I've just watched this video and it was beyond helpful. As a first timer trying to plan our trip I currently have a map and guidebook for yosemite and felt extremely overwhelmed, I didn't even know where to start and was honestly looking around the whole map area and not focusing on the valley. I cannot thank you enough, your 3 day suggestion sounds perfect to us. Thank you 😊
We recently returned from a family road trip to the US, and without any doubt, our trip to Yosemite was the absolute highlight of a superb holiday. We found this video when trying to work out how best to use our time, and it was incredibly helpful. We opted to follow the two day itinerary, and the highlight was the Taft Point and Sentinel Dome loop. The views were stunning and the length and degree of difficulty were perfect for our family of two adults and two teenagers. We also did the valley floor mini hikes and scrambled to the base of Yosemite Falls. Thanks for putting this video together - truly appreciated.
I'm just returning from my trip to Yosemite. I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for making my trip so INCREDIBLE lol. I followed your 3 day guide and it was fantastic.
I’m going to Yosemite next week and have been reading/watching through numerous articles, guidebooks, videos, etc. still don’t know what my 2 full day itinerary is gonna be till I watched this one. Hands down THE most helpful video that one can directly copy. THANK YOU!!!!
Found the Cloud's Rest from this video. Wanted to hike the Half Dome but didn't win the lottery. So my wife and I hiked to the Cloud's Rest and it was one of the best scenery in my life. Thank you Backcournty Pilgrim!!
Doug this has been by far the most helpful video I have ever seen. Your knowledge, experience, and sharing what is actually helpful info is a very refreshing approach. Appreciate you sir
From one Doug to another….. THANK YOU! I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but will be in Yosemite the first week of October (barring a government shut down), and your video was super informative.
Just wanted to thank you for posting this. Drove up from San Diego this weekend and had definitely not had ample time to plan out our trip beforehand. Did two and half days in the park and this video made it completely manageable for my family and I. I tweaked your itinerary slightly as my kids are very young and any sort of strenuous hike would be far too much for them. But we did get two full days of hiking in and the whole family loved it. Thanks again!
The best video I've seen for first time visitors that have 2-4 days in the park that want to hit the major sites and few lesser known ones. Exactly what i was looking for! Thank you, great video!
Hey Doug, this is one of the best videos for Yosemite Hikes. It's clear you've done your research and understand what to prioritize and avoid. My family is going to Yosemite and we've happened to plan a lot like you. However, we'll change our plan to be a more like yours, specifically Day 1. Thank you for this amazing video!
I am planning the trip right now and watching the video for the 4th time making notes, thinking about your arguments, thinking what will fit me best. In this video you really nailed answers to my questions. Thank you!
Thank you for amazingly thorough and well thought out planning! We are going to the park next week and as a worry-prone person, I really appreciate the guidance you put into this!
This is excellent video. My favorite hike of all time is the Mist Trail/John Muir Trail to Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. I have been to the top of Vernal 16 times (it's a great half-day hike) and to the top of Nevada 7 times (a full-day hike when you take time out for photography). My most recent hike to the top of Nevada was in 2019. I used to hike up the talus slope on the north side of Nevada, but my old knees now prefer the Clark Point Cutoff Trail. Halfway up the Clark Point Cutoff Trail is an excellent viewpoint overlooking Vernal Fall. This viewpoint is one of my favorites in the entire park. My second favorite hike is Tuolumne Meadows to Glen Aulin, which I have done 5 times…each time as a very long day trip from Fresno. My least crowded hike ever was Tioga Road to North Dome, which I did once in the 1990s. I encountered only three other people on the trail and the payoffs are an excellent face-on view of Half Dome and the granite arch on Indian Ridge. BTW, Hwy 395 and Mono Lake are in California, not Nevada.
These are solid recommendations! I’ve been several times and have done Sentinel Dome Vernal and Nevada Falls, Half dome up to the sub Dome, and hiked the Panorama trail and Clouds Rest last week. They’re all great hikes. And now Mt Dana sounds like a great bucket list hike for the future! A stop at Mariposa Grove is also a great addition to your trip- depending on the entrance you use, it coud be something on your way in or out (coming in from the South at Fish Camp). You don’t need much time here to appreciate the sequoias.
My brother and I were there in June, we had Half Dome permits, we hit the trail at 5am and were on the summit by 10, and that was with quite a few photo stops, We were the only ones going up the cables, and once on top there was maybe 6 people up there. Going down was a different story, everyone we had passed going up was now trying to get up the cables, went back the JM trail to get a different view of Nevada and Vernal Falls. Our other big hike was Clouds Rest, We started that hike at 2am starting at the sunrise lakes trail head, our goal was to summit and catch sunrise, we got to the summit at 5am and basically froze for 1/2 an hour waiting for the sun to come up. It was so worth the wait to see Clouds rest cast a shadow over Half Dome, then watch the sun hit the Dawn Wall on El-Cap. We were there a total of 4 days and pretty much did all the major thing you describe.
Watched a dozen videos trying to grasp what’s the best hikes to do in a limited time. If I had watched this from the beginning, I would’ve saved hours 😭
Thank you so much for this video. I will be using it as a Blueprint to plan out my trip with a group of 9 people to Yosemite this Friday. We have 3 Days - so will plan and adjust accordingly! Much appreciated!
