Hiker's Yosemite

Our Local Expert Says:

A must-stop in Yosemite Village

Description:

Yosemite's best known artist was trained as a classical pianist, but he married into a photography business and it is still run by the Ansel Adams family today. The Gallery is located in Yosemite Village, right next to the Valley Visitor Center, and it's open all year. Whether you're a photographer or not, the Gallery is worth a visit, for some unique shopping, rotating exhibits of various artists and photographers (many local), and a look at some of the master's work on display. There is jewelry, Native American craftwork, help with camera issues, a great selection of Yosemite and other books, as well as posters, videos, postcards, fine art prints, ceramics, etc.
Free camera walks go out with a local pro each morning in spring, summer and fall; reservations are strongly advised. High-level photography workshops are described on the Gallery's website. Ansel's inspiration lives on strongly in the digital age.

Description:

In a neat demonstration of sedimentary processes, Mirror Lake has been gradually filling up with sand, so (except in the springtime) it is not as mirror-like as it once was. Nonetheless, the lake's banks do provide a glorious view straight up Half Dome's face. Start from Shuttle Stop 17. This is considered an easy walk, with a mild uphill grade. The distance is just about a mile, and if you didn't care about fully experiencing this nice part of Tenaya Canyon you could complete the round-trip in about an hour. This area can get crowded in summer. In winter hikers must start from Shuttle Stop 19, which adds another mile to the trip. In summer months, there is access for vehicles with current disability placards.

Our Local Expert Says:

A social place for pie and brew with a view.

Description:

The pizza deck is a lively place in the summer, with families milling and sports fans swilling. Big screen TV's draw lots of folks for basketball playoffs in the spring and Giants or A's games all summer. All manner of draft and bottled beer and filling pizza is available for recovering from a day on the trail. The view up to Glacier Point overhead is tasty, too. The cafeteria is right next door, as is the outdoor amphitheater for evening programs in the summer. Closed in winter.

Our Local Expert Says:

Consider doing this hike as a 2-day backpacking trip, camping in Little Yosemite Valley. You'll get a get an early start and have the summit to yourselves, avoiding some of the dayhikers. Plus, you'll enjoy the Yosemite backcountry and won't have to submit to a single 16-mile day.

Description:

Don't try this incredible trail unless you're truly ready for a very challenging adventure. You can do it as one-day epic or as a backpack trek but either way, you need to be in top condition, with comfortable walking shoes, start up early in the morning and take in plenty of water and food as you go. If there's any chance of rain or lightning, do not go above treeline.
This is a tough day not just because it is 16 miles round-trip, but because it is 4800' up and then down. Large numbers of people are whipped before the top, almost everyone is completely thrashed when they do make it.
Be aware that you'll need to have a new kind of permit for dayhikes every day of the week in 2011. Get these via www.recreation.gov. No one can go up the trail and the cables without either a day use permit or a Wilderness permit for overnighting en route.
The trail starts at Happy Isles and climbs quickly up along the Merced River, past 100m Vernal Fall, then 200m Nevada Fall and into Little Yosemite Valley at about the 4.5 mile mark. If you reserved a Wilderness permit, or got in line at the Wilderness Center early the day before, you can pitch your... read more

Description:

A Yosemite tradition this huge and elegant dining room somehow feels intimate, despite its 34-foot ceilings. For breakfast, you can choose from frittatas or omelets, or enjoy a variety of salads or sandwiches for lunch. The dinner menu features entrees such as Salmon Ahwahnee served with Dungeness crab with bearnaise sauce and wild rice. The restaurant has an extensive and award-winning wine list. Reservations are essential for dinner, and the evening dress code calls for jackets or sweaters for men older than 12 and dresses or pantsuits for women.

Description:

This trail begins from the Camp Four Campground or the Yosemite Lodge parking area via the north side Valley Floor Trail. It is steep with more than 125 switchbacks to reach the Upper Yosemite Falls overlook. The falls flow best during the spring and early summer months. You'll find signs that direct you toward the trailhead, which is a half-mile west of the much busier Lower Yosemite Falls area. The trail ascends immediately with dozens of short switchbacks leading up the northern valley wall. The first mile ends at Columbia Rock, which provides sweeping views of the Yosemite Valley, that include Half Dome and Sentinel Rock. There's a short traverse along a cliff bench, then you continue up. The view of the falls improves as the trail climbs and transits an exposed gully prone to rock falls. A trail junction at the rim separates the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail from the Eagle Peak Trail. Follow the signs, going right to reach the hairy falls overlook. Whew! Save some gas for the long trek back down the trail.
Some people do the round-trip in 3 hours; others will want to make a day of it. Bring plenty of water, food, sun protection and sturdy shoes for this rocky,... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

The Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River runs crystal-clear down the valley from the snow and glaciers around Yosemite's highest point --- Mt. Lyell. Far up the valley you'll find beautiful subalpine meadows and great campsites. Consider taking the spur to camp at Ireland Lake, a deep blue lake at the head of a huge alpine plateau and surrounded by an amphitheater of peaks. Or, continue up to the meadows below Mt. Lyell or Mt. McClure for the ultimate Yosemite backcountry experience.

Description:

Begin this hike through Lyell Canyon at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. The trail leads 12 miles southeastward to the park boundary at Donohue Pass. From the parking area cross the access road to a trail that crosses the Dana Fork. After crossing the Dana Fork the trail leads south approximately one half mile to another junction. This is the JMT leading eastward along the Lyell Fork from Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Turn left on this trail and follow it one half mile to the next junction. At this junction follow the left fork along the Lyell Fork. The right side of this fork follows Rafferty Creek. From this trail junction the path crosses two branches of Rafferty Creek before entering Lyell Canyon. Views along the path include the Kuna Crest which rises above the eastern wall of Lyell Canyon. After four miles of hiking through flood plain meadows and conifer forests the trail reaches a junction. The left fork leads southward to the head of Lyell Fork. Follow the left fork, which will bring you to some excellent riverside campsites. These sites are best for camping in late July through mid September after the mosquito population diminishes. Within a half mile the trail crosses Ireland Creek... read more