The trail head begins near Yosemite Loge and the 7.2 mile (round trip) trail is full of switchbacks that puts the trail in shade and sunny areas. There are several lookout points along the way that will give you memorable views of Yosemite Valley and many of its known landmarks. It is 3.6 miles of hiking trail that is pretty vertical, but worth the effort. Even a child, who is in good health and shape, will enjoy hiking this trail.

Once you make it to the top, you can stand at a guard rail that is right at the very edge of the water spilling over the granite cliff. You can look down the 2,700 foot sheer drop and feel the mist of the water that is pouring over. You can sit for hours at the lake that holds the snow melted water at the top.

In the spring or summer months you may be lucky enough to look across the top of Yosemite Falls and see professional rock climbers repelling or climbing the famous Lost Arrow Spire.

Yosemite gets about 4 million visitors a year. However, 90% of visitors never even attempt to hike one of its 800 miles of hiking trails. Meaning that you can avoid the crowds just by taking a hike! Besides, the views from above are more spectacular that the views from the valley floor

Kathy Medina is the creator of See Yosemite and long-time passionate visitor to Yosemite National Park. She loves to share her intimate knowledge of the area. Visit her site for more tips on Yosemite National Park and read about the many trails there are to hike in Yosemite.

In this short video National Park Ranger Shelton Johnson talks about Oprah visiting Yosemite National Park. I reviewed the novel Gloryland by Ranger Johnson last year, but didn’t know that he was the reason Oprah went to the park. I don’t watch much TV but I recorded Oprah’s visit to Yosemite because I love the park and I recently bought an RV. I was surprised to see Ranger Johnson and it warmed my heart when I realized she visited thanks to a letter he had written her. Please watch the video. It will make you think.

First Waterfall

Distance: 8.2 miles
Elevation gain: 2,300 feet
Difficulty: Moderately strenuous
USGS Topo Maps: Wawona; Mariposa Grove
More information: www.nps.gov/yose

Directions: From the south entrance to the park (16 miles north of Oakhurst on highway 41), drive 4 miles on Wawona Road to the town of Wawona, and take a right on Chilnualna Falls Road.  Drive 1.7 miles and park on the right side of the road.  Cross the road and access the single-track trail.

The hike: Located in the southern part of Yosemite, Chilnualna Falls offers solitude not often found in the more popular areas of the park.  The trail ascends parallel to Chilnualna Creek, and gives hikers great views of three different waterfalls.  The first happens almost immediately.  The trail ascends a steep staircase next to the cascade.  Following this, it switchbacks to a meadow, half a mile in.  Here, views of nearby Wawona Dome (elevation 6,897) open up.  False trails lead to the left and right; the main path crosses the meadow (seemingly diverging from the main trail) into a grove of tall pines.  If you find yourself descending, you have taken the wrong direction.  (Guess how I know!)

Lower Tier of Chilnualna Falls

On the Trail

The trail continues at a lesser grade through the pines, through another meadow and then begins some more switchbacks.  At about two miles in, a clearing offers great views of Wawona Dome, and soon afterward, the lower tier of Chilnualna Falls can be seen.  The trail continues along the south face of the ridge, with great views of the valley below, eventually climbing another stone stairway to reach the lower tier of the falls.  From there, you continue to the ascent to a trail junction.  Here, you can scramble down the rocks to Chilnualna Creek and see the upper tier of the falls, which cascade down a series of six drops into a clear pool.  If you are careful, you can get close to the waterfall and enjoy great views of the valley as well.

About the author:
David Lockeretz is an avid hiker based in Long Beach, CA.  He is the founder and chief author of L.A.’s newest hiking blog, www.nobodyhikesinla.com.  When not found on the trails, he is a musician and music educator, founder of the music instruction networking site www.findmymusicteacher.com.  He can be contacted at nobodyhikesinla@yahoo.com.

Mist Trail - Yosemite

Even though the Mist Trail was dry I was not.