Great Yosemite overview video!! We used it to plan our 5 day visit and hope to check out the fish tacos on the east side. We will be skipping Cloud's Rest - too scary., you did it for us - LOL. Thank you for this great information!!
So so so helpful! I am coming to mostly to do rock climbing and bouldering but i know ill have some time to sprinkle in some hikes. Im so excited, thanks so much this really helped a lot
Wonderful video, and I agree with just about everything you recommend, but I'm surprised you didn't mention visiting Mariposa Grove. For me, the giant Sequoia tress are a sight that you never forget, and equal to anything in Yosemite Valley.
With Yosemite it always feels like things are missed haha. :) I left the grove out because it is relatively isolated and there are big trees in several places besides Yosemite. :)
Great video Doug! Very informative with great advice. The only thing possibly missing that I might add based on what I've read about Yosemite is a visit to Mariposa Grove to see the Sequoias near the South entrance. It looks like there are some nice loop hikes there. We are going to Yosemite for the first time this spring and wondering what you think about adding a stop to Mariposa Grove?
Thank you! I did not include the Grove for a few reasons. First it's far from the valley so it takes a whole day round trip. Second, I was going for iconic Yosemite sights (how many pictures do you see from Mariposa Grove?). Third, the big trees are not unique to Yosemite - you can get the same thing in several other places like Sequoia, Calaveras, or near the coast. So it was a pretty easy cut. :)
Thanks for the response. We will be entering from the south gate so may make a quick stop to see it before continuing on to the valley where we will be staying. Thanks again for the great video!
Is there a specific trail you recommend for the hike to the base of El Cap? I see the El Capitan Trail on the All Trails App. It is 9.6 mi and as an elevating Ain of 1,689 ft. Is that the hike you are referring to?
To get to the base Yet you just park at 1 of the very last parking spaces before you exit The Valley The Valley at most along The Valley loop trail to the approach trail for climbers. I think the only trail called El Capitan is up top. :)
If I had one day I would do the "Grand Tour" hike you mentioned.. 4 Mile, Panorama, and the Mist. I usually park in the parking lot by the Mist and then hike over to the 4 Mile so when I come down the Mist I can get back to the car quicker. Clouds rest from the Valley floor up and back the Mist Trail is amazing (and long) as well. One thing I do think you missed is the hike up Yosemite Falls and up to Eagle Point. And lastly... that loop trail you mentioned starting by Taft point and up to Sentinel Dome is another one of my favorites and best timed so you can catch the sunset on top of Sentinel Dome. Awesome video!! Take care!!
Great video, by far the most helpful guide on YT. Everything is very clearly explained and accurate. However, I recommend one correction: when discussing the Day 1 itinerary, after Lower Yosemite Falls Hike you take Wanona Rd to Tunnel View (not Glacier Point). Otherwise an excellent video and I am now a subscriber.
@@BackcountryPilgrimBy the way, I just got word that my wife and I got permits to Half Dome May 29. I keep hearing about doing Mist Trail to Half Dome, however, I don’t find that is an option on AllTrails. In looking at the map, it seems as though the most logical way is to start at the JMT trailhead-> Mist Trail-> JMT-> Half Dome. Is this what you recommend? We are relatively experienced hikers (although my wife will definitely be pushing her limits; we agreed she does not need to make the trek up Half Dome if she is not up to it, however, she understands I HAVE to do it).
@@BackcountryPilgrim it was amazing! My wife and I both made it to the top. It was scarier than I thought climbing up the cable, there was a bit of a line and arms started getting tired just holding on. Going down was easier for me but my wife nearly had a panic attack mid-cable but recovered with some coaching. Views were amazing. Definitely the most challenging hike we have done. Unfortunately, my wife continued having knee pain afterwards so we were limited to easy hikes for the remainder of our trip. We took your video’s advice and did Taft Point and fissure = excellent recommendation and very accurate to say its the best pay off to hiking distance ratio. Then finished with photos at Glacier point which was beautiful. My wife was dead set on getting ice cream there since you suggested it in your video. Thank you so much for your wonderful video. Your channel is more informative than Yosemite’s own content. I am subscribed and will look for guidance among your content for future trips!
Best video for someone totally new to Yosemite. Helps learn and plan Yosemite trip. One question: For El Capitan Base Hike, where would be the nearest parking spot from either side of the hike? I found little parking area (4-5 car) parking side of the road driving from Lower Yosemite falls, nothing besides that. Thank you
We visited Yosemite for our Honeymoon! Spent a week and been talking about going back ever since! And we will for sure be going back! Great video!! I’m going to check that book out also!
Thank you for this information. Your videos are excellent. Lots of great detail! We will definitely be trying to find those fish tacos, too! Would love to get an opinion on some of the hikes in Tuolumne Meadows area, as well. Any recommendations there? What about in Wawona?
