Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (Fodor's) - Fodor's [6]
Mariposa Grove of Big Trees.
Of Yosemite National Parks’ three sequoia groves—the others being Merced and Tuolumne, both near Crane Flat well to the north—Mariposa is by far the largest and easiest to walk around. Grizzly Giant, whose base measures 96 feet around, has been estimated to be the world’s 25th largest tree by volume. Perhaps more astoundingly, it’s about 2,700 years old. On up the hill, you’ll find many more sequoias, a small museum, and fewer people. Summer weekends are especially crowded here. Consider taking the free shuttle from Wawona. | Rte. 41, 2 mi north of the South Entrance station 95389.
Sentinel Dome.
The view from here is similar to that from Glacier Point, except you can’t see the Valley floor. A moderately steep 1.1-mi path climbs to the viewpoint from the parking lot. Topping out at an elevation of 8,122 feet, Sentinel is more than 900 feet higher than Glacier Point. | Glacier Point Rd., off Rte. 41 95389.
Tuolumne Meadows.
The largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra (at 8,600 feet) is a popular way station for backpack trips along the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails. The setting is not as dramatic as Yosemite Valley, 56 mi away, but the almost perfectly flat basin, about 2½ mi long, is intriguing, and in July it’s resplendent with wildflowers. The most popular day hike is up Lembert Dome, atop which you’ll have breathtaking views of the basin below. Keep in mind that Tioga Road rarely opens sooner than June and usually closes by mid-October. | Tioga Rd. (Rte. 120), about 8 mi west of the Tioga Pass entrance station 95389.
Waterfalls
Yosemite’s waterfalls are at their most spectacular in May and June. When the snow starts to melt (usually peaking in May), almost every rocky lip or narrow gorge becomes a spillway for streaming snowmelt churning down to meet the Merced River. By summer’s end, some falls, including the mighty Yosemite Falls, dry up. They begin flowing again in late fall, and in winter they may be hung dramatically with ice. Even in drier months, the waterfalls can be breathtaking. If you choose to hike any of the trails to or up the falls, be sure to wear shoes with good, no-slip soles; the rocks can be extremely slick. Stay on trails at all times.
Tip → Visit the park during a full moon, and you can stroll in the evening without a flashlight and still make out the ribbons of falling water, as well as silhouettes of the giant granite monoliths.
Bridalveil Fall.
The filmy waterfall of 620 feet is often diverted as much as 20 feet one way or the other by the breeze. It is the first marvelous view of Yosemite Valley you will see if you come in via Route 41. | Yosemite Valley, access from parking area off Wawona Rd.
Nevada Fall.
Climb Mist Trail from Happy Isles for an up-close view of this 594-foot cascading beauty, the first major fall as the Merced River plunges out of the high country toward the eastern end of Yosemite Valley. If you don’t want to hike, you can see it—distantly—from Glacier Point. | Yosemite Valley, access via Mist Trail from Nature Center at Happy Isles.
Ribbon Fall.
At 1,612 feet, this is the highest single fall in North America. It’s also the first valley waterfall to dry up in summer; the rainwater and melted snow that create the slender fall evaporate quickly at this height. Look just west of El Capitan from the Valley floor for the best view of the fall from the base of Bridalveil Fall. | Yosemite Valley, west of El Capitan Meadow.
Vernal Fall.
Fern-covered black rocks frame this 317-foot fall, and rainbows play in the spray at its base. You can get a distance view from Glacier Point, or hike to see it close up. | Yosemite Valley, access via Mist Trail from Nature Center at Happy Isles.
Fodor’s Choice | Yosemite Falls.
Actually three falls, they together constitute the highest waterfall