Yosemite is hands down one of the most beautiful National Parks in Northern America. I took a road trip with some friends from Los Angeles, California. It took us about 5-6 hours. We camped for 2 nights in a nearby camp site that we booked through Airbnb.

I’ll break down what we did while in Yosemite so you can plan properly and get an idea of all the different hikes. If you want a detailed list on what to bring, refer to my “Camping Essentials” post.

Mist Trail: This is considered a short hike but it’s worth doing. It is roughly 3 miles and hikes along the Merced River starting at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. I really enjoyed this hike and loved seeing the rainbow that fell under the waterfall at the end of the trail. The water was really cold when I went (August) so when I jumped in I almost experienced hypothermia, HA. SO please keep that in mind. Test the waters before you just dive right in. Learn from my mistakes.
Yosemite Falls Trail. This is 7.2 miles round trip so a little more crazy then the Mist Trail but not super difficult. If you are a generally active person and have good stamina, you will be just fine. Super scenic hike with gorgeous waterfall views. I really do recommend bringing as much water as possible, snacks, sun screen & wear hiking shoes when going on these hikes, though. It’s not Runyon (if you are from LA, you know what I am talking about, lol). These are steep hikes and especially when doing during the day, it’s exhausting after a while on your body. Which brings me to my next hike…
Glacier Point. 16 miles. Yes you read that right. This hike is 16 miles. I cannot stress enough how important it is to start this hike early on in the day. My friends and I did it around 1pm thinking it would be enough time but, we weren’t experienced hikers so it took us a little longer than normal. When we finally got to the top of the trail, the view was AMAZING. I mean it when I say that the view was breathtaking. There are even amazing views as you’re walking up the trail. So many places to stop and gaze/take pictures. Keep in mind, you still need to hike down and I recommend doing it while the light is still out. My friends and I didn’t make our way down util 5pm and by the time we were half way down, there was no more light and we had to use our flash lights on our heads. It’s scary and not safe to do this. Please, give yourself time and plan properly.
Tuolumne Meadows. Located along the Tuolumne River, this open meadow is actually where my photo above was taken. It has gorgeous views of the mountains, sometimes animals that roam the field, flowers, trees & of course, the river. It’s a really relaxing place to stop by and just be at peace. I highly recommend :)

Yosemite National Park, California