Yosemite

In the northwest corner of Yosemite National Park is a valley that John Muir described as “a wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite.” Since Muir's time, Hetch Hetchy Valley has changed. It was dammed in 1923 and a large blue reservoir now covers the valley. Muir opposed the dam, and fellow conservationists lost a long battle to preserve the valley. ...Read more.

May Lake is a high elevation lake off Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park north of Yosemite Valley. This 2.4-mile hike with 475 feet of elevation gain is a perfect outing for summer and early fall when the road and trail are free of snow. Stroll along a wide trail through a lovely pine forest. As you near the lake, gradually ascend a granite floor with sparser tree cover. ...Read more.

It might be half a dome, but it's a full day's hike - 16 miles round trip from Yosemite Valley with 4,800 feet of elevation gain. Is Yosemite's much heralded bucket-list hike worth all the hoopla? You bet it is. Half Dome is an iconic element of the Yosemite landscape and the trail to its summit is a one of a kind. The hike up Half Dome is a major challenge (and a major reward). ...Read more.

On the path to Half Dome, Yosemite's most imposing bucket list hike, are two impressive waterfalls coursing down the Merced River. The Mist Trail provides the steepest most intimate experience of Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. John Muir Trail takes a more gradual route to the top of Nevada Fall and is the most practical route for those continuing to Half Dome. ...Read more.

Wedged between the granite walls of Half Dome and North Dome on the east end of Yosemite Valley, visit an enticing body of water that doubles the Yosemite splendor. Mirror Lake, which is not actually a lake but rather a shallow seasonal pool, is famous for its reflective beauty. Due to it's popularity and easy-to-reach-ness, a few trails lead to Mirror Lake. ...Read more.

A pair of paved paths lead to a viewing bridge below Lower Yosemite Fall, creating a 1.2-mile loop to the foot of the tallest waterfall in North America, and the fifth tallest in the world. The western side of the loop is laid out in a line with Yosemite Falls to provide absolutely eye-popping, jaw-dropping, imagination-defying, awe-inspiring views of the 2,425-foot waterfall. ...Read more.

The panoramic view from Taft Point and the rock fissures nearby provide a rewarding 2-mile hike. The dirt single track descends just 250 feet to an outcropping on the south wall of Yosemite Valley that overlooks El Capitan and Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Fall from Taft Point From the trailhead, turn left and begin a peaceful walk through a big pine forest bordering a high elevation meadow. ...Read more.

Glacier Point is in incredible overlook in Yosemite National Park. The road to Glacier Point closes in the winter and spring because of snow, but maybe the road should be closed year round. Hear me out... The views from Glacier Point are too extraordinary to be able to drive right up to them! It shouldn't be that easy. Imagine how someone would feel after hiking all the way to the top of Half Dome, only to find out that a nearby view over Yosemite Valley requires barely any hiking. ...Read more.

The 620-foot single-drop Bridalveil Fall is not the longest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, but it is one of the most elegant. A half mile round trip hike delivers visitors to a viewing platform at the base the waterfall. The short and easy hike is not to be missed. From the trailhead, Bridalveil Fall is visible through the pine forest, plunging from a hanging valley along the south wall of Yosemite Valley. ...Read more.

Is it a competition? Like Sequoia National Park, Yosemite invites visitors to its own groves of giant sequoias, namely the Mariposa Grove near the park's south entrance. Every giant sequoia grove is specoal, but does Yosemite have a tree that compares to Sequoia's General Sherman Tree, the biggest tree in the world? The Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove is a massive tree to see. ...Read more.