I've done mostly the"basic" stuff in those areas. The Cathedral Lake hike from TM is a good one and the views under the Peaks there are inspiring. Hiking around the Meadows is nice and I hear good things about Lembert Dome but have never taken the time. The GCT ends in TM and the hike the other direction takes you to some nice river side spots but no major destinations unless you go all the way to Glen Aulin. My next plan is to hike from TM to Mt. Lyell along the JMT, but I haven't yet. :) The main hike near Wawona is Chilnualna Falls - definitely worth doing if you've done the major valley hikes you want. :)
I just got back from a pretty meh trip to Yosemite. Tioga Pass was closed, Glacier Point and many other roads had delays due to road work, it was peak tourist season so completely overcrowded unless I got there before dawn, we were low on gas money due to that aforementioned Tioga road closure forcing us to take a massive detour, and worst of all, a nearby wildfire had filled up Yosemite Valley with smoke so you literally couldn't even see the iconic features or hike at all due to the air quality. We had 4 days in fish camp and spent half that time in the lodge, and only ended up going on one hike, a short 2 mile hike to the Mariposa Sequioa Grove. I really wish we had watched your video! The whole trip was pretty poorly planned, we were having a hard time finding things to do in the park that weren't in the valley or along Tioga Road and didn't have much gas to burn so we ended up just not going there much. We still had an awesome time seeing more of the Sierra, though
Sorry! It's usually pretty hard to have a bad trip to Yosemite but you had every issue at the same time! I need to make an "if you're stuck in the valley" video. :)
Travelling from Ireland in a couple of weeks. As part of our California road trip we've planned a couple of days in Yosemite. Dissapointed to hear Glacier point road is closed but still really looking forward to the trip. Thanks for this video!
Love how you explained all of this, it is really helpful to hear from someone this experienced! 😊 my sister and I are going for two days in early August and I’ve read the falls will probably have dried up by then. Do you still recommend the falls hike if this is the case? We are entering from the south and are hoping to do Mariposa Grove and Sentinel Dome one day, and Yosemite Valley the next (or the other way around) Do you have any tips regarding parking? I see some spots on the map, but perhaps you know which will be busiest and/or if there’s parking near the Sentinel Dome trailhead. Thanks for the video! ❤
Water level is always a gamble. We ve had a decent amount if snow this year, so you might get lucky. If Yosemite Fall isn't running, I'd probably do Four Mile myself. Sentinel Dome parking is the same as Taft Point or the side of the road nearby. Very popular spot. You could also start from Glacier Point parking lot. Hope you have a great trip!
Very informative. Heading to Yosemite from the south entrance from Hwy 41. I have children so considering a more friendly family hike, I will do Day 1 as you describe covering the valley, sleep that night in the valley and then continue Day 2 over at Glacier Road into Sentinel Dome and to Glacier Point, skipping Taft point as I think the cliff there might not be safe for children. Then heading back south to Hwy 41. Coming in a couple of weeks. Thanks a million.
Thanks for the insider info - I'm planning a trip for this fall, and while some of these highlights I'd come to thru other research, others are new to me and I'm grateful for that. However, I was wondering what your opinions are on the Hetch Hetchy area, as well as Wawona. We will be in the park for either 4 or 6 days (debating whether or not to hit SEKI on our way back South), and I was hoping to see all areas of the park. Not sure of your experience with the other areas, but I'd love to hear advice. We are from the Midwest and not sure when in the future we'll get to visit CA, so we're hoping to see as diverse a set of areas as we can. Thanks!
I know HH pretty well near the water. I've taken the reservoir trail as far as Rancheria and did off-trail on the ridge above as far as Wapama Falls. I've been to Chilnualna Falls and above in Wawona. HH is definitely worth a day trip for the hike and history as well. The falls were cool but nothing like what you can see in the valley. I've got videos of both if you search around you can see if you think they'd be worth it for you!
@@BackcountryPilgrim Thanks for the reply! Sorry, I don't get notifs from UA-cam and just came back to this video as I do some more detailed planning for this fall. I think we'll at least get out to HH, although going in the fall sounds like we'd be better off spending some hiking time elsewhere. Maybe a good place drive out to in the evening after hiking during the day.
Thank you very much for this awesome summary. It really helped me to get out of this overwhelming confusion where to go during my 3 day stay at Yosemite…thumbs up 👍🏻
This is like my 100th time watching this lol im about 1 month away from being at Yosemite. Im doing Nevada falls and now I need to figure what Yosemite Valley Loop trail to do 😂
Thank you a million times for this itinerary! Going to visit Yosemite for the first time next summer and while I'm both an avid hiker and also planner I was so overwhelmed with all the options out there. What would you say is a good area to stay at if following your 3-4 days itinerary? Would love to stay in the park but the reservation hustle is just not for me. Thank you!
I’m surprised that you did not mention visiting any of the sequoias in the park. I would like to see Mariposa trail. That is on my list. Would you incorporate that in today one or two? It doesn’t seem like a place that you would stay very long.
