Several of the best views in Yosemite National Park can be accessed by short and sweet hiking trails. We put together this guide with the best easy hikes in Yosemite to help you get the most bang for your buck during your visit.
Yosemite National Park is world-famous for its towering granite domes and cliffs, majestic waterfalls (including Yosemite Falls, the tallest in North America!), and epic backpacking routes, but you don’t actually have to be a serious hiker to experience its iconic beauty.
Several easy hikes in Yosemite showcase some of the park’s most stunning features with very little time or effort. Really!
Whether you’re walking beneath giant sequoias, wandering through peaceful meadows, or checking out scenic viewpoints above the clouds, you’ll likely be surprised at just how easy it is to experience the magic of Yosemite.
Good to know: Like many other popular national parks, Yosemite now requires entry permits for much of the year. The requirements change slightly throughout the year, and from year to year, but in general, you’ll need a permit between mid-April and late October.
Yosemite Hiking Guide
We’ve included some extra info for planning your hiking trip to Yosemite National Park. Jump to the following sections (or just keep scrolling to see it all!).
1. Lower Yosemite Falls Trail
- Distance: 1.2-mile loop
- Elevation gain: 55 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
Lower Yosemite Falls tops just about everyone’s Yosemite bucket list. This short, super easy hike takes you right to the base of the tallest waterfall in North America, 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls.
The trail is almost entirely flat and paved, with boardwalk and asphalt sections, so it’s even suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. For the most impressive views, visit in the spring or early summer—the falls nearly dry up by July or August.
2. Taft Point & The Fissures
- Distance: 2.2 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 200 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy to Moderate
- Alltrails trail notes
Want to feel like you’re standing on top of the world—literally? Take the surprisingly easy, short hike to Taft Point, one of the most epic photo spots in Yosemite.
The trail is just over two miles, but what it lacks in distance, it MORE than makes up for in dramatic scenery.
Once you get to Taft Point, pose on the famous cliff edge…if you dare. For people who don’t exactly love heights, there’s an ‘official’ viewpoint with a railing.
As you walk around, look for the famous Fissures, deep, narrow cracks in the granite that drop straight down.
3. Bridalveil Fall Trail
- Distance: 0.8 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 114 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
Bridalveil Fall is another icon that easily makes the list of best hikes in Yosemite National Park. A quick stroll leads you to the base of 620-foot Bridalveil Fall, known for its incredibly powerful flow. Look carefully and you’ll see the ‘bridal veil’ when the wind catches the water just right.
Although this hike is short and sweet, it’s VERY misty close to the waterfall and the trail is often super slippery. Watch your footing and be prepared to get at least a little wet!
4. Mirror Lake Loop
- Distance: 4-5.5 miles, depending where you start and end
- Elevation gain: 300 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
Mirror Lake is one of the best hikes in Yosemite National Park for families, and also a popular swimming hole.
The trail takes you to and/or around Mirror Lake. As its name gives away, when the lake is full, it shows off gorgeous reflections of Half Dome and Mount Watkins.
Start this hike from the trailhead at shuttle stop #17 or from Curry Village, adding 1.5 miles. You can also turn back at the lake or hike the full loop into Tenaya Canyon.
5. Mirror Lake Paved Trail
- Distance: 2-mile loop
- Elevation gain: 108 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
The Mirror Lake Paved Trail is essentially the first one-mile section of the longer loop we just described above. It starts at the same place, shuttle stop #17, and leads to the edge of the lake, crossing and then running alongside Tenaya Creek.
It’s fully paved from start to finish, and accessible all year (it’s absolutely magical in the winter!), so it’s understandably among the busiest easy hikes in Yosemite. In particular, it’s popular with bicyclists and strollers coming from Curry Village.
6. Grizzly Giant Loop Trail
- Distance: 2-mile loop
- Elevation gain: 380 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
The Grizzly Giant Loop shows off a different side of the park than other easy hikes in Yosemite. You’ll get up close and personal with several giant sequoias, including the largest one in the park, Grizzly Giant, and the famous California Tunnel Tree.
All the trails in Mariposa Grove climb steadily from the trailhead, but it’s a manageable, gradual incline, and Grizzly Giant is one of the easier loops. Expect it to be very busy until Grizzly Giant, but generally, the further you go, the fewer people.
