Short Yosemite Visit - Worth it? - Plan?
 

With 4 days available for mid-June is this doable and/or worth it?

2 days in the Valley including the Mist hike. Other short hikes/walks could be built in but scenery is the main goal.

Split 2 days between Tioga Road (stop at scenic locations but no more than short walks from the car), Wawona Road (maybe a few hours in the Mariposa Grove but mostly stops and short walks at scenic locations) and Glacier Road (possibly a relatively short hike but again short walks from the car at scenic locations).

And, what if it got cut to 3 days? How would you divide up the days.

Thanks in advance.

You might be surprised that the majority of visitors to Yosemite are merely daytrippers and for the vast majority of them, even one day is "worth it". 4 days is great! Your plan is good. If you cut it to 3 days, I'd keep 2 in the valley, then pick either 1 or the other. Both have their high points (no pun intended) -- if it were me, I'd use the 3rd day in the southern part (Wawona, Mariposa, Glacier), but it's a matter of taste.

Yes it's worth it.

Mid-June there may be significant snow in higher elevations. Don't plan activities too far in advance.

Get your accomodations NOW. The place will be fully booked in June.

Thanks.

I forgot to mention. I'm a glutton for waterfalls and lake/mountain combinations. The more the better.

For me, hikes are a means to the scenery.

Myer,

You might want to check out some pictures of the Mist Trail before you decide to do it. It's a sort of narrow, steep rock staircase with drop offs on the river side. I did it coming down with a backpack at the end of a 4 day pack (which ws great).

Dayle,

You might be right. I'll look at photos of it.

Speaking as somebody who's kind of a sissy about edges and drop-offs, I did NOT find the Mist Trail a problem.

~Liz

Mist trail should be fine for all the hiking you do, Myer. Just be aware that it can be very slippery, so really focus on your footing. The rock "staircase" is steep and uneven, so just be aware of that.

I've never seen where the Tioga road closure point is located, so I'm not sure where this trailhead is located in terms of that, but I recommend the lovely hike to Elizabeth Lake. It is beautiful, little-traveled, and a very peaceful place to relax with a picnic lunch.

And yes, 4 days is great for a Yosemite visit.

Myer,

There are some good photos at this web site: www.trails.com.

We did a day and a half trip last year and packed in quite a bit. If you care to, click on my name for a detailed trip report. We stayed our first night in Oakhurst at the Shiloh Inn which is a terrific value and close to Nelder Grove and Mariposa Grove in Yosemite - for us an advantage and time saver. The town though is nothing much. The hike to Sentinal Dome was the highlight of the day with what may be the finest views on earth. Photo link: www.flickr.com/photos/basingstoke2/sets
Scroll down for the Yosemite set.

Go, Go, Go!! It is so worth it, no matter how long or short of a trip!!

Well, I'm sold.

I have another trip planned for mid-July. I've got to try and put this together for mid-June.

Thanks for the push.

basingstoke, Great photos. Wish there were captions. Thanks.

Absolutely worth it! Try for four days if you can manage it. If you have time, hike at the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir - stunning scenery, and no crowds. Also, if you're able to go up to Tuolumne Meadows, be sure to stop at the scenic overlook at Olmstead Point. Take the 1/4 mile trail to the dome (to the left) where you have a view of the back side of Half Dome, Tenaya Lake, and many other spectacular features. Wander around on the open rock face and marvel at the huge boulders (glacial erratics) strewn about. We're so glad we took took the time, and didn't miss those amazing views.

P.S. - rereading your post about being a glutton for lake/mountain combos, you should definitely try to spend some time at Hetch Hetchy. It's a sad fact that Hetch Hetchy was a valley to rival the Yosemite Valley, but it was dammed to provide water for San Francisco - it's the primary source of water for the city (losing the battle to prevent that was a sad ending to John Muir's life). Now that valley is half underwater, and there's a hiking trail along the edge of the reservoir; the mountains rising above the water are really beautiful. There are some waterfalls you can hike to; we didn't have a lot of time to spend there, so we didn't manage to get that far.

Well, it now appears that none of the people I would normally go with are available.

I think I'll go it alone for 5 days in mid-June.

Myer,
I am going June 24-28th with a friend of mine that worked for me when he was in HS. He actually went on a couple of trips with my wife and I when he was in Middle School. My wife had him in class and he lived a couple of doors down from us. I have only seen him a couple of times in the past ten years or so. We plan on doing Half Dome on one of those days. I have one day planned for The High Country and even a stay at Glen Aulin Camp. It opens the week(depending on snow levels). If you are there at that time, you could hike the Mist Trail with us(half way up to half dome). I still have reservations in the Valley on the day that Glen Aulin High Sierra Day, just in case.