Well there are lots of places outside Yosemite with giant trees and I don't really think they have the iconic Yosemite status that the other trail features have, so I didn't include those areas. But if I did do one I'd probably skip Mariposa Grove since it is so far from the valley and id add one of the others on to a Tioga Rd. hike so I could see them without having to double back. :)
Pretty good list. RE the Panorama Trail loop, I've done it in both directions. Going up the Mist Trail is way better than going down. Hikers should confirm that water is available at Glacier Point. Hikers should allow 8-10 hours. I've also taken FM up to Sentinel Dome and back down and just FM to GP and back down. Also check the weather. I went from sunny at the bottom of Four Mile Trail to Snow at the top one May. Enjoying your channel. The payoff at Cloud's Rest is great if there's no smoke and clear skies. I've done it three times and twice views were poor. Also nothing to see until you hit the spine, which is not for those with a fear of heights. In Tuolumne Meadow, Sunrise Lakes and Dog Lake also make good day hikes, with the later trail taking you to the base of Lembert Dome, which is worth the climb. You could also hike out Lyell Canyon for a few miles, have a picnic and hike back.
This is a great video, I've done most of the trails you cover between 1-3 days and I can say that this description is very accurate. I like the way you condensed the important info. Thanks for the post!
Thank you so much for the information you’ve provided. Me and my friends are travelling from Canada in October and we have 4 days. I can say that you’ve certainly influenced our itinerary. Mount Dana will be our final day hike. Thank you for the advice!
This video is worth a million views! Hands down the best Yosemite Guide!
Feel free to share with 1,000,000 people! Haha. Thank you so much. :)
hands down still the best Yosemite guide video that I've found. Thank you for presenting such detailed information in a easily digestible manner
That means a lot, thanks man!
I've just watched this video and it was beyond helpful. As a first timer trying to plan our trip I currently have a map and guidebook for yosemite and felt extremely overwhelmed, I didn't even know where to start and was honestly looking around the whole map area and not focusing on the valley. I cannot thank you enough, your 3 day suggestion sounds perfect to us. Thank you 😊
So glad it helped! I was fortunate enough to get to make several trips here but the learning curve can be too high for one trip!
All I can say is wow
This video was so well put together, extremely informative, and exactly what UA-cam was designed for. Thank u!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
We recently returned from a family road trip to the US, and without any doubt, our trip to Yosemite was the absolute highlight of a superb holiday. We found this video when trying to work out how best to use our time, and it was incredibly helpful. We opted to follow the two day itinerary, and the highlight was the Taft Point and Sentinel Dome loop. The views were stunning and the length and degree of difficulty were perfect for our family of two adults and two teenagers. We also did the valley floor mini hikes and scrambled to the base of Yosemite Falls. Thanks for putting this video together - truly appreciated.
I'm so glad to hear it!
I'm just returning from my trip to Yosemite. I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for making my trip so INCREDIBLE lol. I followed your 3 day guide and it was fantastic.
You are so welcome!
I’m going to Yosemite next week and have been reading/watching through numerous articles, guidebooks, videos, etc. still don’t know what my 2 full day itinerary is gonna be till I watched this one. Hands down THE most helpful video that one can directly copy. THANK YOU!!!!
So glad it helped! Thank you!
Comment for the algorithm. Great video, deserves more views and clicks!
Response for the algorithm lol! Thank you so much!
Found the Cloud's Rest from this video. Wanted to hike the Half Dome but didn't win the lottery. So my wife and I hiked to the Cloud's Rest and it was one of the best scenery in my life. Thank you Backcournty Pilgrim!!
That is awesome! Glad to hear!
Unbelievable quality video. Very informative and easy to understand, doesn't assume anything of the viewer. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Most comprehensive guide on Yosemite I have ever seen. Your guide is incredibly helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Doug this has been by far the most helpful video I have ever seen. Your knowledge, experience, and sharing what is actually helpful info is a very refreshing approach. Appreciate you sir
Wow, thanks!
From one Doug to another….. THANK YOU! I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but will be in Yosemite the first week of October (barring a government shut down), and your video was super informative.
Great name and great comment! I hope the info serves you well!
Just wanted to thank you for posting this. Drove up from San Diego this weekend and had definitely not had ample time to plan out our trip beforehand. Did two and half days in the park and this video made it completely manageable for my family and I.
I tweaked your itinerary slightly as my kids are very young and any sort of strenuous hike would be far too much for them. But we did get two full days of hiking in and the whole family loved it.
Thanks again!
So glad it it helped!
The best video I've seen for first time visitors that have 2-4 days in the park that want to hit the major sites and few lesser known ones. Exactly what i was looking for! Thank you, great video!
Thank you! I am so glad it was helpful!
Same. Appreciate this. I needed it, as I was completely lost on what to do, other than Half Dome.
Glad it was helpful! :)
Thank you so much for making this video, as a guy from the UK this so so much appreciated 🙌🙌🙌
Glad to help! Cheers!
This was an incredibly informative and entertaining video. This will be the first of multiple viewings. Thanks Doug!
So glad it helped, that's exactly why I made it!
This is the best resource I've found on UA-cam for Yosemite, by far!
Glad to hear it and glad it helped!
So helpful, thank you! My first trip to Yosemite is next month, I feel more prepared now :)
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Doug, this is one of the best videos for Yosemite Hikes. It's clear you've done your research and understand what to prioritize and avoid. My family is going to Yosemite and we've happened to plan a lot like you. However, we'll change our plan to be a more like yours, specifically Day 1. Thank you for this amazing video!
So glad it helped thank you!
That 4-mile trail - Illouette - JMT loop is my absolute FAVORITE hike in Yosemite.
