YOSEMITE HIKES!

Lower Yosemite Falls: In Yosemite Valley, a short, very pretty hike with a great reward in the view of the falls. Trailhead: Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead (Shuttle Stop #6); distance: 1 mile loop. Easy.

Mirror Lake: A two-mile trail leads to this lake and surrounding meadow, particularly pretty in early morning. Trailhead: Shuttle Stop #17. Distance: 2 mile round-trip; easy.

Vernal Fall: It’s a .8-mile hike to a footbridge with a fine view of this lovely waterfall. Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16)

The Valley Loop Trail: A 13-mile footpath with views of Upper Yosemite Fall and Bridalveil Fall, the trail rings the western part of Yosemite Valley–and almost no one hikes it. Pick it up behind Yosemite Lodge or at Camp 4, or choose a section and then catch a free shuttle when you’re done.

Half Dome: It’s on a lot of people’s life list of adventures–the demanding hike/climb up 8,800-foot Half Dome. Allow at least 10 hours, and know that the last 900 feet of trail is a steep climb up the dome, with you clinging to cables for the final 400-foot ascent. Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16). Distance: 14-16 miles. Difficulty: hard. For more, visit http://www.nps.gov/yose.

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS

Pothole Dome: This short climb provides an ideal vantage point for taking in Tuolumne Meadows. From the pullout on the north side of State 120 look for a big meadow that leads first into a grove of pines and then up the gently curving rock face. The 0.5-mile trip to the top takes less than 20 minutes and is easy all the way. Trailhead: State 120 at western edge of the meadows. Distance: 5 mile; easy.

Gaylor Lakes: This shortish hike climbs to give you incredible High Sierra views. Trailhead: Toga Pass Entrance Station. Distance: 2 miles; moderate.

WAWONA AND GLACIER POINT ROAD

The Grizzly Giant: In the Mariposa Grove, an easy hike to one of Yosemite’s most impressive sequoias. Trailhead: Mariposa Grove parking lot. Distance: 8 miles; easy.

Taft Point: A mostly flat walk through forest leads you to this promontory and eye-popping views of the Yosemite Valley. Trailhead: Taft Point/Sentinel Dome parking area. Distance: 2.2 miles; moderate.

WATERFALLS

From nearly any spot in Yosemite Valley, you’re within view of at least one world-class waterfall. Here’s our list of top cascades.

Yosemite Falls

Give yourself a “Yosemite facial” by standing in the spray along the footbridge at the base of 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls for a few minutes. The two-tier, 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls is one of the tallest in the world.

Bridalveil Fall

Bridalveil Fall, a pure, snowy white cascade, flows year round. Take the paved trail from the Bridalveil Fall parking lot for an easy 1 mile round-trip hike to the base of the fall.

Vernal and Nevada Falls

Vernal and Nevada Falls, can be seen close up on the popular (and strenuous) 1.5-mile Mist Trail. The trails will be crowded in spring to mid-summer when flows are at their peak, however the waterfall views are some of the West’s most memorable. (Note: Be prepared to get wet. The spray from the falls can be more than “mist” during spring and early summer.)

Wapama Fall

Leave the throngs of summer tourists in your dust at the 1,240-foot-tall Wapama Fall at Hetch Hetchy reservoir. The base of the fall is at the turnaround point for a gorgeous, fairly easy 5-mile round-trip hike.

For more information and a complete list of waterfalls, including Chilnualna Falls, Illilouette Fall, Horsetail Fall, and Ribbon Fall, see the National Park Service’s Yosemite guide.

LAKES AND RIVERS

Go for a picnic or spend a lazy afternoon at one of these cool spots.

Tenaya Lake

Take in the lake with an easy, 2-mile out-and-back hike beginning at the south end of the sandy beach

and running along the south side of the lake.

Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River

The Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River is on the other side of State 120 from the meadows. A meander

along the river reveals quaking aspens and tall, golden grasses. Trails extend for more than 8 miles up

the canyon; make an out-and-back hike of any distance.

Merced River

Sentinel Beach, just off the Valley Loop Drive at the south side of the valley, is one of the prettiest spots

for a picnic and a great place for wading in the Merced River.

