staff were very nice helpful, doesn't give attitude, very friendly. Every single…read moreone of them. From the front desk where you pay to the people that's working on the rides. Price very reasonable and place is very clean! We will be coming back.

Fern Spring is a natural rock spring in Yosemite Valley, located just above the Valley Loop Trail,…read moreon the side of the road between Bridalveil Fall and the Pohono Bridge. From the road, you can see a fenced off area with educational signs and a small parking area. Above the parking area is the main rock spring, which is clearly defined by circles of rocks. The water flows into the mountaintop, down, through, and under it, and out into this rock spring. The water also exits from the rocks below the road on the other side of the trail, but most people don't go down to see that side. According to the signs, some Native Americans believe that rock springs like this one are directly connected to the source of life. In respect of their beliefs, and to keep the spring clean, taking water from the spring is not permitted. A restoration project is underway to plant more ferns in this area to restore it to its natural beauty.

fern Spring is beautiful. But now during the government shutdown people are trashing it, we saw…read more two women having a picnic in the spring, like in it! They told us how special it was and I just thought wow so this is how you treat something you think is special? If you visit Fern Spring please respect it. Do not walk in or around it; stand in front of it and admire it and take whatever photos you want. Leave it as you found it or better than you found it, please.

BEWARE TOURISTS. THIS HIKE IS NOT FOR YOU…read more I'm in my thirties and not an avid hiker. I'm not going to sugar coat this review because of the views. I'm going to be brutally honest about this trail, which changes from nicely paved dirt path to treacherous piles of jagged rocks (sometimes slippery if you're at Mist trail) that you need to figure out how to get down or up (depending on what direction you are taking) without falling and hurting yourself badly. Also, keep in mind there are other people sharing this path with you in the opposite direction so you not only need to navigate through the treachery of the rocks but also the people sharing them with you. I had planned to do the four mile trail (from Glacier point) because it was shorter but the Glacier point gift shop employee Jeremy said he had done this hike in 2 hours with his 40 year old mom and all he took was one water bottle with no problem. LIES!! The other gift shop employee Olivia said panorama trail was longer but definitely easier than four mile because it was less steep and all downhill. MORE LIES!!! Its because of what they both said that changed my mind to switch from four mile to panoramic trail. This trail is labeled as strenuous but should have "treacherous" added to it. There are parts of the trail where there are no signs and you lose your way because there is no clear path on where to go. At Vernal Falls, after you cross the bridge, you have to walk up a huge slab of rock to figure out which direction to go to continue on (you go right). It was late in the afternoon for us so there wasn't anyone around for us to follow. The bad signage, or lack thereof, was frustrating. If you see squiggly marks on the map (that you can get at the visitor centers) it means you have to walk down jagged/slippery rocks. 99% do not have rails. You could fall hard on your way to Neveda Falls or fall straight down slippery rocks at Mist trail (your shoes will get wet--mine were completely soaked). Some of the trail were paved dirt roads (which was what I was expecting, including the switchbacks) but many parts of this trail were just rocks stacked on top of rocks done by Yosemite staff to create a challenging hiking experience. You are climbing down these rocks for miles non stop. Your knees will hate you. There are no bathrooms. The first bathroom is at Nevada Falls. The first place where you will see a water fountain to refill your water is after Vernal Falls on the Mist trail and before you reach the Happy Isles Nature Center. After you reach the Happy Isles Nature center, you still have to walk a bit to the #16 shuttle stop. Our driver was ending her shift so she was making select stops. Thankfully she stopped at stop #8 to the Yosemite Valley Lodge where we had left our car. We got to our car by 8pm and took off for our hotel by 830pm. We were exhausted and now had to drive home down a winding trail to exit the park in the dark. It was a tough drive back to our hotel and we didn't expect to have a day like this. This trail is not all downhill from Glacier point. You have a good 2 miles of steep uphill hiking. There was not a lot of shade in the day hours during summer. I carried with me 3 waters, 1 gatorade, 1 snapple (bought at gift shop located at Glacier Point) and it was not enough to last me the 9 hours it took for us to complete this trail. I recommend bringing more if you plan to do this complete 9 mile route. Also, I recommend bringing a walking stick (or buying one at the gift shop for $22.99) and a bucket hat for $32.00). These are definitely worth the investment or added weight to your gear because in the 90 degree heat and the treacherous areas of the trail you will be so thankful to have had them. All in all, the waterfalls started to look the same to me. Illilouette Fall and Nevada falls looked very similar. If you want to get misty, do lower yosemite falls and walk towards the bottom of the falls (off trail) instead of Vernal Falls. Or take shuttle #16 and walk to Vernal Falls instead of seeing it from panoramic trail. In my opinion this trail was not worth the energy, sweat and tears. I was more impressed by Igazu falls and Niagara Falls when I visited them. I thought this trail would be like others I've taken when visiting other National parks or International parks. I thought it would be a cleared dirt path. I was WRONG. If you want to get great pictures of everything from Panoramic trail, I recommend breaking up your trip in two. First trip: park at Glacier point, walk to Illilouette Fall, then turn back. Second trip: take shuttle to #16 stop, walk Mist trail to see Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. In my opinion, this is a much less strenuous and treacherous itinerary and you can see everything you would have seen on the Panoramic trail without the pain and stress.

