The Wawona entrance to Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias was a new to me area of…read morethe park, when I visited in Mid-June 2026. Without the reservation system this year, even a weekday brings lines at the entrance kiosk. It was about a 45 minute wait. But, once entering the park, the Mariposa Welcome Center parking area had ample parking. The grove's gateway is just a couple of minutes from the Wawona entrance where there's a gift shop, restrooms and the shuttle bus to the grove (only runs seasonally.) I found the shuttles to run efficiently, albeit crowded. However, unless you want to hike up a steep paved road and add 2 miles to your hike, they're the only way up to the grove, as private vehicles are not allowed to drive or park there (those with disabilty tags are the exception.) The lower grove was packed and features the popular and iconic trees such as the Grizzly Giant and Tunnel Tree. It was too chaotic to really enjoy fully, but I was on my way to Wawona Point and the upper grove, so didn't linger in the main area too long. Once past the Grizzly Giant loop, the crowds exponentially thinned out and the forest became peaceful. It's a beautiful area and has a decent length hike to the upper grove, where the Guardians Loop trail was the standout along with Wawona Point (featuring a scenic overlook of the Wawona area.) The upper trails reminded me of a shorter version of Sequoia National Park's "giant forest loop." The trails were well kept and featured an array of wildflowers, green meadows and of course the iconic sequoias. You can make a longer loop or out and back and see most of the area in a longer day hike. It's a quieter and beautiful area of Yosemite that gets overlooked in comparison to the touristy lower grove and the valley. It is about a 45-50 minute drive to connect back down to the valley so you can visit both in one day, but I decided to linger and take my time in the beautiful upper grove areas. Either way, Mariposa Grove is a worthwhile stop in your Yosemite itinerary

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.

Chilnualna Falls Trailhead, Yosemite National Park: 2026 Jul 29 (4.75 of 5)…read more Chilnualna Falls: Strenuous but Worth the Pain (9.23 mi) Chilnualna Falls is my favourite hike in Yosemite. Even before you begin your hike, the sounds of rushing water welcome you. Stay awhile and enjoy the mist before you climb the rock steps. The climb up Chilnualna Falls is strenuous and steep, with continuous uphill climbing and several switchbacks. In some areas you'll hear the waterfall but not see one. If you feel like challenging yourself, continue climbing to the top. Every time I reach the top, I want to stay awhile -- maybe because I'm too tired to climb back down... but also because reaching the top of Chilnualna Falls is not mere accomplishment, it's an exhilarating feeling. You'd want to stay and enjoy the sounds of water rushing below you. The water sliding over granite drops 240-feet down and is a sight to behold. Wear comfortable hiking shoes and cotton socks. Dress in layers. Wear a hat and sunglasses. Tips and What to Bring: 1) Start early. Preferably before 6:30 am. 2) Bring plenty of water: More than you think you need. Dehydration sets in pretty quickly. 3) Pack emergency items just in case. 4) Pack a light lunch. 5) Rubbish bags (take out what you bring in) 6) Horn (to scare wild animals away) 7) Sunscreen

This review is for Chilnualna Falls Trail which was a ~7.7 miles round trip that took ~6 hours to…read morecomplete in the snow. Chilnualna Falls Trail was located near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park; away from the busy Yosemite Valley. Lower Chilnualna Fall was a short ~0.2 miles and gets crowded at this particular spot. For the most part, the trail was a steady incline on dirt and rock with snow at higher elevations. In addition, there were a few downed trees over the trail. Overall, stunning views throughout this hike! There was a ~3 minute walk from the parking to the trailhead. Restrooms available at the parking area. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/jACscCHBcOg

This is a great trail if you have dogs! We had a great day trip and walk. There were some beautiful…read morewildflowers. There was shade available but the trail itself was still pretty hot. Probably would pick a different time of the day to do this next time.

