One of the trails we hiked in Yosemite National Park was Vernal Fall by way of the Mist Trail. The hike started at the Happy Isles shuttle stop (#16.) If you are not staying in the Valley in Yosemite, you could park at the the trail head parking or Camp Curry. The first part of the trail is paved for about a mile. It is all uphill but the views are great! Around 0.8 of a mile you reach the Vernal Fall Footbridge. There are bathrooms here and water. The day we hiked was very warm-over 90 so we took a lot of water with us. It is nice to be able to refill here.
To get to the top of Vernal Fall, you have to climb about 600 granite steps. When the falls are really going in the spring, they can be wet and slippery. We planned on going all the way to Nevada Fall, but Craig wore his sneakers and was slipping everywhere. There were puddles to climb through and many people on the trail to deal with. It is one of the most popular trails in Yosemite, but many people underestimate the elevation and have to be rescued. I wore my new Ahnu Montara Boots and they did great. I got the purple and I love them. They are light and waterproof and did not slip at all.
The views and hike are amazing. Just bring plenty of water and stop to enjoy the sights along the way!
The Mist Trail was originally published on Parkit
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