Looking for a great trail in Yosemite National Park, California? AllTrails has 228 great hiking trails, trail running trails, views trails and more, with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers, and nature lovers like you. Ready for some activity? There are 101 moderate trails in Yosemite National Park ranging from 0.6 to 62.2 miles and from 3,802 to 12,545 feet above sea level. Start checking them out and you'll be out on the trail in no time!
hiking
views
forest
no dogs
nature trips
bird watching
walking
wild flowers
wildlife
backpacking
camping
lake
waterfall
river
trail running
kid friendly
fishing
partially paved
horseback riding
rock climbing
snowshoeing
historic site
cross country skiing
Yosemite National Park is home to some of the most scenic and spectacular hikes in the world. Over 3.5 million visitors travel from all corners of the world every year to marvel at the waterfalls and hike the famous trails of the 3rd oldest national park in the United States (Established October 1, 1890). With over 800 miles of trails you are sure to keep yourself busy. Most visitors head straight for Yosemite Valley, but there are many great hikes in Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows and the Hetch Hetchy as well. The park's elevation ranges from 2000ft to 13,114ft (600m to 4,000m), stretching from Giant Sequoia groves housing 200ft trees over 2,000 years old, to breath-taking valleys carved by glaciers, and home to the highest waterfall in America, to alpine meadows filled with rivers, lakes, and wildflowers. Half Dome and El Capitan rise from the central glacier-formed Yosemite Valley, as does Yosemite Falls, North America's tallest waterfall. Three Giant Sequoia groves and vast wilderness are home to diverse wildlife. Tuolumne Meadows is a great area to visit to get away from the large crowds in Yosemite Valley. This area is a few thousand feet higher than the valley and may take some time before becoming completely acclimated. Wawona is in the south western part of Yosemite National Park and is much less visited compared to the Valley. There are several highlights of this area including the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia which was protected by Galen Clark 150 years ago and is home to over 300 massive Sequoias, some of the largest and oldest trees in the world still alive today.
The trail was packed down for about 1.5 miles and after that no broken trail. You can see the upper falls at 1.5 miles into the hike. Microspikes are needed. If you want to hike more than 1.5 miles, snowshoes are a must have. We saw plenty of deers on the trail.
Did this hike at the end of January. Make sure you have good hiking shoes and lots of water! Challenging, but the views are worth it. There was some snow towards the top. Spikes would have been useful but you can still make it through if you have good shoes!
A highly rated adventure to check off the ol’ bucket list. Definitely a memorable time stamp I’ll look back at and thank myself for embarking such journey. Made this trek back in 2015 and thought the trail was maintained very well all throughout. Wanna know more? Go out and seek for yourself. I guarantee you’ll love it.
Beautiful
Great hike, if doing this hike I'd suggest considering extending it to make the Yosemite Grand Tour. You'll get to see the amazing Vernal and Nevada falls plus other plus other views.
Great hike. Those waterfalls... love the sounds and views, Crowded. If doing this hike consider making this hike into the Yosemite Grand Tour, you've already completed the most challenging part and there are not crazy crowds and you'll get to see glacier point among other views.
This hike should be much higher ranked within Yosemite hikes. Its the #1 and #7 hikes combined. Anyway great views! Id suggest going up Vernal and Nevada falls side and down the Four Mile/Glacier Point side. That way if you are done in by the time you get to glacier point you can buy an overpriced bus ticket back to the valley without sacrificing any of the major views. Between Nevada falls and Glacier point there is some elevation changed but nothing near as intense as what you did to get to either of those two points. Fog rolled in for about 2 hours we tried to wait it out but our patience broke 1.5 hrs in, bummer should of waited the extra half hour. We went early mid may.
Made it to sub dome and a train of people were coming of half dome said a storm was coming in, so we went back down. Disappointing but a good choice because the granite gets slick. Amazing amazing hike worth every step! The view are special. Sitting down eating lunch with a beautiful view and the sounds of a crashing waterfall is hard to beat. Crowded until you get past Nevada falls then it thins out tremendously. Went in early may so there were no boards to help on the cables, but very little people on the cables seems like a more than fair trade. Definitely want to go again!
One of the best trail in the world!
couple majestic views
Hiked Half Dome July 2018. Views are breathtaking from start to finish! Got to the top just before the sun came up....highly recommend getting to the top to watch the sunrise!! Epic
Absolutely one of my favorite hikes
We hiked this trail in the off-season and had the place all to ourselves. The climb is worth it. At the top of the Dome you have a spectacular 360 view of Yosemite and the surrounding mountains. We also took the quick hike to dog lake which we highly recommend. It felt like we had an alpine lake all to ourselves. It was very peaceful out there and would be a great spot for a picnic.
Breathtaking views, long hike but well worth the effort
Pretty brutal for a one mile hike but the payoff is great, especially if you have only have a little time. We veered off on a little side trail about 150 feet before Columbia Rock and it was a much better spot. Fewer people, same views, and a few big rocks to sit on while you eat lunch and take in the view.
Very pretty paved path! Keep your eyes out for wildlife- we saw a bobcat!
Such a beautiful trail! The switchbacks are worth it when you get to Columbia rock, which is farther than the 1.3 miles it is listed as. Hikespeak has it listed as 2.2 from Lower Yosemite Falls, and that is what my watch tracked it as, as well. We thought we had made it multiple times, but you’ll know you have made it when you see the guard rail.
Beautiful, paved view of the falls
Very easy and beautiful. Be careful for ice near the top! A lot of people fell.
Not too bad if you're in great shape but not worth the mosquitos and bear problems we encountered! The lake looked like a swamp when we were there and there were water snakes in it! There's better places to visit in Yosemite!
this trail is the gateway to the back-country and that's about all it is good for. When I hiked it several years ago it was loaded with bears bluffing backpackers, trying to get them to drop their packs and run - especially when you get to "City Camp". Watch out for rattle snakes cooling off under rocks and also for cubs who are trained by mama bear to scare you and take your food.
Great views looking east Yosemite Valley. If you can camp at the top of Yosemite Creek, Go right first to see Lost Arrow Spire then turn left up Eagles Peak to see the summit of El Cap and the western valley floor.
Excellent work out with water from the falls and pool waiting there to refresh you! Unlike some steeper heavy milage hikes, there's water when you arrive!
Easy hike with nice views, but there' are other domes in the area that are higher and offer a more sweeping view.
There's faster ways to get to Columbia Rock by way of cross country hiking if the park still permits it? If you're going to go up the oak tree switchbacks, you mine as well take the upper Yosemite Falls trails to really get some cool views.
This trail can get so overcrowded at times. I would give it 5 stars if it weren't so busy. Try Neil Meadow to Neil Lake if you want that Tuolumne type experience. It is located at the top of Pate Valley and Pleasant Valley Junction and follows the PCT to Benson Lake and Rodgers Lake.