Yosemite Valley, california
Attractions Guide

Yosemite Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys on Earth with its towering canyon walls, vast forests, unique rock formations, and majestic waterfalls. Don't forget to explore the picturesque Tuolomne Meadows district of the national park as well, which is located north of Yosemite Valley.

Most of the Yosemite Valley is connected by free shuttles that conveniently link the major sights and trailheads with the parking areas and accommodations.

One of the best viewpoints facing Yosemite Valley near the entrance is the Tunnel View, from which you can admire Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome, and more, all in one frame. A bit further into the valley you can enjoy amazing views from the Valley View vista point, which sits on the Merced River.

The first waterfall you'll reach upon entering the valley is Bridalveil Falls, which is so tall that most of the water turns to mist before reaching the ground. You can view the falls with a very short walk from the parking area.

El Capitan

Just east of Bridalveil Falls is the El Capitan Meadow, which is located beside the road. From the meadow you can marvel at the towering sheer cliffs on both sides of you, which soar 3,000 feet (900 m) above the meadow. One of these cliffs is El Capitan, an iconic cliff hosting extremely challenging rock climbing.

After El Capitan and west of the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center you can take the park's most popular short trail, which ventures to Lower Yosemite Falls. You can easily reach the falls with a round-trip walk of about 0.9 miles (1.4 km), with the option of climbing along the boulders to get up-close to the falls.

The lower section of the tiered Yosemite Falls is only about 320 feet (90 m) tall, however the drop of the Upper Yosemite Falls (which you can see from the valley) is much larger at about 1,430 feet (440 m) tall.

If you'd like to reach the top of the Upper Falls, you can hike the 5 mile (8 km) round-trip trail which hikes alongside the falls and offers amazing views of the falls and the valley, especially from Yosemite Point at the top. The trail has a huge elevation gain of nearly 3,200 feet (980 m) and also offers views of the cascading pools that lead to the waterfall.

Cook's Meadow

Near Yosemite Falls be sure to walk along the Cook's Meadow Loop boardwalk, which ventures through an open meadow, from which you can enjoy unobstructed views of Yosemite Falls and the surrounding canyon walls. Cook's Meadow Loop is also an incredible place to see the many stars of the night sky framed by the canyon.

Continuing further east you'll reach the town of Yosemite Valley which hosts many camping, lodging, and dining options, as well as the main Visitor Center.

A bit further into Yosemite Valley you can admire the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Ahwanee), a massive upscale lodge-like hotel that you can explore without a reservation. Among the hotel's most famous features is its grand dining room.

Beyond Yosemite Falls and the Majestic Yosemite Hotel are some of the park's most scenic and popular hikes.

The easy 5 mile (8 km) round-trip Mirror Lake Loop Trail ventures deep into the valley, with the iconic Half Dome formation towering above it. This trail follows along the Tenaya Creek, leading to the stunning Mirror Lake, which is named for the beautiful reflections of the canyon that you can admire on the surface of the lake.

From the Happy Isles Bridge you can hike the most highly recommended route in the park, which takes you along an extremely scenic journey past two powerful massive waterfalls, Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.

First you'll follow the Mist Trail which is named for the intense mist produced by Vernal Falls, which will leave you refreshingly soaking wet. The trail continues up alongside Vernal Falls and then to Nevada Falls, before climbing to the top of this waterfall as well. From the top of Nevada Falls you can enjoy incredible views overlooking this section of the valley.

The legendary trail to Half Dome passes Vernal and Nevada Falls before reaching the iconic natural Half Dome formation and scaling the top of it. This challenging trail has a round-trip hiking distance of roughly 14.8 miles (23.8 km) and over 5,150 feet (1,570 m) of elevation gain.

Unfortunately the breathtaking Half Dome Trail can only be hiked with a permit, which must be applied for far in advance (usually months) and can be quite difficult to obtain.

After enjoying the valley, you can drive around up to Glacier Point, which sits nearly 3,200 feet (980 m) above the valley floor. From the top you can enjoy gorgeous views overlooking Half Dome and the surrounding valley, as well as Vernal and Nevada Falls (although from quite far away).

Washburn Point & Sentinel Dome

Just before Glacier Point be sure to stop at Washburn Point, which provides stunning views over the Vernal and Nevada Falls/Half Dome section of the Yosemite Valley. Nearby you can take the 2.1 mile (3.4 km) round-trip trail to Sentinel Dome for magnificent views overlooking the Yosemite Falls part of the valley.