Good choice! :)
This video was extremely informative and very well put together! Thank you so much for your hard work and input!
You bet! Glad you enjoyed!
This is the most informative channel for hikers in UA-cam
Thank you much!
Yeah!! Traveling to the States tomorrow and were going to be there with 2 kids in 2 weeks. Gonna take your 1 day itenary. Thanks!!
Hope you enjoy it!
This guy knows exactly what he’s talking about. Incredibly informative video. Dude is a seasoned hiker. I’d pay attention to what he has to say.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. :)
@@BackcountryPilgrim depending on what permit I get I will be sure to follow your tips.
I am planning the trip right now and watching the video for the 4th time making notes, thinking about your arguments, thinking what will fit me best. In this video you really nailed answers to my questions. Thank you!
I'm glad I could help!
Excellent video! You gave just enough of a sneak peak to get me intrigued without feeling spoiled!
Great!
Thank you for amazingly thorough and well thought out planning! We are going to the park next week and as a worry-prone person, I really appreciate the guidance you put into this!
Glad it was helpful! I'll be there too, maybe we'll run into each other! :)
Great and useful video.Thank you for sharing such a valuable information.
My pleasure!
This is excellent video. My favorite hike of all time is the Mist Trail/John Muir Trail to Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. I have been to the top of Vernal 16 times (it's a great half-day hike) and to the top of Nevada 7 times (a full-day hike when you take time out for photography). My most recent hike to the top of Nevada was in 2019. I used to hike up the talus slope on the north side of Nevada, but my old knees now prefer the Clark Point Cutoff Trail. Halfway up the Clark Point Cutoff Trail is an excellent viewpoint overlooking Vernal Fall. This viewpoint is one of my favorites in the entire park.
My second favorite hike is Tuolumne Meadows to Glen Aulin, which I have done 5 times…each time as a very long day trip from Fresno. My least crowded hike ever was Tioga Road to North Dome, which I did once in the 1990s. I encountered only three other people on the trail and the payoffs are an excellent face-on view of Half Dome and the granite arch on Indian Ridge.
BTW, Hwy 395 and Mono Lake are in California, not Nevada.
Those are all great hikes!
Hands down the best video to help plan for a Yosemite trip. Thanks a ton!
My pleasure!
These are solid recommendations! I’ve been several times and have done Sentinel Dome Vernal and Nevada Falls, Half dome up to the sub Dome, and hiked the Panorama trail and Clouds Rest last week. They’re all great hikes. And now Mt Dana sounds like a great bucket list hike for the future!
A stop at Mariposa Grove is also a great addition to your trip- depending on the entrance you use, it coud be something on your way in or out (coming in from the South at Fish Camp). You don’t need much time here to appreciate the sequoias.
Nice, it sounds like you have been on some of the best hikes!
My brother and I were there in June, we had Half Dome permits, we hit the trail at 5am and were on the summit by 10, and that was with quite a few photo stops, We were the only ones going up the cables, and once on top there was maybe 6 people up there. Going down was a different story, everyone we had passed going up was now trying to get up the cables, went back the JM trail to get a different view of Nevada and Vernal Falls. Our other big hike was Clouds Rest, We started that hike at 2am starting at the sunrise lakes trail head, our goal was to summit and catch sunrise, we got to the summit at 5am and basically froze for 1/2 an hour waiting for the sun to come up. It was so worth the wait to see Clouds rest cast a shadow over Half Dome, then watch the sun hit the Dawn Wall on El-Cap. We were there a total of 4 days and pretty much did all the major thing you describe.
Epic hikes made more epic by the timing. Well done!
Awesome video … I think I watched them all :) … this is the most helpful one. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
This video came in handy!!! i am planning a 2 day trip there and I cannot do hard thinking so this was perfect! Thank you for sharing this 😊
Glad it helped!
Watched a dozen videos trying to grasp what’s the best hikes to do in a limited time. If I had watched this from the beginning, I would’ve saved hours 😭
Well those other videos helped you appreciate this one haha. Have a great trip!
This is a very helpful video! We only have two and a half days in the park. Your recommendation is extremely helpful! Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this video. I will be using it as a Blueprint to plan out my trip with a group of 9 people to Yosemite this Friday. We have 3 Days - so will plan and adjust accordingly! Much appreciated!
Right on! So glad it was helpful. Have a great trip!
Thank you for the input!
I am going to try the pro tip on my next visit!! thank you for sharing excellent research, looking forward to more videos about other national parks.
I hope it works!
Thank you so much for all you recommendations!
You bet! Thanks for watching!
Planning a trip to Yosemite & Northern California in May. This video has been incredibly helpful! Thank you!!
So glad it helped!
Great Yosemite overview video!! We used it to plan our 5 day visit and hope to check out the fish tacos on the east side. We will be skipping Cloud's Rest - too scary., you did it for us - LOL. Thank you for this great information!!
That makes me very happy! So glad it helped. :)
Very informative for my first time going there! You didn't mention hiking the upper yosemite falls trail, is it worth it?
It's a good trail that I have hiked several times but I don't find the effort worth it compared to others, especially if it's a first visit. :)
The taco place he mentions at the end is the Whoa Nellie Deli inside the Mobile gas station in Lee Vining. 100% worth the trip!
