Weekend Getaway Itinerary for Yosemite in the Spring – Day 2
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After a relaxing first day exploring the Valley and Glacier point areas, we planned to spend most of our second day hiking Mist Trail. This is one of our most favorite hikes in Yosemite because of the rewarding view, not only at the end but throughout the trail — even though it was a challenging hike.
With breaks the entire hike took us about 5 hours, to give you an idea of how long it may take to go on this hike.
There are several points of interest to stop at along the hike, so you can spend either half a day or a whole day in this area. Normally, the easiest way to get to the trailhead is via the shuttle bus. However during Covid, it was not operating during our visit, so you can either choose to do street parking along Valley Loop trail near Curry Village or just park in the parking lot at Curry Village itself. There is actually a dirt parking lot close to the trailhead, but it tends to fill up fast in the morning so if you want to park close you will need to get there fairly early. It’s also a good idea to get to the trail early in order to avoid the crowds due to the popularity of this hike.
Depending on where you end up parking, it’s about another 0.5-1 mile to get to the trailhead. You will be walking along Happy Isle Rd which is shaded most of the way by the forest/trees. When you spot the shuttle stop, keep walking across the bridge and make a right at the end where you will find the trailhead of John Muir trail, which will later lead to Mist trail. Mirror Lake trailhead is also located in this area, so you could also explore this hike if you have the energy later.
From the trailhead, the first stop is the footbridge, then Vernal Fall via Mist trail, and followed by Nevada Fall in the end. From there, you have the option to continue hiking to the famous Half Dome if you won the lottery or you can return to the trailhead. We recommend taking the John Muir trail on the way back. Your knees will thank us later 🙂
Vernal Fall Bridge
From the trailhead, it’s about a mile to the footbridge of Vernal Fall with 300 foot elevation gain. Even though it’s a paved road, the trail can be difficult due to a constant incline, so be sure to take a break when necessary and drink plenty of water on your way up.
For many who can’t climb stairs or don’t want to hike with a lot of vertical climbs, this is where the journey ends, gazing up longingly at the top of the Vernal fall. However, for those who persevere on, they will be rewarded with impressive views and be able to appreciate the raw power of the waterfalls.
There are bathrooms and water refilling stations at this stop for you to take advantage of before continuing on or heading back. This is one of the many features we really appreciated for this trail. Every stop has a bathroom: Footbridge, Vernal, and Nevada falls.
Footbridge with Vernal Fall in the distance Views from the footbridge Footbridge with Vernal Fall in the distance
Mist Trail: Vernal Fall
We highly recommend continuing on to Vernal Fall which is only 0.5 miles from the footbridge. Be warned, although it’s a short distance, it’s comprised of steep granite staircases which contain over 600 steps and an elevation gain of ~700 feet.
Don’t forget! Due to seasonal and pandemic conditions, some trails/routes are closed! As you prepare for your trip, check the Yosemite website for seasonal and closure information. Peak waterfall season is from April to June.
Be prepared to get soaked. There is a reason why it’s called Mist Trail.
Another pleasant surprise along this trail may be a rainbow or two!
What have we gotten ourselves into? Mist from the Mist Trail More stairs Almost there, but more stairs Over 600!
Fortunately, a decent amount of the beginning of the trail is right alongside the river and fall, which keeps the ambient air temperature much cooler than the surrounding valley.
Despite the cool air providing occasional respite, this part of the hike required several breaks for us. I suppose we should have practiced ahead of time on a stair climber!
Top of Vernal Fall
The top of Vernal Fall is a great lunch spot with views of rushing water and Stellar’s Jays singing in the background. Be sure to walk to the edge of the waterfall where there are some metal rails to witness the raw power of the waterfall thundering over the edge.
Further up alongside the water is Emerald Pool, which has a shaded, tree-covered shore. This is where we chose to eat our lunch, slightly off trail.
The final steps down to Vernal fall Emerald Pool One of many Stellar’s Jays Side view of Vernal fall Waiting for our moment to snap some photos above the fall Don’t fall down
Mist Trail: Nevada Fall
Once satisfied by our meal and having taken all the photos we desired, it was time to continue on to the next grueling 900 foot elevation gain to reach Nevada Fall.
Despite being longer than the trail to Vernal Fall, this 2 mile portion of the trail, even with the 900 foot elevation gain, felt much easier than the previous portion, largely due to the fact that instead of stairs the trail was mostly replaced by switchbacks.
Although this portion was easier to hike, it was also hotter, with less shade all around.
I think we’re closer Is this the right way? So close I can touch the falls Lots of rocks Big rock Squirrel hanging out I thought we were done with stairs!? The final path to Nevada Fall
Top of Nevada Fall
Once at the top of Nevada Fall, there are several large rocks to sit down and take a break on.
Don’t be tempted by the rushing water, although it looks calm above the falls, it can quickly become dangerous with hidden currents.
Once again there are guard rails by the edge so you can safely get close to the edge for some photos of the water dropping rapidly and a view of the valley below.
Another bathroom is located just before you reach Nevada fall that you can take advantage of as well.
Over the edge Look out below Raw power
John Muir
Crossing the wooden bridge of Nevada Fall leads you to the John Muir trail which will take you all the way back down.
On this first portion, be sure to protect your electronics as this first part of the trail can be wet and icy depending on the time of your visit. While we were there we noted some unmelted snow, as well as runoff pouring off the sides of the rock face, causing a misting sensation smaller in scale to the Mist Trail.
Be sure to take a quick stop and look back towards Nevada Fall as there are several great view of this waterfall as you depart.
Enjoy the steady decline down with no more stairs to stress the knees. As you descend further down there will be additional tree cover to provide shade and offer a relaxed hike to the finish line.
That concludes our waterfall adventure in Yosemite. We hope to return again when we’re ready to tackle Half Dome!
Nevada Falls Stellar’s Jay with an Apple