I can’t wait to take our new boy on the trail.  Don’t worry – we won’t be taking him up the Half Dome cables this trip.

Hiking Half Dome is a must do trip for any avid hiker.  The trail from Yosemite Valley to the top of Half Dome is pure delight as you hike from valley forest, beside waterfalls, through meadows, back into dense forest, along the ridge thousands of feet above Yosemite National Park, and then up the side of the glorious mountain known as Half Dome.  I’ve hiked Half Dome twice and will return again in 2008 to hike it again.  It is one of my favorite one-day hikes in North America.  If you love hiking and can manage 16 to 18 mountain miles in a day Half Dome is a hike you will never forget. 

To avoid crowds that can make the last part of the journey difficult – the cables up the side of Half Dome – visit Yosemite in the spring or fall.  If you do visit during the busy summer get up early to beat the crowds that get really thick around noon. 

There are several ways to get to Half Dome including trips from the John Muir Trail, but most people start from the Happy Isles Nature Center.  I like to reserve a tent in Curry Village and walk from there.  It’s a good warm up walk before hitting the trail and will only add about twenty minutes to your hike.  The trail from Happy Isles is marked well, but if you are planning to start before sunrise you might want to visit the day before to scope out the trail. 

Once you are on the well-marked trail you will cross the Vernal Falls Bridge at one mile.  After the Vernal Falls Bridge you will come to a split in the trail.  You can either take the shorter route that follows the waterfalls up the mountain or go around them using the John Muir Trail.  If it is early in the season and the waterfalls are large you might consider taking the John Muir Trail around the waterfalls to avoid getting soaked (you can come back down the trail next to the waterfalls on your way down).  If you do take the trail next to the waterfalls you may get very wet as you pass the Mist Trail portion.  The last time I took the Mist Trail it was so strong I couldn’t keep my eyes open due to all the water.
 

Either way you take you should reach the top of Nevada Falls.  On a May 2005 Half Dome hike I took the picture above of my brother as he looked over the falls.  Whatever you do don’t wade in the water at the top of the falls.  Every year someone dies because they climb into the peaceful looking water and get sucked over the ledge by the undertow.  You can find other places to cool your feet, but above the falls is not one of them. 

By the time you reach Nevada Falls you will be tired so the Little Yosemite Valley you encounter next is a welcome treat.  The Little Yosemite Valley is mostly flat and allows for time to reflect on the beauty of the park.  Pay attention because this area is full of Mule Deer that are so tame they will walk beside you as you hike.  Below is a picture of the back of Half Dome from the trail in Little Yosemite Valley.  

 
After a couple of miles you will leave the Little Yosemite Valley and start another ascent toward Half Dome.  You are now only two miles from the top, but the slight altitude, early rise, and exhaustion may start to catch up with you at this point.  As you hike through the dense forest remember that you are close to seeing one the most beautiful sites in Yosemite – the view from the ridge next to Half Dome.  That should drive you to keep moving. 

When you leave the forest you will find yourself on a ridge leading up to the side of Half Dome.  Enjoy the panoramic views of the Yosemite Valley below to your right and the side of Half Dome in front of you.  A steep staircase cut into the rock will lead you to the cables of Half Dome.

The cables are daunting even to the most seasoned outdoors person.  Some simply will not be able to scale the side of Half Dome with vertical drops on both sides.  The cables shoot several hundred feet up the side of the rock mountain with 2×4 boards every few feet.  The picture below shows how crowded the cables can be if you go during the peak summer months.  It’s not always that crowded and can be quite peaceful in the off-season. Once you reach the top of Half Dome you can enjoy the 360-degree view from the top of the world. 

To learn everything about the Half Dome hike read One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome by Rick Deutsch.  This top-rated and comprehensive guide can be bought at Amazon.com and other outdoor retailers. 

If you want to share your Half Dome hike, or any other hike, with others please send your hiking trip report and pictures to GeckoTales @ Gmail.com