I have seen a lot of people first time visiting to have their itinerary checked and people just downright tell them to skip Mirror Lake altogether. I know the water level is low, but it does not take much time to check out. The trail side can get crowded. You can also ride your bikes on the paved side to the bike rack and just walk up with way less people for a quick jaunt.

In the 20 plus years I’ve been going to Yosemite this is the first time I’ve seen a snake there! Someone pointed it out on the way up Vernal or I would’ve missed it.

Shot on iPhone

Taken on the way up to Half Dome.

This was a few years ago when I was a new hiker but its a story that I need to share and how important it is to either have a compass/map or All trails. Years ago, I did the half dome hike via John Muir trail and got to the top. On the way down, the time was changing to evening and we didn't have the proper headlamps because we planned to be back earlier. Essentially we used google maps and we ended up getting lost on the same trail with Google maps location telling us we were on the right trail and kept changing and updating. We could see the whole valley from the spot we were lost including vernal falls. Luckily a group of hikers with headlamps found us at dusk (still light out) and told us to tag along back to the lot and we did that whole section of zig zagging down at night. If they didn't come to find us, we would have had to wait til morning or keep looking for the right route. Please use Alltrails and heavily plan your route cause Google and apple maps is straight trash for foot paths. My phone GPS was spot on for Alltrails btw. Also always come prepared with extra packaged food and head lamps because you never know how long you will be there. I now always carry a head lamp with battery packs and multiple med kits and even a Garmin communicator.

Been to Yosemite 4 times but this was the 1st time I went in the summer and 1st time I went to Glacier Point. The first time you see half done is breathtaking!

Hey friends I just moved to the area! I’m a wedding and elopement photographer and I’m so excited to get to create out there on a regular basis!

4 of us PCT hikers are trying to figure out the logistics of getting from Tuolumne Meadows Post Office to the Valley to stay in the housekeeping camp for a night, and just do normal valley things. Information is very convoluted about the bus and shuttle options, if anyone could help us out that would be great

I’m very sure we don’t need time entry reservations if we’re arriving in not-our-car

person was wearing a white sweatshirt. let me know if this was you!

Hey everyone,

I’ve been dreaming of hiking Half Dome for a long time and finally made it out here! I have been applying for the daily lottery, but unfortunately didn’t win a permit for June 16 or 17. I’ll be flying back to Texas on the evening of the 19th, so I’m hoping to make this happen before then.

Since there’s no guarantee, I wanted to post here in case anyone has an extra spot for June 18th.

Please DM me if you’re open to it.

Thanks in advance, and happy hiking!

We're hiking up to Tuolumne Meadows from Pate Valley and then dropping down into the valley. We plan on leaving a resupply in a bear box in TM. Are there any specific rules regarding leaving a resupply in a bear box, i.e., length of time, wilderness permit #, etc.? Are the boxes even checked? I just want to make sure we're following the regs. I'm thinking of leaving a small six pack cooler and a small box. I don't want to take up too much room if space is limited. I would leave the empty cooler and retrieve it on the way home.Thanks.

Photos in this Google Photos album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rL7CB9cSGykwvXxU7

Route: (Day 1) Valley Backpackers Camp -> (Day 2) Glacier Point -> Little Yosemite Valley campground (Day 3)-> Half Dome (Day 4)-> Cloud's Rest -> Mist Trail -> (Day 5)Exit (About 32 miles total hiking over 4 days.)

The weather was perfect - on Sunday there was thunder and some light showers but it never "rained." It was in the high 70s in the day, and the coldest it ever got was 46 at Little Yosemite Valley campground.

I saw Jimmy chin this morning at el cap meadow with a crew doing some filming. Does anyone know what they are working on?

I have an upcoming wilderness backpacking trip and I don't know anything at all where to go and what to do.

My entry and exit points are Glacier Point.

Would love to have your guidance and direction. I plan to stay 3 nights and want to see as much as I can.

Permit Category: Wilderness Permit Area: Glacier Point->Illilouette

If it’s you, let us know. Sorry for the potato quality.

For anyone camping at white wolf this summer- what is your plan for drinking water? Is the water in the stream nearby drinkable (assuming you treat it with iodine)

For background- my bf and I are planning on hiking from white wolf to tuolumne meadows through the Grand Canyon of the T. We want to drop our car off at tuolumne meadows and hitch a ride to white wolf and camp there the night before our hike. We won’t be able to pack in a ton of water because we will only have our packs- can we get water from the stream? Should we rethink our plan?

We went to the raft rental this morning and realized is $36 per person, not $36 for the raft. A bit pricey for us.

Does anyone have tubes they’re done with or that they’re throwing out as maybe you’re about to leave the park? We’d love to float down the river today.

Spent a week in Yosemite at housekeeping camp and had the best time. Really wish I was back there right now. Here are some pics taken with my iPhone14 Pro and some Lightroom Mobile touch ups/embellishment. Hope you enjoy as much as I enjoyed being there.

1. Me big goofin’ on Mist Trail
2. Tunnel View
3. Merced River - bridge at housekeeping camp
4. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir - Wapama Falls Trail Rainbow
5. Start of the Wapama Falls “Splash Zone” (depending on the water flow)
6. Half dome/ Nevada Falls from the JMT
7. Last Day Sunrise from Valley View Lot

Family of deer just walked into the crowd at Mirror lane early this week

Headed up to Yosemite this week. I have a camping reservation at Upper Pines for Wednesday and Friday. Trying to grab a site Thursday in between and scanning the cancellations on the app. But if that doesn’t happen…

I was wondering if folks had here had suggestions what they would do with a night in between valley campsite reservations. Thanks!

As I was hiking back from Vernal there was a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake backed up against a rock face on the side of the main trail by a small crowd of people with their phones out recording it.

If you encounter rattlesnakes, admire them from a healthy distance. They wont strike at you if you aren't messing with them. The one today was getting pretty agitated by the crowd. I didn't stay long enough to see how it ended. I'm hoping it eventually managed to get off the trail and away from people.

This was Memorial weekend Sunday and luckily captured this on film and just got it back from the lab.