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Yosemite National Park, California: The Complete Hiking, Seasonal & Accommodation Guide to Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Glacier Point & Beyond

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In this guide:

Getting There, Fees & Permits
Yosemite Valley: Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Upper Yosemite Fall, Happy Isles & Mirror Lake
Where to Stay in Yosemite Valley
Glacier Point
Hetch Hetchy
Tuolumne Meadows
Wawona & Mariposa Grove
Yosemite by Season: Summer, Fall & Winter
Sample Itineraries
Frequently Asked Questions
References

Introduction

Yosemite National Park doesn't need much of an introduction — El Capitan and Half Dome are probably the two most recognizable granite walls on Earth — but it does need a plan. The park is enormous, its roads and trails behave completely differently by season, and its single most famous hike requires a permit you have to win months in advance. This guide walks through every major destination — Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail, Upper Yosemite Fall, Happy Isles, Mirror Lake, Glacier Point, Hetch Hetchy, Tuolumne Meadows, and Wawona/Mariposa Grove — what each looks like across summer, fall, and winter, and where to actually sleep if you want to stay inside the Valley itself.

Getting There, Fees & Permits

Yosemite sits in California's Sierra Nevada, roughly a 3–4 hour drive from San Francisco and about 6 hours from Los Angeles, reachable via Highway 140 (the lowest-elevation, most weather-reliable route, sometimes called the "All-Weather Highway"), Highway 41 from the south (through Wawona), or Highway 120 from the west (Big Oak Flat) or east (over Tioga Pass, summer only).

Entrance fee: a standard $35 per vehicle pass, valid for seven days — see current rates on the NPS Yosemite fees page.
Reservations: NPS confirmed in February 2026 that Yosemite will not require a separate timed-entry reservation system for 2026, including during peak summer weekends and the February "firefall" phenomenon at Horsetail Fall — the entrance fee alone gets you in.
Half Dome permits: required specifically for the cables section, applied for via Recreation.gov.
Wilderness permits: required for any overnight backpacking trip — apply through the Yosemite Wilderness Permits page.

Yosemite Valley: Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Upper Yosemite Fall, Happy Isles & Mirror Lake

Yosemite Valley is the park's heart — open year-round, accessible from all entrance roads, and home to the five destinations most people come specifically to see.

Half Dome

The single most iconic — and most logistically demanding — hike in the park. The classic route departs Happy Isles trailhead (shuttle stop #16), climbs the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Falls, continues through Little Yosemite Valley, and finishes with the famous steel cable ascent up Half Dome's smooth granite shoulder.

Distance: roughly 14–16 miles round trip (commonly cited as 15.94 miles via the Mist Trail route)
Elevation gain: approximately 4,800 ft
Time: 10–12 hours for most hikers
Season: cables are typically installed around Memorial Day weekend (targeted for May 22 in 2026) and removed around Columbus Day (targeted for October 13, 2026) — dates shift with snowpack, so always check the official Half Dome conditions page before booking travel around them
Permit: required to pass the Subdome checkpoint and use the cables, capped at roughly 300 hikers per day. Apply through the pre-season lottery (runs March 1–31 on Recreation.gov, results mid-April, roughly an 18% success rate in recent years) or the daily lottery (applications accepted from midnight to early afternoon Pacific time, two days before your hike)

Practical tip: if you don't win a Half Dome permit, you can still hike the Mist Trail corridor and enjoy Vernal and Nevada Falls without one — you simply can't continue past the Subdome to the cables.

Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall (The Mist Trail)

The Mist Trail is arguably Yosemite's best single day hike for the effort involved, and it's the same trail Half Dome hikers use for the first few miles.

Distance: roughly 6–6.1 miles round trip to both falls
Elevation gain: approximately 1,900–2,160 ft
Time: 3–4 hours
Trailhead: Happy Isles
What to expect: the trail earns its name — spring and early summer runoff sends a constant mist across the granite steps near Vernal Fall, so wear shoes with real grip and bring a rain layer even on a sunny day. The John Muir Trail offers a more gradual, less slippery alternative route to the top of Nevada Fall for the return leg.

Upper Yosemite Fall

At roughly 2,425 feet total (combining upper and lower sections), Yosemite Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in North America, and the trail to its top is a serious, sustained climb rather than a stroll.

