If you’re craving solitude amongst big trees, Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias is your best bet. The least visited of the three groves, this grove of sequoias is my favorite in Yosemite National Park.
If you’re looking to experience a Yosemite waterfall on a budget, Carlon Falls is for you. Situated just outside of park gates, you can hike into the Yosemite wilderness and never pay any entrance fees. This isn’t the biggest, or even the most impressive, but if you just like waterfalls of all shapes and sizes, you’ll like Carlon Falls.
Hetch Hetchy Valley was once a mirror image of Yosemite Valley; now it’s a reservoir providing millions of San Francisco Bay Area residents like myself water. Despite this, Yosemite’s counterpart is still a wondrous sight to behold, and lacking in the millions of visitors Yosemite Valley receives.
Multi-day backpacking trips to Yosemite National Park’s northernmost wilderness give you access to glacial lakes, or you can opt for day hikes near the reservoir. Going into Thanksgiving, my original plan was to do a four day backpacking trip in this area, but unforeseen wrenches thrown into plans a little bit of weather thwarted those original plans. Instead of completely scrapping the idea of Hetch Hetchy, I ended up setting off on a solo hike to Rancheria Falls while the boyfriend was stuck working on Black Friday.
Only have a day in Yosemite Valley? Head up to Glacier Point via Four Mile Trail to get the best bang for your buck. Unparalleled views of Yosemite Valley, front row seats to Half Dome and beyond await you at this magical spot.
Half Dome lottery permits are nearly impossible to get. That hike can be unnerving for those afraid of heights. If you missed out on clambering up the cables, don’t fret. Hiking Clouds Rest out of Tuolumne Meadows is just as much of a thigh-burner, and perhaps, even more stunning than the iconic granite dome.