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YOSEMITE VALLEY

Regional Overview

The centerpiece of Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley absolutely lives up to its reputation as one of the more stunning settings on Earth. The 6 miles of valley floor are lined by 3,000-foot walls, pinnacles, and waterfalls. The iconic shapes of El Capitan and Half Dome dominate the skyline. At the valley’s eastern end is Tenaya Canyon, with its even more expansive granite slabs reaching to the summit of taller peaks.

Because others share my admiration for Yosemite Valley, it is also very, very crowded, especially during late spring and summer months. This is not a location to visit if you seek solitude. But it is likewise not a place to shun just because you will not be by yourself. People visit iconic attractions because they are just so exquisite. The easiest way to avoid most of the people is to stay in the park and begin your walks early in the day; until 10 a.m. the crowds are manageable (and summer temperatures more pleasant). Fall is quieter, but of course the waterfalls are only dribbling and the flowers have faded. While the Yosemite Valley walks that climb upward are icy (and closed) in winter, the walks on the valley floor are accessible year-round, and a thin layer of snow is a beautiful decoration. May and early June are the best times to see the waterfalls roaring, and it is worth putting up with the crowds to visit then.

The walks climbing above the valley floor are all steep and not ideal for young children, but the valley floor walks (Bridalveil Falls, Base of El Capitan, Swinging Bridge and Superintendent’s Bridge, Lower Yosemite Fall, and Mirror Lake) are short and have much less elevation change. The Base of Vernal Fall (Hike 10) is the first of the waterfall hikes to attempt as a family—and if your children are sufficiently engaged by the drenching water, you may just find that they are willing to continue upward; kids seem to like the steep steps a lot more than adults. The two more difficult valley hikes, Upper Yosemite Fall (Hike 6) and Mist Trail and Clark Point (Hike 11) offer superb views of waterfalls and surrounding granite slabs and domes, but they are steep and longer—that is, difficult. Two hikes that finish in Yosemite Valley, the Panorama Trail and the Four Mile Trail, are described in the next section, Glacier Point Road and Wawona. I recommend them as one-way hikes from Glacier Point into the valley, allowing you to enjoy the stunning views obtained from the middle of the valley’s walls without having to climb uphill.

Staring 3,000 feet up the face of El Capitan

Nevada Fall from the Mist Trail