Hikes in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park protects nearly 1,200 square miles of stunning Sierra Nevada wilderness and draws approximately four million visitors each year. Tourists congregate in Yosemite Valley, a seven square mile sector that is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular places on the planet. Highlights of Yosemite National Park [wp_ad_wide_page] Yosemite National Park Yosemite Valley is hydrated by some of the tallest waterfalls in the world, including Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America at 2,425 feet, and Ribbon Fall, the longest single-drop waterfall in North America with an epic 1,612-foot plunge. ... Read more.
Columbia Rock in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley looks great from the bottom up, the top down, and even the middle out. For this neither-up-nor-down view over Yosemite Valley, visit Columbia Rock, a viewpoint on Yosemite Falls Trail perched about thousand feet up the north wall of Yosemite Valley. The hike from Camp 4 up to Columbia Rock is 2.2 miles round trip with 985 feet of elevation change. ...Read more.
Distance: 2.2 miles · Elevation change: 985 feet
By: Published: January 31, 2018 Last updated: April 8, 2026
Washburn Point in Yosemite National Park
Glacier Point is probably the most incredibly viewpoint in Yosemite National Park (rivaled closely by Tunnel View), but it isn't the only viewpoint along Glacier Point Road. Washburn Point is located 3/4 of a miles from the end of Glacier Point Road, south of Glacier Point. Its vistas are similar to Glacier Point, and since you have to pass Washburn Point to get out to Glacier Point, it's definitely worth stopping for this added perspective of great Yosemite landscapes. ...Read more.
Tagged with · National Parks
By: Published: January 30, 2018 Last updated: April 13, 2026
Wildcat Falls in Yosemite National Park
Is it possible to have a Yosemite National Park waterfall all to yourself? Yes! The odds of waterfall solitude are pretty low when you go to Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, or Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall along the Mist Trail, but unheralded Wildcat Falls is different. Although this multi-tier waterfall is about 650 feet tall, only the bottom 50-foot tall cascade at the base of Wildcat Falls is visible on this hike, wrapped in vegetation that creates a private retreat. ...Read more.
Tagged with · National Parks · Waterfalls
Distance: 0.15 miles · Elevation change: 15 feet
By: Published: January 30, 2018 Last updated: April 7, 2026
Yosemite Falls Trail in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Falls is incredibly beautiful and incredibly big. It is the tallest waterfall in North America, the 5th tallest waterfall in the world, and a star along the north wall of Yosemite Valley. Hiking to Yosemite Falls is one of the greatest things visitors can do in Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Falls drops a total of 2,425 feet, beginning with the cliff-leaping 1,430-foot Upper Fall. ...Read more.
Distance: 7 miles · Elevation change: 2715 feet
By: Published: January 29, 2018 Last updated: April 8, 2026
Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park receives four million visitors per year, filling the park's campgrounds and hotels. When all the campsites are reserved and the hotels have no vacancies (or list prices that are uncomfortably high), consider a middle option provided at Housekeeping Camp in the middle of Yosemite Valley. Housekeeping Camp offers 3-walled units with canvas roofs and flaps – imagine something that is not quite a room and not quite a tent. ...Read more.
By: Published: January 19, 2018 Last updated: May 13, 2025