Bridal Veil are both very easy to see. Vernal Falls and Nevada Fall are on the Mist Trail. I don't think you would have any problem with those. It is a spectacular trail.
Wapama Falls is a nice hike in the Hetch Hetchy area. I hope to see Waterwheel Falls in the high country on this trip. Maybe Rancheria Falls. Hope to hike half dome as well.

You might consider staying in Wawonna one night and then the rest of the time in the valley. This is about an hour away and is where the Big Trees are.

I wish I had 10 days there and I would hike the entire High Sierra Camps Loop trail.

spiro,

Thanks. Sounds tempting but that would be too late.

We're leaving for Banff, Vancouver & Victoria a couple of days later and I need a couple of weeks at least in between.

It's almost tempting to wait a year for 2012 and plan lodging better but it's not like me. I'll decide in the next few days.

My wife and I enjoyed the "Bug" Hostel in Midpines. Easy drive to Yosemite and a small restaurant on site. Kitchen if you want to bring your own food. Hostels always save money VS lodging in a NP. Park lodging seems to be booked far in advance
Definatly worth seeing even with limited time.

I'm thinking I'll go for 4 days since none of the people I would usually go with are available so I'll go alone.

For 5 nights it'll be tough to get inpark lodging. I think I'll stay in El Portal at one of the motels there.

Try to get a cancellation in the park. El Portal is a depressing place to stay imho. I have stayed there and it is not a particularly pretty place and there is very little to do there.

Find enzian'a recent trip report. They stayed in Yosemite West, which for me would be more preferable than El Portal.

There will be plenty of snow in the high country in mid June so some of the trails may be closed, but the peaks will be gorgeous.

One trip that I like to take if I am alone is take the hiker's bus up to Glacier Point and then hike the Panorama trail down. You can take either the Mist Trail down or the more normal John Muir trail bypass.

Be sure to research some of the viewpoints off the Glacier Point road. Many of them are contected and offer amazing views of the Valley. They are mostly overlooked by tourists and you may find yourself alone for much of the mostly level hiking. Roosevelt and Stanford points are just two that my foggy brain can remember.

Takaing the Mist Trail UP to Nevada Falls is a Yosemite classic and should not be missed. Bring a cheap rain parka and you will be fine as you climb up past Vernal Falls. The granite trail cut into the hillside going up to Nevada Falls is spectacular as are the views of the falls on your way up.

One of my favorite hikes off the Tioga Road mainly for the payoff at the end is the 4 mile moderate hike to North Dome. The trail is mostly through forest and has a mild elevation gain, but the views from North Dome at the end of the trail are truly amazing. Half Dome sits right in front of you. Clouds Rest feels so close you can reach out and touch it and the Valley is laid out in front of you in a most incredible way. The echos of he waterfalls fill the air. Highly recommended!

Sounds like a great trip!

I meant to add that I would rather stay down in Wawona near the southern end of the park where rooms are more commonly available than in El Portal. The hotel is an old Victorian place with lots of charm, a large grassy area with Adirondack chairs sprinkled around and a decent restaurant. A little more driving is entailed getting into the Valley, but everytime you do, you get to go thourgh that lovely view at Tunnel View.

Yes, go to Yosemite! It is so beautiful there.

iamq,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'd really like to stay in park but to gather 5 consecutive nights may be dreaming.

While I have several hikes on my list that are off the Glacier Road, I think I have to be realistic.

I keep myself in pretty gtood shape but I'm getting older and have had some issues over the past several years (knee surgery, hip replacement and spine).

While going downhill is easier on the heart, going uphill is easier on the knees.

I might try the Panorama trail down as far as the Illilouette Fall bridge. That should give me a scenery fill. Then I'll turn around and go back up the 2 miles. I hate to be down anywhere and then have to go back up. Hard to change your mind.

Off Glacier Road also has Sentinel Dome, Taft Point and Washburn Point (not much of a hike here).

I don't don't where Roosevelt Point is but Stanford is too far for me.

I may change direction for the lodging. I'll think about it.

If you can afford the Ahwahnee Lodge, it is really atmospheric.

Peaceout,

I don't think affording has much to do with it. I'll bet most
people going on a trip can afford it. The question is will they allocate that kind of money to stay there?

To some it's worth it and to others it's not.

I went on three trips in 2010 and I have three planned for spring/summer 2011. Unless there was some extradordinary reason, it's not in my nature to spend that kind of money on a hotel. Especially without my wife.

My daughter and her husband stayed at the Ahwahnee Lodge a couple of years ago. I wouldn't.

The walk out to Taft Point is nice and easy and the views are great, but don't overlook the obvious. A hike along the Merced River and around the Valley gives one of the most gratifying experiences of any of the hiking opportunities in the Valley. Do it early and you'll see lots of deer among the trees down by the river. You will need a neck brace when done as your head will be constantly pointed upward. Walk 100 yards and you have a views that didn't exisst a minute ago. Walk another 50 yards and there's somehting else! It is a bit like Zion in that respect, but very different.