California’s Yosemite National Park is one of the world’s most spectacular places. Truth be told, you can see all of its most famous highlights from the road and turnouts along them, but while that will yield some nice views and pictures, it won’t really let you connect with the place.
Following are 15 things you can do there to get a deeper appreciation of the scale, majesty, and history of Yosemite.
Hike to the Top of Yosemite Falls
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Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America and among the tallest in the world. Most see it from the short trail to the base of the lower drop or from various points in Yosemite Valley. However, a steep trail climbs up to where the creek initially makes its long plunge, and there are great views the whole way.
Scramble to the Base of Bridalveil Fall
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An easy trail leads to a viewpoint of this other lovely waterfall in Yosemite Valley. If you’re up for some adventure, though, continue on, hopping your way across boulders until you reach the pool at the waterfall’s base. Be aware that it will be slippery, you will get wet, and water is cold even in summer.
Hang Out by the Merced River
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Park the car and head out to a spot by the Merced River, which flows through the middle of Yosemite Valley. On hot summer days, it’s a great way to cool off, and you can enjoy picnics, reading, and napping in the sun.
Hike the Mist Trail
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The Mist Trail takes you to two more of the Valley’s spectacular waterfalls: Nevada and Vernal. Be careful not to enter the pools near the brinks of the falls; several people have been swept away by the strong currents and lost their lives.
Do the Cables Route on Half Dome
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This is a long day with many miles and a great deal of elevation gain, and you also need to snag a permit through a lottery system, but the effort is worth it for the experience and the views. In summer, the Park Service installs cables to help people safely negotiate the steepest, most dangerous parts of the route.
Walk Out on the Half Dome Diving Board
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It’s an adventure to get here, and you’ll need to be fit and have good route-finding skills, plus steady nerves. The Diving Board is a narrow slab of rock that extends 30’ out over a sheer cliff that’s 1400’ tall. In all, it’s 3500’ above the floor of Yosemite Valley.
Watch the Rock Climbers
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Yosemite Valley is where American rock climbing really got its start, and it’s a world-class climbing destination. Setting up a chair or spreading a blanket and watching the rock climbers perform what seems impossible is a popular spectator activity.
Try Rock Climbing
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Maybe watching the rock climbers will make you want to give it a shot yourself. There are licensed guide services that will take you out, teach you the basics, and make sure it’s all safe and fun.
See the Giant Sequoias
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Sequoia trees are the world’s largest (not the tallest– those are their relatives the Redwoods, also native to California), and you don’t have to go to Sequoia National Park to see them. They’re in both Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks as well, and the latter has two groves– Tuolumne and Mariposa– where they grow.
Summit Mount Dana
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The Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows areas are the road-accessible high-country areas of the park. From just inside the Tioga Pass entrance, a steep trail heads up Mount Dana, one of the highest peaks in the park. The views are amazing.
Visit the Echo Peaks
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A very popular trail leads from “The Meadows” Cathedral Lake, which frames a view of spectacular Cathedral Peak. If crowds ruin the outdoors for you, you can break off not far along onto an unsigned trail that leads up the Budd Creek drainage. From there, you can reach the beautiful, jagged Echo Peaks, where almost no one goes and from which you get a jaw-dropping view of Cathedral Peak.
Hike Up a Dome in the High Country
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If Dana, Cathedral, and the Echo Peaks seem like too much of an undertaking, hike up a dome in the Meadows area for fantastic views. Lembert Dome has a trail to the top, and the much lower Pothole Dome offers an easy way up slabs to its broad summit.
Go for a Glissade
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Glissading is the practice of basically sliding down steep snow while using an ice ax to maintain control. It’s a fast and fun way to descend snow slopes, and if you know how to do it, you’ll love a steep slope just a few miles east of Tioga Pass that usually holds snow well into the summer.
Give Ice Climbing a Try
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Lee Vining Canyon, which is the canyon you drive up or down coming from or going to Tioga Pass, is also a highly regarded ice climbing destination in the winter. There are guide services that will show you how to do it safely.
View the Firefall
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In the Valley, Horsetail Falls is a low-volume drop from famous El Capitan that usually only runs in the winter. For a couple of weeks in February, the setting sun backlights the waterfall on clear evenings, giving it an amazing glow.
11 Iconic Tourist Spots That Left Visitors Feeling Underwhelmed
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Traveling can be an exhilarating experience, opening our eyes to new cultures, landscapes, and ways of life.
However, not every destination lives up to our expectations, and sometimes, places we’ve dreamt of visiting can end up being a disappointment. Here are some travel destinations that, according to some travelers’ opinions, didn’t quite meet their expectations:
11 Iconic Tourist Spots That Left Visitors Feeling Underwhelmed
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