Hikes
Mariposa Grove
Located only 2 miles from the house.
Distance: 2.2 miles (3.5 km) round trip for the lower grove; 5 - 6 miles (8 - 10 km) round trip for both the lower and upper groves
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation at trailhead: 5,600 feet (1,700 meters; 28 Grizzly Giants)
Elevation Gain: up to 1,200 feet (360 meters), depending on which parts of the upper grove you reach
Half Dome via the Mist Trail
Distance: 14.2 miles, round-trip
Elevation gain: 4,800ft
Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Best time of year: Visit when Half Dome’s cables are up, generally May through October. Earlier is better for the waterfalls.
You can combine two fantastic hikes by taking the Mist Trail to the top of Half Dome -- Yosemite’s most iconic rock face. The Mist Trail brings you in close proximity to two major waterfalls: Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls (hence the mist). Then you climb to Half Dome’s 8,842ft summit. The last 400 vertical feet of the hike are so steep that cables have been installed to help with the ascent/descent. Despite Backpacker Magazine naming this route among its 10 most dangerous hikes in America, this hike is still so popular that the park limits visitors with a permit process.
Panorama Trail
Distance: 8.5 miles, one-way
Elevation gain: 3,700ft with Sentinel Dome; 3,400ft without
Difficulty: Difficult
Best time of year: Whenever Glacier Point Rd is open, typically mid-May through early November. Waterfalls are best in spring and early summer.
What would you say if we gave you a downhill hike that includes Glacier Point and the Mist Trail -- plus Panorama Point, Illilouette Falls, and views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls? But yes, there is a catch -- there are 800ft of switchbacks after Illilouette Falls, as well as a lot of stone steps between Nevada and Vernal Falls. If can handle those two small obstacles, you’re golden.
Big Trees Golfing
9 Hole Golf Course nearby in Wawona