Hetch Hetchy

Hang a left before the Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite, and you’re en route to Hetch Hetchy, the park’s hidden jewel, where looming granite walls and three waterfalls wrap an 8-mile-long reservoir.

Cooks Meadow

See where Ansel Adams snapped some of the valley’s famous views while strolling or biking the Cook’s Meadow boardwalk, just west of Yosemite Village. You’ll get fantastic views of Cathedral Rocks and Three Brothers and if lucky, spot a mule deer or black bear that depend on the meadow habitat.

El Capitan

A favorite with climbers. El Capitan is one of Yosemite Valley’s many awe-inspiring granite sentinels. The granite face, formed by glaciers eons ago, rises more than 3,000 feet. To watch climbers in action (bring binoculars), stop at pullouts along the Valley Loop Dr. at the southwest end of the valley.

Half Dome

Visiting Yosemite without seeing Half Dome is like heading to Paris and not taking a picture of the Eiffel Tower. It’s one of the park’s most iconic landmarks. Take in the view on a 2-mile round-trip hike to Mirror Lake. For diehards: Hike 14- to 16-miles to the top of the 5,000-foot granite formation traversing the last 400 feet on metal cables. The reward is expansive views of Yosemite Valley from 8,800 feet above sea level. (Half Dome hiking guide; nps.gov/yose.) Yosemite Falls.  Give yourself a “Yosemite facial” by standing in the spray along the footbridge at the base of 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls for a few minutes. The two-tier falls is one of the tallest in the world.

Mariposa Grove

Walk among giants in Wawona at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. At the grove, you have two choices for exploring: a narrated, open-air tram tour ($8.50 per person; 209/372-1240) or a meandering, self-guided hike. Unless you’re completely pooped, the hiking option is a more intimate experience. The massive, 209-foot-tall Grizzly Giant is an easy 0.8-mile hike from the parking area, and the Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree is a moderate 1.5-mile hike past the Giant.

Tuolumne Meadows

The short climb to the top of Pothole Dome provides an ideal vantage point for taking in Tuolumne Meadows. From the pullout on the north side of State 120 at the western edge of the meadows, look for a winding granite path that leads first into a grove of pines and then up the gently curving rock face. The 0.5-mile trip to the top takes less than 20 minutes and is easy all the way.

Tioga Road & Olmstead Point

Take the 39-mile scenic drive (Highway 120) between Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows and stop at turnouts along the way that offer beautiful vistas. Take Tioga Road to the popular Olmsted Point, where Half Dome feels so close you can almost reach out and touch it. The 9,945-foot Tioga Pass usually opens by Memorial Day (as does the road to Glacier Point) and stays open until mid-November but call the park switchboard to check (209/372-0209).

Glacier Point

Hop in the care for a one-hour drive to Glacier Point from Yosemite Valley. Gaze out over one of the earth’s greatest panoramas: Half Dome, Basket Dome, and Liberty Cap. For die-hards: Take

the hikers’ bus up to Glacier Point, then hike Four Mile Trail back to Yosemite Valley.

Ahwahnee Hotel

Built in 1927 in a pristine meadow with panoramic views of Glacier Point, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls, this national historic landmark does justice to its setting. Free history tours are conducted (check with the concierge desk), but you’re welcome to explore on your own anytime. Among the highlights: the immense dining room; the Great Lounge, with its walk-in fireplace and Native American-inspired decor; and the Winter Club Room, which showcases park memorabilia such as ski equipment used at Badger Pass in the 1920s. In Yosemite Valley; yosemitepark.com or (801) 559-4884. (See more Yosemite accommodations.)

Wawona

On the south side of the park, you can explore pioneer history and luxuriate by the fire at the historic Wawona Hotel. For an easy hike before lunch, try the 3 1/2-mile Meadow Loop, starting near the Wawona Hotel. The cheerful white-clapboard Wawona Hotel is four miles from the Mariposa Grove and is decorated in period style. Or spend a relaxing afternoon at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, a depiction of early pioneer life in Wawona. In addition to relocated buildings dating from the 1850s and ’60s, there’s a charming covered bridge (the oldest in California) spanning the South Fork of the Merced River. Wawona Hotel; yosemitepark.com or (801) 559-4884. (See more Yosemite accommodations.)