Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7569ft
El Capitan
(El Cap), one of the world's largest monoliths and a magnet for rock
climbers, and 8842ft
Half Dome
, the park's spiritual centerpiece - its rounded granite pate
forms an unmistakable silhouette. You'll have great views of both from
Valley View
(
you'll have even better postcard panoramas - sans the crowds - from
Inspiration Point
(
Yosemite's waterfalls mesmerize even the most jaded traveler, especially when the
west of Yosemite Village)
is considered the tallest in North America, dropping 2425ft in three
tiers. A slick wheelchair-accessible trail leads to the bottom of this cascade or, if you
prefer solitude and different perspectives, you can also clamber up the
Yosemite Falls
Trail
, which puts you atop the falls after a grueling 3.4 miles. No less impressive is nearby
Any aspiring Ansel Adams should lug their camera gear along the 1-mile paved trail to
Mirror Lake
early or late in the day to catch the ever-shifting reflection of Half Dome in
the still waters. The lake all but dries up by late summer.
South of here, where the Merced River courses around two small islands, lies
Happy
marks the start of the
John Muir Trail
and
Mist Trail
to several waterfalls and Half
Dome.