Yosemite National Park inspires awe in millions of visitors from all over the world. Few sites in the world provide scenes more emblematic of nature’s raw beauty than Yosemite. Established in the year 1890, Yosemite stands as one of the oldest and most popular national parks in the world. I first visited Yosemite during September of 2021. We were a group of about 20 individuals celebrating a best friend’s wedding. We enjoyed perfect weather over the course of four days and were thus able to experience many of the great wonders this park had to offer. In no particular order, this article contains a brief description of my top 5 Highlights of Yosemite National Park!
Bike Yosemite Valley
With over 12 miles of paved bike trails and the option to use the main roads as well, biking is a great way to experience Yosemite Valley. Rentals are first come first serve at Curry Village, Yosemite Village, and Yosemite Valley Lodge. Feel free to bring your own bike as well! Biking makes accessible a large portion of the park in a short amount of time. I find it best to bike the valley as a first activity in the park, to better acquaint yourself with the layout and plan your subsequent adventures. The bike trails stretch from Mirror Lake in the east to Bridalveil Meadow in the west. This route lends itself to many other worthwhile stops such as El Capitan,
Lower Yosemite Falls, several Merced River bridges with scenic bank views, and much more. Parking along the trails is abundant and riders can stop and enjoy these spectacles at leisure. I do recommend bringing or taking a picture of the park map. With so many trails, navigating can be challenging at times. There is a free seasonal bike share program for trips under 2 hours in Yosemite as well!
Glacier Point
Glacier Point is an awesome lookout with commanding views of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains. Accessible via a strenuous hike or seasonal Glacier Point Road, this attraction is a must! Numerous vistas and shorter hikes such as Sentinel Dome, Washburn Point, and Taft Point are available from Glacier Point Road as well. The drive from Yosemite Valley is scenic but also slow, windy, and takes about 1 hour each way. Hikers can expect 3,200 ft of gain over a strenuous 4.8 mile one way trek via the Four Mile Trail. For the best of both worlds, consider taking the Glacier Point Tour bus to the top and hiking down! All visitors to the summit are greeted by public restrooms, a small gift shop/visitor center, and world class views!
Hike the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls
Chasing waterfalls is a favorite pastime of Yosemite travelers. Luckily, the popular Mist Trail not only provides scenic views of Yosemite Valley and the Merced River, but brings hikers into immediate proximity of the impressive Vernal and Nevada Falls as well. The Mist trail originates near Happy Isles on the Valley floor. The initial 1 mile of paved trail ends near the Vernal Falls footbridge. From here the trail forks into the John Muir and Mist Trails. Following the Mist Trail up over 600 granite steps provides hikers with their initial views of Vernal Falls. The scenery is spectacular! After enjoying the refreshing mist from this 317 ft beauty, visitors
should continue on to the top of the falls. From here you can enjoy an exhilarating view straight down the falls! Another 2.4 miles along the Mist Trail lies the 594 ft Nevada Falls. Equally as photogenic and impressive as Vernal, Nevada Falls marks the climax of the hike. Consider returning to the Yosemite Valley via the John Muir Trail for a change in scenery and additional exploration.
Visit Mariposa Redwood Grove
Mariposa Grove is the largest collection of giant sequoia trees within Yosemite National Park. Located 1 hour south of Yosemite Valley, many visitors enjoy this attraction on their way into or out of the park. Over 500 mature sequoias populate this grove, including Grizzly Giant, the oldest and largest tree in the park. Further highlights include the California Tunnel Tree, the Fallen Monarch tree, a well maintained boardwalk, and numerous hiking trails. Visitors park at Mariposa Grove Welcome Center. From this point, a 2 mile hike along the Washburn trail will bring you to the grove. Alternatively, a free shuttle is available at times to ferry people from the visitors center to the grove as well.
Experience Yosemite Falls
Perhaps no sight is as emblematic of Yosemite National Park as is Yosemite Falls. Tumbling 2,425 feet from high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Yosemite Valley floor, Yosemite falls is made up of an upper and lower falls. An easy 1 mile paved loop, takes guests from the visitors center to the base of the falls. For the more adventurous traveler, a strenuous hike from Camp #4 can take you to the top of the falls itself. The hike gains 2,700 ft over 7.2 miles round trip. The hike offers magnificent views of the upper falls with Half Dome
looming in the distance. Throughout the spring, the powerful waters of Yosemite falls are a breathtaking sight to behold. You will also likely catch the mist from the falling waters as you hike! Unfortunately, by late summer into fall, the waters may be a mere trickle or nearly dry all together.
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