Never had better!
Thank you!!! I followed your 1 day hiking guide and it was amazing!!! Had a really great time at Yosemite. Thanks for all the recommendations!
I'm so glad it helped!
FIVE BIG STARS!!!! Thank you for the great video!
Thanks!!!
Thank you! I’ll be visiting in 10/06-10/11
Perfect time to go!
Great video, just what I needed to help plan my 3 day trip
Let me know how it goes!
So so so helpful! I am coming to mostly to do rock climbing and bouldering but i know ill have some time to sprinkle in some hikes. Im so excited, thanks so much this really helped a lot
I've heard there are a couple good places to climb in Yosemite. :)
we are putting our full trust into you and this video for our trip! thank you for the detailed tips
I hope it meets your expectations! :)
Wonderful video, and I agree with just about everything you recommend, but I'm surprised you didn't mention visiting Mariposa Grove. For me,
the giant Sequoia tress are a sight that you never forget, and equal to anything in Yosemite Valley.
With Yosemite it always feels like things are missed haha. :) I left the grove out because it is relatively isolated and there are big trees in several places besides Yosemite. :)
Thank you! In the planning stages for Yosemite now!
Great! Let me know if I can help!
Great video Doug! Very informative with great advice. The only thing possibly missing that I might add based on what I've read about Yosemite is a visit to Mariposa Grove to see the Sequoias near the South entrance. It looks like there are some nice loop hikes there. We are going to Yosemite for the first time this spring and wondering what you think about adding a stop to Mariposa Grove?
Thank you! I did not include the Grove for a few reasons. First it's far from the valley so it takes a whole day round trip. Second, I was going for iconic Yosemite sights (how many pictures do you see from Mariposa Grove?). Third, the big trees are not unique to Yosemite - you can get the same thing in several other places like Sequoia, Calaveras, or near the coast. So it was a pretty easy cut. :)
Thanks for the response. We will be entering from the south gate so may make a quick stop to see it before continuing on to the valley where we will be staying. Thanks again for the great video!
There ya go!
I had the same question. We’re going in Oct for the first time, entering from the south as well. Plan to spend the first morning in Mariposa.
Did I miss anything? Share your suggestions below!
Is there a specific trail you recommend for the hike to the base of El Cap? I see the El Capitan Trail on the All Trails App. It is 9.6 mi and as an elevating Ain of 1,689 ft. Is that the hike you are referring to?
To get to the base Yet you just park at 1 of the very last parking spaces before you exit The Valley The Valley at most along The Valley loop trail to the approach trail for climbers. I think the only trail called El Capitan is up top. :)
If I had one day I would do the "Grand Tour" hike you mentioned.. 4 Mile, Panorama, and the Mist. I usually park in the parking lot by the Mist and then hike over to the 4 Mile so when I come down the Mist I can get back to the car quicker. Clouds rest from the Valley floor up and back the Mist Trail is amazing (and long) as well. One thing I do think you missed is the hike up Yosemite Falls and up to Eagle Point. And lastly... that loop trail you mentioned starting by Taft point and up to Sentinel Dome is another one of my favorites and best timed so you can catch the sunset on top of Sentinel Dome. Awesome video!! Take care!!
Great informative video that has really helped me focus on what hikes to consider - thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, by far the most helpful guide on YT. Everything is very clearly explained and accurate. However, I recommend one correction: when discussing the Day 1 itinerary, after Lower Yosemite Falls Hike you take Wanona Rd to Tunnel View (not Glacier Point). Otherwise an excellent video and I am now a subscriber.
Oh yeah it's Wawona there, good catch! Thanks for your kind words and for watching!
@@BackcountryPilgrimBy the way, I just got word that my wife and I got permits to Half Dome May 29. I keep hearing about doing Mist Trail to Half Dome, however, I don’t find that is an option on AllTrails. In looking at the map, it seems as though the most logical way is to start at the JMT trailhead-> Mist Trail-> JMT-> Half Dome. Is this what you recommend? We are relatively experienced hikers (although my wife will definitely be pushing her limits; we agreed she does not need to make the trek up Half Dome if she is not up to it, however, she understands I HAVE to do it).
How'd it go???
@@BackcountryPilgrim it was amazing! My wife and I both made it to the top. It was scarier than I thought climbing up the cable, there was a bit of a line and arms started getting tired just holding on. Going down was easier for me but my wife nearly had a panic attack mid-cable but recovered with some coaching. Views were amazing. Definitely the most challenging hike we have done. Unfortunately, my wife continued having knee pain afterwards so we were limited to easy hikes for the remainder of our trip. We took your video’s advice and did Taft Point and fissure = excellent recommendation and very accurate to say its the best pay off to hiking distance ratio. Then finished with photos at Glacier point which was beautiful. My wife was dead set on getting ice cream there since you suggested it in your video. Thank you so much for your wonderful video. Your channel is more informative than Yosemite’s own content. I am subscribed and will look for guidance among your content for future trips!
@MrLAL385 That is so great! Congratulations!!! And I am so glad to have been able to help. :) God bless.
This is literally the video I needed. Thank you
Very welcome!