Park at the Mariposa Grove welcome center near Yosemite’s south entrance, then take the free shuttle up to the trailhead (in operation April through November).
7. Swinging Bridge Trail
- Distance: 1.4 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 88 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
The first thing you should know about this swinging bridge is that there’s actually another one in Yosemite Valley (although that one doesn’t even swing, whereas this one does).
As you might imagine, it causes a bit of confusion, especially because AllTrails lists this one as being in Yosemite Valley when it’s not—it’s in Wawona, a much quieter section of the park a solid hour away from the valley.
The Wawona swinging bridge is best known as a summer swimming hole, but the hike is pleasant year-round. It’s short and sweet, running parallel to the river before ending at the bridge.
There are two trailheads, the more popular one near a church camp and one near Chilnualna Falls. We recommend the Camp Wawona one because the parking lot is bigger and it’s close to the Wawona general store, but the hike is about the same either way.
8. Glacier Point Trail
- Distance: 0.5-mile loop
- Elevation gain: 50 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
For its effort to reward ratio, Glacier Point is one of the best hikes in Yosemite National Park. It’s not exactly a traditional hike, but instead a leisurely walk from the parking lot to Glacier Point.
There, you’ll have a front-row seat to the park’s most famous views, including Half Dome and all the major waterfalls.
9. Sentinel Meadow and Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail
- Distance: 2-mile loop
- Elevation gain: Negligible
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
This easy trail meanders through a wide open meadow, showing off all of Yosemite Valley’s icons. Most of it is either boardwalk or pavement, so in dry weather, it’s accessible for wheelchairs and strollers (during spring runoff, the meadow becomes a marsh).
The loop is one of very few hikes in Yosemite that’s doable year-round, so add it to your list regardless of when you’re visiting.
10. Tenaya Lake Trail
- Distance: 3.5 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 180 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
Despite being easily accessible off Tioga Road, Tenaya Lake is one of the least crowded easy hikes in Yosemite. The sapphire blue glacial lake’s beach is a fairly popular destination for a picnic and swimming, but relatively few people actually hike the trail.
More of a relaxed walk, this ‘hike’ takes you along the southern shore of the lake, ending at the sandy beach on the east end. Insider tip: if you have a larger vehicle, there’s better parking at the west end.
The Tenaya Lake hike is accessible as soon as Tioga Road opens for the year, but note that early in the season, crossing the lake’s western outlet often means knee-deep water.
11. Olmsted Point Nature Trail
- Distance: 0.4 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 40 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
Just a few minutes from Tenaya Lake off Tioga Road, you’ll find one of the most unique easy hikes in Yosemite. Not only is the trail to Olmsted Point super short, it also features a little-seen view: Half Dome from the backside, Clouds Rest, and Yosemite Valley from the east.
From the parking lot, the official Olmsted Point viewpoint is just a five-minute walk. Along the way, and even in the parking lot itself, a bunch of glacial boulders line the path—like a bit of Joshua Tree, way up in Yosemite.
12. Middle Valley Loop Trail
- Distance: 5.8-mile loop
- Elevation gain: 236 feet
- Difficulty rating: Easy
- Alltrails trail notes
Quite literally the middle section of the longer 20-mile Yosemite Valley Loop Trail, the Middle Valley Loop runs between El Capitan and Yosemite Falls.
It takes you by some of the valley’s major highlights, but also passes through tranquil meadows and alongside the Merced River. That variety, paired with rare chances for solitude at a few points along the trail, make this one of the best easy hikes in Yosemite.
Being a loop, you can access the trail from several points in the valley. However, starting from Lower Yosemite Fall makes the most sense because you can park nearby or take the shuttle.
13. Sentinel Dome
- Distance: 2.2 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 400 feet
- Difficulty rating: Moderate
- Alltrails trail notes
The short, fun scramble up Sentinel Dome leads to one of the best views in all of Yosemite…and that’s really saying something! From the top, the 360-degree view includes just about every part of Yosemite Valley and an unbelievable face-to-face perspective of Half Dome.
There isn’t a traditional trail up Sentinel Dome; instead, you simply walk across and up the granite dome. It’s one of the most kid-friendly easy hikes in Yosemite, because they love climbing over the boulders along the way.
