Easy Hikes at Yosemite National Park

Yosemite is a great place to visit! Not only for the athletic, adventurous backpackers who spend weeks in the middle of the woods, but for people who have a more average type of athleticism who do day hikes to people who are older or are not as athletic to people traveling in wheelchairs or with strollers, there is something for everyone in Yosemite.

Panoramic taken from Glacier Point

Glacier Point

Traveling with my parents, we were definitely not going to do a week long backpacking trip through the mountains. With the limited amount of time we had, combined with our abilities, we decided a few shorter, more accessible trails would be the best fit for us on this trip.

Most of the trails we hiked were fairly flat, some even paved, and they were short, taking maybe one hour to one and a half hours round trip maximum.






The first walk we did was to lower Yosemite Falls. This path is a asphalt paved pathway that is about 1.1 miles round trip from the trailhead and will take about 30 minutes to complete. There is a section that is a little steep for wheelchairs or strollers, but there is a another path that is more accessible. This path leads to the bottom of lower Yosemite Fall, a great view to see the waterfall up close and to get photos.

Lower Yosemite Fall trail

We visited in early July, so the waterfalls were still flowing strong with water, but as it gets later in the year into fall and winter, they do dry up. At 2,425 feet tall, Yosemite Falls (Upper and Lower combined) is the tallest waterfall in North America and the fifth tallest in the world.

Yosemite Falls is ten times taller then Niagara Falls and about twice as tall as the Empire State Building. This was a great first hike to take, as it was so accessible and the view of the falls was incredible.


On the walk through the woods to the falls, you pass tall trees and cross over a river. We even saw a bobcat just off the trail! This is one of the most popular walks in the park, so be sure to arrive early to beat the crowds! We were fortunate enough to get there early and did not see many people while we were there in the morning, however when we returned in the afternoon for more photos, MANY more people had arrived.

Meadow Loop

Another easy walk to do would be to hike Cook's Meadow Loop. This hike is a 1 mile walk round trip across mostly flat ground and takes about 30 minutes to complete, depending how many photo stops you want to take. Much of this path is paved with a boardwalk, so a wheelchair is not completely out of the question. Throughout this walk, you will pass through meadows (obviously), and see views of the falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point. This trail was more spread out so there were not too many people condensed in one area.

Bridalveil Fall

The next easy hike to complete is the trail leaving the Bridalveil Fall. This trip is about .5 miles round trip and takes about 20 minutes. Bridalveil Fall is the fall that can be photographed from the famous Tunnel View. Unlike Yosemite Fall, Bridalveil Fall is flowing year round.

Expect lots of spray from the fall in spring and early summer. This trail can get a little steep at some points compared to the other two mentioned above, but still relatively easy for almost anyone to do. Be aware that spray from the falls can make the surrounding pathway slippery and water can sometimes flow onto the pathway near the base of the falls.

Again, arrive early before the crowds. We did this first thing on our second day, when virtually no one else was here which was great.








Mirror Lake is another hike we did in Yosemite Valley. This walk is about 2 miles round trip to the lake and back and takes about 1 hour. There is another hike that is about 5 miles and takes about 2 hours to complete that goes around the lake and through a meadow and back. As we discovered, there are two trails that you can go on to get to viewpoints of the lake.

The first one we did was the unpaved path to the right once you get off the shuttle. We figured this would be more 'outdoorsy' since we wanted to see more nature and not be on asphalt. Boy were we right, this path was more 'outdoorsy' soon enough, we were climbing over stones and rocks into fairly steep inclines, which was a little hard for our parents. We were determined so we kept pushing and pushing, even asking people coming the other way if we were almost there. The path kept going up over rocks, but we kept going until we went over the hill and finally saw the lake. Only to realize we had picked the 'wrong' side to be on.

Mirror Lake

The other side of the lake had a little beach you could walk on, and it seemed easier to wade into the water. In our excitement, we had missed a little bridge about half way to the lake that you could cross over to get back onto the paved pathway to the other side of the river. From the unpaved path we had taken, we had to then backtrack down the rocks. My sister,mom and I wanted to walk on the beach on the other side so we essentially did the walk again, only on the other side of the river on the asphalt.

This side was MUCH easier and faster to complete on flat asphalt. There was a little bit of an incline, but nothing compared to the other side. This asphalt road can also be driven on by vehicles with a handicap tag and bicycles. The beach was nice and the water was freezing once we put our feet in, I don't know how people were swimming in the freezing water. If you do this walk, I definitely recommend taking the asphalt road to the lake if your goal is to reach Mirror Lake in a shorter amount of time.

Glacier Point View

An easy walk with great views is the wheelchair friendly walk to Glacier Point. From the parking lot, Glacier point is only about 300 yard away. There are a few different viewpoints and this walk was definitely doable. We even did this walk twice to see the views at different times of the day.

Glacier Point View

The drive to Glacier Point takes about 45 minutes through the winding back roads, but the view is completely worth it! Once at Glacier Point, there are a few different viewing areas featuring Half Dome, Nevada and Vernal Fall and Yosemite Fall. It feels like you are on top of the world.

Glacier Point View

There is also an amphitheater where rangers do talks sometimes as well as a geology hut, restrooms and snack bar.  The views here are stunning and well worth the drive. At night, the stars are supposed to be incredible so I would love to come back to see the sky then. Photos do not do this place justice. Photos of this park period, do not do this place justice.

Glacier Point view

An honorable mention is the meadow in front of El Capitan. Once the Yosemite Valley shuttle drops you off, a short distance away is a meadow with great views of El Capitan where you can wander around and take some great photos.

Meadow, with El Capitan to the right hand side

More advanced hikes I would like to do if I ever went back to Yosemite include the hikes to Upper Yosemite Fall, the Vernal Fall Footbridge, Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall and many others. There are many moderate hikes around the valley I would want to try, full of different scenery and views. I have not even gotten to visit the Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Grove, or Mariposa Grove area! I would especially like to visit Yosemite for sunrise, sunset, at night and during the winter to see how different things look and take in all of the beauty of this park.

I hope these tips helped you and good luck on your planning your trip to Yosemite!