Beyond grateful for this video!! Thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
Wish I had seen this video before, great research!
Fantastic video, very informative! Planning a trip for July
Enjoy!
Thank you! You've helped me plan our 3-day trip at Yosemite! :)
Great! You're welcome!
Incredible information for planning a trip, thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Need to make it to Yosemite now! Thanks for sharing!
Let me know when you come out, I'll take ya! :)
@@BackcountryPilgrim so cool thanks!
ive been out there twice, its a magical place. did the mist and panorama trails, camped at little yosemite valley. this video is great advice.
It truly is!!!
Best video for someone totally new to Yosemite. Helps learn and plan Yosemite trip. One question: For El Capitan Base Hike, where would be the nearest parking spot from either side of the hike? I found little parking area (4-5 car) parking side of the road driving from Lower Yosemite falls, nothing besides that. Thank you
There are 2 or 3 along Northside drive - basically anywhere you can get on the Valley Loop. Unfortunately these spots don't have names!
We visited Yosemite for our Honeymoon! Spent a week and been talking about going back ever since! And we will for sure be going back! Great video!! I’m going to check that book out also!
I saw that in one of your vids, very cool!
Okay I grew up hiking and backpacking in Yosemite, but there were some new ideas in this one even for me. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful! (Love your channel name!)
Thank you for this information. Your videos are excellent. Lots of great detail! We will definitely be trying to find those fish tacos, too!
Would love to get an opinion on some of the hikes in Tuolumne Meadows area, as well. Any recommendations there? What about in Wawona?
I've done mostly the"basic" stuff in those areas. The Cathedral Lake hike from TM is a good one and the views under the Peaks there are inspiring. Hiking around the Meadows is nice and I hear good things about Lembert Dome but have never taken the time. The GCT ends in TM and the hike the other direction takes you to some nice river side spots but no major destinations unless you go all the way to Glen Aulin. My next plan is to hike from TM to Mt. Lyell along the JMT, but I haven't yet. :)
The main hike near Wawona is Chilnualna Falls - definitely worth doing if you've done the major valley hikes you want. :)
I just got back from a pretty meh trip to Yosemite. Tioga Pass was closed, Glacier Point and many other roads had delays due to road work, it was peak tourist season so completely overcrowded unless I got there before dawn, we were low on gas money due to that aforementioned Tioga road closure forcing us to take a massive detour, and worst of all, a nearby wildfire had filled up Yosemite Valley with smoke so you literally couldn't even see the iconic features or hike at all due to the air quality. We had 4 days in fish camp and spent half that time in the lodge, and only ended up going on one hike, a short 2 mile hike to the Mariposa Sequioa Grove. I really wish we had watched your video! The whole trip was pretty poorly planned, we were having a hard time finding things to do in the park that weren't in the valley or along Tioga Road and didn't have much gas to burn so we ended up just not going there much. We still had an awesome time seeing more of the Sierra, though
Sorry! It's usually pretty hard to have a bad trip to Yosemite but you had every issue at the same time! I need to make an "if you're stuck in the valley" video. :)
Legend - thanks mate! This has helped us immensely!
Glad to hear it! :)
Thank you so so much. Your video was incredibly helpful.
I'm so glad!
Travelling from Ireland in a couple of weeks. As part of our California road trip we've planned a couple of days in Yosemite. Dissapointed to hear Glacier point road is closed but still really looking forward to the trip. Thanks for this video!
Have fun! (And you can always climb up Four Mile to GP ;))
Wow really thank you! Will be visiting Yosemite on August and your day plans really help me ☺
Love how you explained all of this, it is really helpful to hear from someone this experienced! 😊 my sister and I are going for two days in early August and I’ve read the falls will probably have dried up by then. Do you still recommend the falls hike if this is the case? We are entering from the south and are hoping to do Mariposa Grove and Sentinel Dome one day, and Yosemite Valley the next (or the other way around)
Do you have any tips regarding parking? I see some spots on the map, but perhaps you know which will be busiest and/or if there’s parking near the Sentinel Dome trailhead.
Thanks for the video! ❤
Water level is always a gamble. We ve had a decent amount if snow this year, so you might get lucky. If Yosemite Fall isn't running, I'd probably do Four Mile myself. Sentinel Dome parking is the same as Taft Point or the side of the road nearby. Very popular spot. You could also start from Glacier Point parking lot. Hope you have a great trip!
Very informative. Heading to Yosemite from the south entrance from Hwy 41. I have children so considering a more friendly family hike, I will do Day 1 as you describe covering the valley, sleep that night in the valley and then continue Day 2 over at Glacier Road into Sentinel Dome and to Glacier Point, skipping Taft point as I think the cliff there might not be safe for children. Then heading back south to Hwy 41. Coming in a couple of weeks. Thanks a million.
Solid plan!
Thank you. This was incredibly helpful. I hope to stay in the Valley in 2023 or 2024. I want to spend the week hiking while using the shuttle.
It's an amazing place.
Just Awesome. Very comprehensive.
Glad it was helpful!
Very effective and effecient information for the hikers lovers. Keep it up and Have fun. Thanks for sharing your video my Friend. Enjoy !
I appreciate the comment and the alliteration!
