The Best Hiking Trails in Yosemite National Park, CA

The Half Dome hike is one of the most challenging and rewarding hikes in the National Park System. If there’s one way to see the highlights of Yosemite National Park, this is it! You’ll begin by taking the John Muir Trail past Vernal falls, then Nevada falls. From there you’ll walk beneath Liberty Cap, through the Little Yosemite Valley to the base of Half Dome. To reach the summit of half dome, you’ll use steel cables to navigate the last 400’ of steep pitches. Many hikers bring gloves to improve their grip along this final section. This is a hard hike and should only be attempted by experienced hikers. The cables are present during the summer (usually from just before Memorial Day to just after Columbus Day.) If you're planning on making the final push along the cabled route to the summit, you’ll need a permit. Learn how to get one here: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm">https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm</a>

Climb to the top of the tallest, and maybe most scenic, waterfall in the continental United States. The Upper Yosemite Falls trail is one of the park’s can't miss adventures. The trail begins with a series of wooded switchbacks before opening up to incredible views of Yosemite Valley. You’ll then pass Colombia Rock and a fantastic mid way view of the waterfall before tackling another set of switchbacks to the brink of the falls. This trail follows an out and back route. Because of the length, elevation gain, and occasionally treacherous surface conditions, most hikers consider this a hard hike. Upper Yosemite Falls is one of the most popular trails for Strava members visiting the park. The waterfall is at its peak flow in the spring but may be dry at other times of year. Check out a live webcam of the falls here: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm">https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm</a>

Along the road to Yosemite’s famous Glacier Point is the trailhead for an equally spectacular vista—Taft Point. From the Taft Point/Sentinel Dome Trailhead, hike first through forest and fields, then emerge suddenly at a jaw-dropping perch on a clifftop....

Bridalveil is the most accessible of Yosemite National Park’s many iconic waterfalls. It is likely the first one you’ll notice when driving into the park because it’s close to the road near the entrance to the valley....

A sun-dappled 1.8 mile stroll through the woods leading you to a meadow filled with wildflowers and a babbling brook. As one of the lesser known walking routes in Yosemite, McGurk’s Meadow remains unspoilt by crowds, its peaceful and picturesque....

For most of the way the path is flat and paved, so there’s no problem for strollers and wheelchairs. The route leads you to an exhilarating lookout point above Curry Village, which sits on the ground of Yosemite Valley, a staggering 3,214 feet below! The 270-degree panorama is spectacular, Half Dome and the High Sierra lie to the east, and there’s waterfalls, dozens of peaks and of course, glacial deposits to admire....

While the Mariposa Grove of sequoias might be the most famous grove in Yosemite National Park, the Tuolumne Grove receives a fraction of the traffic, making for an even more serene experience! The crowds are much lighter because you'll have to walk about 1....

The Mariposa Grove is easily the most famous and largest of the majestic giant sequoia groves in Yosemite National Park. This grove is "home to hundreds of the handsome beasts, but the 1,800-year-old Grizzly Giant sequoia is worth the trip all by itself," according to [YosemiteHikes....

This walk might be short and easy, but it yields fantastic views of one of the most famous sites in Yosemite Valley: Lower Yosemite Falls! Lower Yosemite Falls comprises the lower section of North America's tallest waterfall, with the lower falls alone measuring a stunning 320-foot vertical drop....

Hike from Sentinel Rock to the top of Yosemite Valley and enjoy some of the best views in the park. It’s possible to drive to Glacier Point, but the hiking route is infinitely more rewarding. This hike follows Four Mile Trail and ends at the Glacier Point overlook and parking lot. The trail follows an out and back route. Because of its significant length and elevation gain, most consider this a hard hike. This is one of the most popular hikes for Strava members visiting Yosemite National Park. The views of the complete Yosemite Falls halfway up the trail are worth the trip in and of themselves.

North Dome is one of Yosemite’s lesser-known but more spectacular viewpoints. It is a granite dome perched on the north rim of the Valley that stares directly across at the vertical face of Half Dome....

Sentinel Dome is another of Yosemite’s lofty, rounded monoliths. Though not as large nor as famous as Half Dome, Sentinel is a decent alternative if Half Dome seems like too much to tackle....

Much like the famed Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy Valley also has huge granite walls that stream with waterfalls, but they drop into a reservoir rather than into a free-flowing river. The lake in Hetch Hetchy Valley is not what nature intended, but it makes an interesting aesthetic that is altogether different than what’s found elsewhere in Yosemite National Park....

The Ansel Adams Wilderness is named for a famous photographer, and its designation now protects much of the landscape that most inspired him a century ago. This northern reach of the wilderness area has some of the Sierra’s steepest summits, which were captured by Adams in photographs and now seize the attention of every hiker on the PCT or John Muir Trail (JMT)....

The Pacific Crest Trail covers nearly 70 miles inside Yosemite National Park. Though it skips the quintessential sights of Yosemite Valley, the trail delves into the park’s northern wilderness that comparatively few visitors ever see....

Passing beneath the most famous rock walls in America, if not the world, this is an exceptional hike in the heart of a legendary valley. Being a loop, this route can be started and finished at any point, but doing it from the bridge over the Merced River at the western end of the hike is a classic way to do it....

The Clouds Rest Trail is a challenging and rewarding hike to Clouds Rest, a sharp and pronounced peak above Yosemite Valley. Reaching the summit involves scrambling up a sheer ridge with steep drops in every direction. The views, once you arrive, are some of the best in the park. The trail follows an out and back route. Because of the length, the steep overall grade, and the exposed peak, most consider this a hard hike. This is one of the most popular day hikes for Strava Members visiting Yosemite National Park. Take a look at the photos from the community to get a sense of the breathtaking views at the summit

In Yosemite National Park, the high country of Tuolumne Meadows and the legendary rock walls of Yosemite Valley may seem a world apart. They are each distinct regions of the park connected by many roundabout miles of road....

The John Muir Trail follows the crest of the Sierra Nevada through the most impressive stretch of this extensive range. The trail is named for the legendary 19th-century naturalist John Muir, who helped explore this formerly trackless wilderness and raised a resounding voice for its conservation....

Yosemite Valley is home to numerous waterfalls, but the one that shares the valley’s name might be its most impressive. Yosemite Falls, a series of three cascades that are collectively 2,425 feet tall, is North America’s tallest waterfall....