Distance: approximately 7.6 miles round trip
Elevation gain: significant, steady switchbacks the entire way up the Valley's north wall
Time: around 5 hours
Trailhead: near Camp 4, off Northside Drive
Best season: peak flow is April through June from snowmelt; by late summer and into fall the falls can slow to a trickle or run dry entirely, so if the waterfall itself is the point of your visit, go in spring.

Happy Isles

More a gateway than a destination in itself, Happy Isles is the trailhead hub for Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, and Half Dome, and a worthwhile stop on its own — a short nature loop, the Happy Isles Art & Nature Center, and river access make it a good orientation point, especially with kids, before committing to a longer climb.

Mirror Lake

Wedged between Half Dome and North Dome at the eastern end of the Valley, Mirror Lake is technically a shallow, seasonal pool of Tenaya Creek rather than a true lake, and it's exactly as photogenic as its name suggests when conditions cooperate.

Distance: approximately 4.4 miles round trip via the Valley Loop Trail (shorter out-and-back options exist for a quicker visit)
Time: around 2 hours
Best season: spring through early summer, when the creek is full enough to produce the mirror-like reflections of Half Dome the spot is named for — by late summer the "lake" often shrinks to a dry meadow, so don't expect the postcard reflection shot in September.

Where to Stay in Yosemite Valley

Staying inside the Valley itself — rather than in a gateway town like El Portal, Groveland, or Oakhurst — means you're steps from the trailheads and the free shuttle, with front-row views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, or the surrounding cliffs from your window. All in-Valley lodging is booked through the park's official concessionaire, Travel Yosemite, rather than general hotel sites, and reservations for peak summer dates typically open (and sell out) many months in advance.

Hotels & Cabins

Property	Type	Approx. price/night	Best for
The Ahwahnee	Historic 4-star hotel, stone-and-timber architecture	Roughly $500–$1,000+	A splurge stay with the park's most iconic lodge experience, dining room views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley Lodge	Modern motel-style rooms	Roughly $190–$300	Central location directly across from Yosemite Falls, a hub for Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove bus tours
Curry Village (Half Dome Village)	Hotel rooms, wood cabins, and canvas tent cabins	Rates as low as roughly $85 per night, with canvas tent cabins around $120/night in peak season	Budget-conscious travelers who still want to be inside the Valley, rustic/historic charm dating to 1899
Housekeeping Camp	Three-sided canvas structure with beds, electricity, and a fire ring	Budget-friendly, below hotel rates	Travelers who want a camping feel without pitching a tent; operates roughly April through October depending on conditions

Campgrounds in the Valley

Yosemite Valley has four National Park Service campgrounds — Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, and Camp 4 — with the majority of sites running around $36/night. These book through Recreation.gov on a rolling reservation window and are notoriously hard to land for summer weekends — set a calendar reminder and be ready the moment a new booking window opens. Camp 4, the Valley's smallest and most historic campground (long associated with Yosemite's climbing community), has historically used a separate walk-up or lottery process rather than standard advance booking — check current Camp 4 rules on the NPS camping page before planning around it. adventuresofaplusk

Booking tip: if in-Valley lodging or camping is sold out for your dates, gateway towns along Highway 140 (El Portal, Mariposa) and Highway 41 (Wawona, Fish Camp, Oakhurst) offer a much wider range of hotels and cabins within a 30–45 minute drive of the Valley floor.

Glacier Point

Glacier Point is the park's best drive-to view, and one of the very few spots where you get a genuinely commanding, sit-down-and-take-it-in panorama without a full-day hike.

Access: a 30-mile, roughly one-hour drive from Yosemite Valley via Wawona Road (Highway 41), then Glacier Point Road
The view: a short, paved, wheelchair-accessible path leads to an overlook roughly 3,214 feet straight down into Yosemite Valley, with Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and the High Country all visible from one spot
Season: Glacier Point Road is generally open late May through October/November, weather permitting, and closes entirely to vehicles in winter — though it becomes a groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe route beyond Badger Pass during that time
For hikers: Glacier Point Road also accesses trailheads for Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, and the Four Mile Trail down into the Valley, plus Washburn Point next door, which offers a similar view angled better toward Nevada and Vernal Falls
Tip: arrive for sunset if you can — rangers often host an evening talk at the point, and the alpenglow on Half Dome's face is one of the park's signature moments.