1. This hike has been called by many as the most beautiful hike in Yosemite. Ok, if not many…read morepeople, at least me, who has done almost all the hikes in this park, except Half Dome. 2. We drove in just as Glacier Point was opening for the season in May 2015 . This year being El Nino with huge snowdrifts, Glacier Point road will be closed until June 2016. 3. We did both the Taft Point and Sentinel Dome hikes, using the single pit toilet bathroom at the trailhead, just in time ahead of a bus load of hikers. 4. Drove to nearby Glacier Point, overrun with tourists, checking out the views of the Yosemite Valley 3000 feet below, taking in awesome sights of El Capitan, 2425' Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, tallest waterfall in North America, before heading onto the Panorama Trail. 5. Hardly a person on the Panorama Trail at 7,200 feet elevation, with an in your face view of Half Dome. This massive granite mountain is an awesome sight, dominating the landscape. 6. The trail becomes a series of downhill switchbacks, through vast forests of trees. In the distance we can see Vernal and Nevada Falls coming closer, roaring full blast in the late Spring, but disappearing by late Fall. 7. We walk along the edge of a cliff, fronting the Yosemite Valley, somewhat similar to walking along the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Great photographer's spots everywhere, of Half dome, and the two waterfalls, framed between the trees, as we go downhill. 8. Walk down the path two miles to the Illilouette Fall, and then on the John Muir trail to Nevada Falls, and then to Vernal Falls, and down the 700+ granite stairs of the Mist trail. We go past the Vernal Falls footbridge, onto the lower mist trail, all alongside the raging Merced river, swollen by the melted snow of winter. 9. People wade in the water in the summer, when the falls are a trickle, only to slip on the wet rocks, and fall into the river and become one of 200+ people each year who need to be rescued, and taken out on a stretcher on an equipment cart on the paved Lower Mist Trail 10. The entire trail is 8.5 miles one way, starting at 7,200 feet and ending at 4,020 feet elevation, taking about 8 hours, open from June to October. 11. We walk only two hours, one hour from Glacier Point, and one hour back, taking in the best views of the Panorama trail -the time limit for the wife before making another pit stop! 12. We come back in time to enjoy a awesome view of the sun glimmering on Half Dome, and then the sunset on the Dome, before a harrowing drive in the darkness along the winding Glacier Point mountain road at night, with speeding tailgaters close on my tail.

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!

We took the Sentinel Meadow/Cook's Meadow Loop on our second day since it was an easier hike (~2…read moremiles). We drove around the Yosemite Valley area too: stopping by the Tunnel View of El Capitan & bottom view, Happy Isles Bridge near the Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, and view of the Yosemite Valley. This Sentinel Meadow/Cook's Meadow Loop isn't "marked," but there is a path for you to walk. During winter/off-season, some areas on the path have black ice, so be careful. This loop gives you different vantage point of Yosemite Falls (Upper & Lower), takes you through the old Yosemite Village (last standing building is the Chapel), and decent views of all the granite rock mountains. We also took the Lower Yosemite Falls trail to get a closer look at the waterfall. It's an easy trail that isn't too long. Restrooms are available near the Yosemite Lodge/Lower Yosemite Falls trail.

We arrived into the park on a Thursday at about 7:30am and parked at the lot in front of Swinging…read moreBridge to do this loop (with Lower Yosemite Falls added one easily). Since park access is restricted because of COVID-19, there were plenty of parking spaces for us. This is a very easy hike - I'd label it more of a causal walk. A lot of this trail is shaded, only the portion between Sentinel Bridge on Southside Drive back to to Swinging Bridge parking lot was very exposed and sunny/hot. This walk is great because you get to see a lot of things - Swinging Bridge, Cook's Meadow, Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Bridge, the chapel, Merced River, and views of all the granite giants like Half Dome. We took our time, and Including the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, it took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Along the wood boardwalk (which we had to ourselves), my husband spied a bear casually walking along the meadow. My son found some baby ducklings in a pond just off the Merced River too.

We love this location and it's so beautifully fresh green during late Spring. It's just so calm…read moreand peaceful and so blessed to walk around here or just to sit down glazing the waterfall and amaze at beauty of nature

This is probably one of my favorite hikes as I love the view of the waterfall, how close the view…read moreis, the large rocks you can climb if you'd like and the walking bridge. If you are looking for a short and fairly easy hike, I'd add this one to the list. There are also man made seesaws from logs right outside the trail which are fun to check out!