Pathetic…read more Advertised as a MEADOW Loop Trail. But - you are always separated from the meadow by about 10' of woods. Any time you can see meadow, it's really golf course. Nothing to see. You're straining to see meadow through the trees. But can't really see the meadow scenery. It's an old road, but it is in poor condition and I found it hard to walk on. The second half of the loop you are really near the road so hear all the vehicles driving by. I found this trail to be a pathetic waste of time and footsteps.

We had an excellent day with David. We booked a private tour for my wife and me. We are not so…read moreyoung so David tailored it to our pace and abilities (still made it to the top of Sentinel Dome- well worth the effort!). Literally went from the valley floor to the peak of sentinel dome. His knowledge of the park is outstanding. He picked us up at our lodge and dropped us there at the end of the day- even gave us the picnic we couldn't eat during the trip because clouds blocked the astrophotography portion. He even apologized for the clouds! An all day adventure; we were happily exhausted when we got back to Evergreen Lodge. Highly recommend.

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!!

So so fun! Amazing views, water crossings, and the horses were so so well behaved. I would…read moredefinitely recommend this place! We did the 2 hour tour and walked in with out a reservation luckily they had 2 spots left!

This is one of the most professional horse back riding stables that we have gone to across the US…read moreand Canada over the past decade or more. The horses are well trained and cared for, and the staff is attentive, patient and kind. The ride was beautiful. We did a one hour tour that crossed a creek twice and went up and down hills. The staff does a verbal training and allows some time for practice--making sure that everyone is comfortable before heading out. They even stopped part of the way to check everyone's saddles and take photos. I highly recommend these stables when in the Yosemite area. As a plus, flush toilets are available at check-in.

Trail head Elevation: 3818 Feet…read more Top Elevation: 5,900 Feet Trail Type: Out-and-back Range: 2.7 Miles from Rancheria Falls Type: Moderate to Strenuous Tiltill Valley is a remote valley in northern Yosemite National Park. It is accessible only to hikers. The valley is most easily reached via trail heads in the vicinity of the Hetch Hetchy Valley and Lake Eleanor.The valley provides access to many remote alpine lakes throughout the largely untamed wilderness that defines the northern portion of Yosemite National Park and the adjacent Emigrant Wilderness. This route tours the northern edge of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Across the lake, the views of Kolana Rock and the sheer granite walls of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne are majestic, contrasting pleasantly with the intimate serenity of Tiltill Valley. The trail was barely used. Strewn with broken trees and branches. We had to jump over some big branches and I have a few scratches to show for. This is one of our three day hikes from the base camp in Rancheria falls Sunday. It was a solitary hike. No one was there at all. We can not see the trail at 5900 feet. At the top at 5900 feet there was about two feet of snow. We were sinking and it was fun for a little bit but without our snow shoes it just won't work. We also decided that since we can not see the trail it is not safe to proceed. So we headed back down to camp.

I didn't go to camp. I just went to the camp grounds for a photo op. So this is not for the camp…read more This is for the ambiance and location of the camp. When you first come onto the camp, they have a cute fake town. There is a sign with a Sheriff on it and some fake stores (one real store but was closed). They had fake train tracks and just cute playtown fun. Great for photos. It is also near a hiking trail. This is just a great place for photos :)

It is a truly well planned camp which my grandkids have attended for two years together. The…read morecounselor for our grandsons in Junior Camp was the same young man as last year well trained, truly talented,compassionate, very responsible. Our grandsons really liked him very much! This year: the only family disappointment was the lack of daily pictures which was promised like last year. Despite the above concerns, the camp is located in a beautiful environment; well planned and supervised; safe and fun.

I rented a car from Kevin on Turo. It was such a breeze. He is very professional. His vehicle are…read morevery clean and well maintained. I definitely recommend it 10/10.

It was a great experience! Enjoyed the 70 miles Lamborghini…read moreride , car was to loud and so powerful. Will book it again in future

Had a great experience with David, caught some fish, learned a lot and had interesting talks.read more

David took my husband and I on a wonderful fishing and hiking excursion! He is knowledgeable, kind…read moreand professional. We learned a lot about fishing techniques, and saw some amazing views!