Hetch Hetchy

The quiet counterpart to Yosemite Valley, and one of the most underrated stops in the park. Hetch Hetchy was, by most 19th-century accounts, a rival to Yosemite Valley itself in beauty before the O'Shaughnessy Dam flooded it in 1923 to supply drinking water to San Francisco — a decision that remains one of the most debated chapters in American conservation history.

Access: its own separate entrance road in the park's remote northwest corner, open year-round during daylight hours — making it a genuine winter option when Tioga and Glacier Point Roads are closed
What to do: walk across the O'Shaughnessy Dam itself, then continue along the reservoir's edge toward Wapama and Tueeulala Falls, which thunder in spring and early summer
Crowds: because it's off the main Valley loop, Hetch Hetchy sees a small fraction of Yosemite's total visitors — genuinely one of the best "escape the crowds" options in the whole park
Backcountry access: also a starting point for wilderness permits into Yosemite's northern backcountry for those planning multi-day trips.

Tuolumne Meadows

The largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra Nevada, sitting at roughly 8,600 feet elevation along Tioga Road, and a completely different landscape from the granite-walled Valley below — open meadows, alpine lakes, and glaciated granite domes.

Access: via Tioga Road (Highway 120 East), a 39-mile scenic drive from Crane Flat, generally open early June through sometime in November, weather permitting — it's fully closed in winter and inaccessible except by cross-country ski or snowshoe
Highlights: Olmsted Point for a sweeping panoramic view of the granite high country, Tenaya Lake for a picnic or swim, and trailheads to Cathedral Lakes, Elizabeth Lake, and the summits of Cathedral and Unicorn Peaks
Where to stay: Tuolumne Meadows Lodge offers canvas-tent-cabin accommodation right in the meadow during its short summer/fall operating season
Why go: if the Valley feels crowded, Tuolumne Meadows is where experienced hikers and backpackers head for genuine solitude, wildflower-filled meadows (best July–August), and access to the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails.

Wawona & Mariposa Grove

In the park's south, near the Wawona entrance off Highway 41, sit two of Yosemite's most historically rich, least crowded major attractions.

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias: the largest of Yosemite's three sequoia groves, with more than 500 mature giant sequoias, including the Grizzly Giant — estimated at nearly 3,000 years old and among the largest living things on Earth. Open year-round, though a shuttle from the welcome plaza typically runs only spring through fall; in winter, visitors walk or snowshoe in.
Wawona Historic District: the Pioneer Yosemite History Center and the Wawona Hotel (built in 1879, predating the park itself) give a genuine sense of Yosemite's 19th-century tourism era, a nice change of pace from granite and waterfalls.
Why base here: Wawona sits close to the South Entrance and offers a quieter, more affordable lodging base than Yosemite Valley itself, with easy access to both Mariposa Grove and (in season) Glacier Point Road.

Yosemite by Season: Summer, Fall & Winter

Summer (June–August)

The park's busiest season, and the only time every destination in this guide is simultaneously accessible. Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road are open, Tuolumne Meadows' wildflowers peak in July–August, and Half Dome cables are up (weather permitting) for the entire season. The trade-off: crowded trailheads, full parking lots by mid-morning, and waterfalls (especially Upper Yosemite Fall and Bridalveil) noticeably reduced from their spring peak by August. Book Half Dome permits and any Valley lodging months ahead.

Fall (September–October/early November)

A genuinely excellent, underrated season — cooler hiking temperatures, dramatically thinner crowds after Labor Day, and clear, smoke-permitting visibility for the big views at Glacier Point and Tuolumne Meadows. Half Dome cables typically come down in mid-October (targeted October 13 in 2026), so time a Half Dome attempt for early fall if that's the goal. Waterfalls are at their lowest by this point — don't plan a trip around Yosemite or Vernal Falls specifically in late September or October. Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road close for the season sometime between late October and mid-November depending on the first serious storm, so build flexibility into a late-fall trip.