Thanks for the insider info - I'm planning a trip for this fall, and while some of these highlights I'd come to thru other research, others are new to me and I'm grateful for that. However, I was wondering what your opinions are on the Hetch Hetchy area, as well as Wawona. We will be in the park for either 4 or 6 days (debating whether or not to hit SEKI on our way back South), and I was hoping to see all areas of the park. Not sure of your experience with the other areas, but I'd love to hear advice. We are from the Midwest and not sure when in the future we'll get to visit CA, so we're hoping to see as diverse a set of areas as we can. Thanks!
I know HH pretty well near the water. I've taken the reservoir trail as far as Rancheria and did off-trail on the ridge above as far as Wapama Falls. I've been to Chilnualna Falls and above in Wawona. HH is definitely worth a day trip for the hike and history as well. The falls were cool but nothing like what you can see in the valley. I've got videos of both if you search around you can see if you think they'd be worth it for you!
@@BackcountryPilgrim Thanks for the reply! Sorry, I don't get notifs from UA-cam and just came back to this video as I do some more detailed planning for this fall. I think we'll at least get out to HH, although going in the fall sounds like we'd be better off spending some hiking time elsewhere. Maybe a good place drive out to in the evening after hiking during the day.
Most helpful video. Thank you!
Great to hear!
Thank you very much for this awesome summary. It really helped me to get out of this overwhelming confusion where to go during my 3 day stay at Yosemite…thumbs up 👍🏻
Perfect! Glad it helped! :)
This is like my 100th time watching this lol im about 1 month away from being at Yosemite. Im doing Nevada falls and now I need to figure what Yosemite Valley Loop trail to do 😂
There are not many loops in the valley, the most popular is Mirror Lake. The Valley Loop itself is 20 miles long and not worth it in my view. :)
Thank you a million times for this itinerary! Going to visit Yosemite for the first time next summer and while I'm both an avid hiker and also planner I was so overwhelmed with all the options out there. What would you say is a good area to stay at if following your 3-4 days itinerary? Would love to stay in the park but the reservation hustle is just not for me. Thank you!
Thanks! Glad it helped. If you don't want to stay in the valley, Evergreen Lodge is amazing and has several options.
Well done! You have some awesome videos on Yosemite. People need to go to your channel for advice on Yosemite. 👍. Well done Doug.
Thanks Crow!!!
I’m surprised that you did not mention visiting any of the sequoias in the park. I would like to see Mariposa trail. That is on my list. Would you incorporate that in today one or two? It doesn’t seem like a place that you would stay very long.
Well there are lots of places outside Yosemite with giant trees and I don't really think they have the iconic Yosemite status that the other trail features have, so I didn't include those areas.
But if I did do one I'd probably skip Mariposa Grove since it is so far from the valley and id add one of the others on to a Tioga Rd. hike so I could see them without having to double back. :)
This is a fabulous video. My son and I are taking 3 days there this September. You really laid out our itinerary! Thank you!
You're welcome, so glad it helped!
This video is fantastic
Thank you very much!
Thank you for all your work on this. Incredibly helpful.
Labor of love!
Thank you. This was super informative and well done!
Thank you, glad it was helpful to you! :)
Pretty good list. RE the Panorama Trail loop, I've done it in both directions. Going up the Mist Trail is way better than going down. Hikers should confirm that water is available at Glacier Point. Hikers should allow 8-10 hours.
I've also taken FM up to Sentinel Dome and back down and just FM to GP and back down. Also check the weather. I went from sunny at the bottom of Four Mile Trail to Snow at the top one May.
Enjoying your channel.
The payoff at Cloud's Rest is great if there's no smoke and clear skies. I've done it three times and twice views were poor. Also nothing to see until you hit the spine, which is not for those with a fear of heights.
In Tuolumne Meadow, Sunrise Lakes and Dog Lake also make good day hikes, with the later trail taking you to the base of Lembert Dome, which is worth the climb. You could also hike out Lyell Canyon for a few miles, have a picnic and hike back.
So much to do! What an amazing place!
Well done! 👏
Thank you! 😃
This is a great video, I've done most of the trails you cover between 1-3 days and I can say that this description is very accurate. I like the way you condensed the important info. Thanks for the post!
Thank you so much! I spent a lot of time prepping for this one. :)
Thank you so much for the information you’ve provided.
Me and my friends are travelling from Canada in October and we have 4 days. I can say that you’ve certainly influenced our itinerary. Mount Dana will be our final day hike. Thank you for the advice!
Glad it was helpful! Keep in mind that Glacier Point Rd. is closed for 2022-2023 so anything off it must be accessed from a valley hike!
@@BackcountryPilgrim Yes we saw that! Thank you!
Oh buy the way, your video is awesome
Thank you
Glad you like it!
Very helpful video. Dude also looks and sounds like James Spader. :D
I always got Anthony Edwards when I had the gotee but I'll take Spader haha!
Thank you for your detailed itinerary! Can’t wait to go!
Hope you have a great trip!
I just did the Vernal and Nevada falls hike and sentinel dome yesterday. I wish I could see more but we had to go back.
Lot of hiking right there! :)
Great job again !!!!
Thanks again! I appreciate the feedback! :)