Day 1: Valley Tour
|
| If you haven’t yet visited Yosemite, the initial views can be a touch overwhelming. Between Half Dome, El Capitan, the waterfalls, and meadows, there is quite a bit of beautiful scenery packed into a small valley. It can be difficult to investigate Yosemite further until you have given yourself a chance to absorb all of this. |
| The drive into the valley begins on El Portal road, but this becomes a one way road as you approach the Pohono Bridge. From here, the valley can be accessed via a one way loop road. Because of this, it is most efficient to explore park features as you are driving the loop. |
 
Pohono Bridge |
| Stop 1: Fern Creek – this is a small creek that is fed by an underground spring. This is a nice spot to get your bearings, have a snack, or investigate the valley trail that parallels Merced River across the road. |
Fern spring |
| Stop 2: Bridalveil Fall – this is the first waterfall you can hike to as you are entering the valley. It is a short, easy walk too so it’s a great opportunity to stretch your legs and get a few pictures. There are restrooms here as well. |
Bridalveil Falls
|
| Stop 3: El Capitan – there are a lot of views of El Capitan in the valley but I think one of the nicest is from Cathedral beach, where you can see the reflection of El Capitan in the Merced River. |
El Capitan
|
| Stop 4: The Chapel – This is a nice, easy stop because there is ample parking nearby. The chapel is interdenominational and is over 130 years old. If you are lucky, you might see a wedding in progress when you visit. |
Yosemite Chapel |
| Stop 5: Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge. If you are stopping at the chapel, you can walk to the Sentinel bridge pretty easily. From here, you can get some good views and photographs of Half Dome. |
Half Dome |
| Stop 6: The Yosemite Valley Visitor Center has a lot of great exhibits and information about the park. The rangers can usually give you tips for spotting wildlife and hike recommendations. This is also located in Yosemite Village and is walking distance to groceries and food. |
Marmot |
Black Tail Deer |
Stellar Jay |
| Stop 7: Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. This is a short trail that leads to the base of lower Yosemite Falls. The closest parking is in Yosemite Village or roadside just prior to the falls. Good bathrooms here! |
Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls
|
| Stop 8: Valley View offers a fantastic view of the valley from the Merced River. This is reliable view no matter what time of year it is. This is also a great spot for sunset so if you have landed here towards the end of your first day, this will be a nice treat. |
Valley View - Winter |
Valley View - Spring |
Valley View - Summer night |
Valley View - Autumn |
Day 2: Take a hike |
|
Unless you are avid hiker, you probably don’t want to commit to any major hikes on Day 2. If you are one of those people: Upper Yosemite Falls, Nevada Falls, and Four Mile Trail are all good options and accessible from the valley. For most people though, I’m betting some short hike options are what you are looking for.
If you stopped at the visitor center on Day 1, they probably gave you some good information already, but here are a few of my picks.
|
| Vernal Falls is only 2.4 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet. The reward is the beautiful falls, especially in spring or after a heavy rain. This trail can get pretty crowded, so love thy neighbor, or get on the trail super early! |
Vernal Falls
|
| Mirror Lake is a small seasonal lake along side Tenaya Creek. The hike is 2 miles round trip unless you want to follow the full loop that extends beyond the lake, which is 4 miles round trip. |
Mirror Lake detail
|
| Cooks Meadow Loop is an easy at 1 mile round trip with no elevation gain. This hike offers great views of Yosemite’s iconic features. |
Cooks Meadow
|
| Valley Loop Trail is actually longer than what I would label a short hike at 11.5 miles but this is a loop trail that crosses the YARTS shuttle stops along the way so you can customize your length and section depending on your interests. |
Dogwoods along Valley Loop Trail
|
Day 3: See the high country |
| The majority of Yosemite visitors remain in the Valley, but the Valley only represents 1% of the total park area. You can venture up towards Glacier Point or up to Tioga Pass in a day comfortably, but I wouldn’t attempt both in one day! |
| Glacier Point is located 30 miles from the Valley floor, which is a roughly a one hour drive one way. The views from this location are exceptional and there are great hiking options along the way up but I have found this area to be quite congested so I would recommend going early or visiting during the slower times of the year to avoid sitting in traffic. The Mariposa Grove is also located near this area and is a great place to visit if you are making the trek up to Glacier Point. |
Cascade Creek on road to Tioga Pass
|
| Tioga Pass is a 39 mile long road that passes scenic views, meadows, lakes, and access to endless hiking opportunities. This is a different Yosemite than you will experience in the valley, partly because the scenery is different but also because there aren’t as many people. The overall experience tends to be more peaceful and laid back. Not a bad way to wrap up a three day Yosemite adventure. |
Tuolumne River, Dana Fork |
Lembert Dome
|
|
Unamed pond on Tioga Pass
|
|
| I hope the information and photos in this blog helps you plan your next Yosemite adventure! |