Winter (November–April)

A completely different park. Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road close entirely to vehicle traffic — Glacier Point Road remains accessible only as far as Badger Pass Ski Area for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Yosemite Valley itself stays open year-round via Highway 140 (the most weather-reliable route) or Highway 41, and this is genuinely one of the most beautiful ways to see it — snow-dusted granite walls, thin winter crowds, and (if timing and weather align) the February "firefall" glow at Horsetail Fall. Tire chains are required for all vehicles in winter conditions, even 4WD. Hetch Hetchy's road stays open year-round during daylight hours, making it one of the few winter-accessible destinations beyond the Valley itself. Mariposa Grove stays open too, with a quieter, snow-dusted sequoia walk. In-Valley lodging (Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Lodge) stays open year-round; Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp scale back or close seasonally.

Season-at-a-glance

Destination	Summer	Fall	Winter
Half Dome cables	Up (full season)	Up until ~mid-Oct	Down — technical climb only
Mist Trail / Vernal & Nevada Falls	Open, full flow early summer	Open, low flow	Open, icy sections possible
Upper Yosemite Fall	Open, reduced flow by Aug	Open, often dry	Open, icicle formations
Glacier Point Road	Open	Open, closes by ~Nov	Closed to vehicles (ski/snowshoe only)
Tioga Road / Tuolumne Meadows	Open	Open, closes by ~Nov	Fully closed
Hetch Hetchy	Open	Open	Open (daylight hours)
Mariposa Grove	Open, shuttle running	Open	Open, walk-in/snowshoe
Curry Village / Housekeeping Camp	Open	Open	Scaled back / seasonal closure

Sample Itineraries

2 days: Day 1 in Yosemite Valley (Mist Trail to Vernal Fall, Mirror Lake, Happy Isles), staying at Yosemite Valley Lodge or Curry Village; Day 2 at Glacier Point (summer/fall) or Mariposa Grove (year-round).
3 days: Add a full day at Tuolumne Meadows (summer–fall only) or a longer trail like Upper Yosemite Fall.
1 week: Space for a Half Dome attempt (with permit), plus a quieter day exploring Hetch Hetchy or the Wawona/Mariposa Grove area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a reservation to enter Yosemite in 2026?

No — NPS confirmed there's no separate timed-entry reservation system for 2026, including peak summer weekends. A standard $35 per-vehicle entrance pass is sufficient; only the Half Dome cables require their own separate permit.

When are the Half Dome cables up?

Typically from around Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day — targeted for May 22 to October 13 in 2026 — though snowpack can push the opening date later or bring the closing date earlier.

What's the best month to see Yosemite's waterfalls at their fullest?

May and June, during peak snowmelt. By August, Upper Yosemite Fall and Bridalveil Fall are noticeably reduced, and by September–October some can run nearly dry.

What's the cheapest way to sleep inside Yosemite Valley?

Housekeeping Camp and Curry Village's canvas tent cabins are the most budget-friendly in-Valley options, with Curry Village rates starting as low as roughly $85/night in some seasons; the four NPS-run Valley campgrounds (Upper/Lower/North Pines, Camp 4) are cheaper still at around $36/night but require booking through Recreation.gov well in advance.

Can I visit Yosemite in winter without a permit or 4WD vehicle?

Yes — Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, and Mariposa Grove stay open year-round, reachable via Highway 140. Tire chains are required in winter conditions for all vehicles regardless of drivetrain, so carry them even if you don't expect to need them.

How far in advance should I book Yosemite Valley lodging?

For peak summer (June–August) dates, 6–12 months ahead is realistic for The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Valley Lodge, and campground reservations on Recreation.gov often sell out within minutes of a new booking window opening.

How hard is it to get a Half Dome permit?

Genuinely the hardest part of the whole trip — the pre-season lottery in March has roughly an 18% success rate in recent years, with daily lottery odds swinging widely by date. Apply with weekday flexibility and a smaller group size to improve your chances.

References

Trail conditions, road closures, permit windows, entrance policies, and lodging rates at Yosemite change year to year — always check the official NPS Yosemite conditions page and Travel Yosemite before finalizing travel dates or bookings.

Related reading on this site:
If iconic, permit-driven, high-elevation adventures are your kind of trip, you might also enjoy our coverage of another bucket-list pilgrimage route:

Yosemite National Park Guide: Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Glacier Point & Seasonal Hiking (2026)