Although Yosemite National Park encompasses over 1,100 square miles, most of the 5 million annual visitors spend their time at Yosemite Valley. It’s no wonder as the 7-mile stretch, which is only about a mile wide, has some of the more dramatic landmarks such as El Capitan, Half Dome and many waterfalls.

Yosemite Falls

Right outside our hotel, Yosemite Falls cascaded down the sheer granite cliffs to its rocky basin. At 2,400 feet, it is the largest waterfall in North America and consists of three sections: Upper Falls, the middle cascades and Lower Falls.

We hiked the 1-mile Lower Yosemite Falls loop. From afar, we could see Yosemite Falls in its entirety. However, once we got closer to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, we could no longer see the Upper Falls. As we watched snow-melted water plummet 300 feet to the boulders, it was hard to image that the same water already traveled over 1,200 feet – four times the drop we watched – from Yosemite Creek.

 

The water volume peaks during the spring and disappears by fall. In July, the water still rushed down the sides.

Adventurous hikers can get close to the Upper Falls with the 7.2-mile round-trip Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. The first mile starts off moderate – climbing 1,000 feet to Columbia Rock. After that, the trail becomes strenuous with another 1,700 feet change in elevation over the next 2.5 miles before heading back.

Tunnel View

For the famous view of the entire valley, go to Tunnel View at the western edge of the valley. With 2 parking lots, the viewpoint lies on the Wawona Road (also called State Route 41) at the opening of the Wawona Tunnel. Visitors traveling from Mariposa Grove and Oakhurst automatically come to the valley this way. For the best perspective make sure you drive through the Wawona Tunnel first (even if you have to double back). Heading east through the tunnel, your eyes get used to the darkness since it’s over 4,200 feet long. At the end, the first thing you see is a panoramic view of Yosemite Valley that includes El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridal Veil Falls.

Glacier Point

Although only 30 miles from the valley, the trip to Glacier Point takes about an hour with all the twists and turns. We passed the Yosemite Ski & Snowboard area. This was where I first learned to snow ski when I was in high school. Back then, it was called Badger Pass.

From the Glacier Point parking lot, a short path leads to the viewing area. At 3.200 feet above the Yosemite Valley, we could see both Vernal and Nevada Falls in the distance.

 

 

As the sun set behind us, the light played against the rocks. We probably missed the best light by about 30 minutes because we stopped at Tunnel View. No matter when you go, the sweeping views are worth it. The park service also offers popular stargazing programs at Glacier Point.