At the very end, there is a steep climb up the dome itself, but it’s honestly easier than it looks. The biggest challenges here are typically the wind and heat, because it’s completely exposed.
14. Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop
- Distance: 5.1-mile loop
- Elevation gain: 1,105 feet
- Difficulty rating: Moderate
- Alltrails trail notes
For its 360-degree views alone, the Sentinel Dome-Taft Point Loop is among the best hikes in Yosemite National Park.
Start with a climb up Sentinel Dome (literally—you’ll have to scramble a bit toward the top!), where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, and Half Dome. Other than that, it’s an easy-going trail.
After taking it all in, head to Taft Point. This usually uncrowded part of the hike is only about 1.5 miles long, but climbs 500 feet in elevation and involves navigating around several downed trees.
15. Dewey Point
- Distance: 7.5 miles out and back
- Elevation gain: 744 feet
- Difficulty rating: Moderate
- Alltrails trail notes
Dewey Point is often called one of the best-kept secrets in Yosemite. In fact, it’s likely busier in the winter than the summer—this is a popular snowshoeing and cross-country skiing route in the winter and spring.
Considering the outstanding Yosemite Valley views, the trail doesn’t gain much elevation. It’s on the long side, though, especially if you go the extra half-mile to Crocker Point, where you’ll see Bridalveil Fall.
Best time to go hiking in Yosemite National Park
The best time to hike in Yosemite for you very much depends on the experience you’re hoping for. Are you seeking huge, epic views or more interested in waterfalls?
Overall, summer is the best season for hikers (specifically July through mid-September), because all park roads and trails are generally open and weather is typically stable. However, summer is extremely busy in the park and many waterfalls barely trickle or even dry up.
Late spring, late April through the beginning of June, is best for waterfalls. However, this comes with two major trade-offs: when the waterfalls roar, Glacier Point and Tioga Pass roads are closed, limiting your visit mostly to Yosemite Valley.
The risk of flooding in the valley is also high in springtime, and it’s not at all uncommon for the park to evacuate it once or twice a season.
Want to visit in late fall or winter? The park is stunningly beautiful during this time and crowds are at their lowest (with the exception of Firefall weekends in February), but keep in mind that weather is unpredictable and outside very little of the park is accessible beyond the valley.
Finally, remember that permits are required to enter Yosemite for much of the year, typically between mid-April and late October.
What to pack for hiking in Yosemite National Park
- Navigation: we recommend using Alltrails+ to download the offline trail map
- Get your first week of using Alltrails+ for FREE when you sign up using our link!
- Permit*
- Hiking daypack
- Water bottles and/or bladder for your Camelbak
- Bug repellant
- Sun protection: sunscreen, hat, sun glasses
- Headlamp
- Camera/tripod (this one’s our favorite for hiking)
- Hiking layers (here is a great resource if you’re wondering what to wear hiking)
- Rain jacket
- Comfortable hiking boots or shoes
- Hiking poles (optional)
- Plenty of snacks: check out our favorite hiking snacks here!
*Don’t forget to pack your permit!
Be sure to download our FREE hiking packing list before your next trip and never leave another essential behind again!
Roundup of easy hikes in Yosemite National Park
Here’s a roundup of all the best easy hikes in Yosemite National Park so you can see everything in one place.
- Dewey Point
- Lower Yosemite Falls Trail
- Taft Point & The Fissures
- Bridalveil Fall Trail
- Mirror Lake Loop
- Mirror Lake Paved Trail
- Grizzly Giant Loop Trail
- Swinging Bridge Trail
- Glacier Point Trail
- Sentinel Meadow Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail
- Tenaya Lake Trail
- Olmsted Point Nature Trail
- Middle Valley Loop Trail
- Sentinel Dome
- Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop
You may also like…
- Best Hikes in Yosemite National Park
- Heart Lake Trail: California Hiking Guide
- Best Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park
- Best Hikes in Palm Springs, California
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We want to hear from you!
Which of these epic hikes at Yosemite National Park has you most excited to lace up your hiking boots? Have you done any of the Yosemite hikes on this list? Was your experience like? Leave your comment below and let us know!