I’m always looking for the best hikes I can find. Whether that means a four mile jaunt or an eighteen mile slog, I just want the best trail, the best views, and all around the best hiking. In this case, that meant taking on a massive nineteen mile combination of trails up, down, and around Yosemite Valley!
The Yosemite Grand Tour as it is called is a loop that takes you through much of Yosemite Valley’s best terrain, and hits most of the highlights around the iconic feature of the park! Consisting of three trails that are an awesome day on the trail themselves; the 4 Mile Trail, the Mist Trail, and the Panorama Trail; this hike is basically a greatest hits album of Yosemite Valley!
Miles/Elevation:
19.4 miles
4,629 feet vertical gain
About Yosemite:
Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, Yosemite National Park is one of the largest and most popular parks in the entire National Park System.
Steeped in history, Yosemite has played a major role in the development of environmentalism and conservation in the United States since the late 1800’s. In 1864, President Lincoln created the Yosemite Grant, which did not make Yosemite a national park, but did set the precedent that would lead to the creation of Yellowstone National Park.
Yosemite was ceded to the State of California and ran by the state for much of the late 1800’s. Eventually, in 1890, Yosemite National Park was created, and stronger protections were put in place to preserve the park.
Beyond the National Park Service, the legendary naturalist John Muir is perhaps best known for his advocacy in favor of preserving Yosemite National Park. A giant in the history of conservation, Muir, who fell in love with the mountains after a serious industrial accident, became arguably the most influential figure in preserving the natural landscapes of the west. His relationship with President Theodore Roosevelt and the expansion of federally protected lands may be the greatest achievement of this era of conservation!
Getting To Yosemite:
Located in Central California, Yosemite is fairly remote, but can be reached from a number of major cities. The closest large city is Fresno, and Fresno’s airport is the best choice if you are flying in. Other cities located within a three hour or so drive with major airports include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento.
From these cities or any others, you’ll then likely need to drive to the park. There is a regional public transit system called YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transit System), and can be useful if you are trying to get to Yosemite Valley. However, I generally advocate having your own car when exploring the mountains. It just makes it easier to explore and get around.
Once you’re in Yosemite, there is a transit system that can get you around the park, however it is not running in 2021. Go to the Yosemite NPS website for more information on public transit in Yosemite. When it is running, the public transit can get you to many of the major trailheads in the park.
Getting To The Trailhead:
Starting At Curry Village (we recommend):
The trailhead to start at the Mist Trail and the John Muir Trail is in the heart of Yosemite Valley. Pretty much all the major roads that go through the park eventually take you to Yosemite Valley, so if you don’t know how to get there just follow the signs! Once in the valley, head towards the far end past Curry Village. There should be signs for Curry Village or the Half Dome or John Muir Trailhead.
Near the base of Half Dome and Glacier Point, the actual trail starts near Happy Isles, but there are a number of places to park. If you can, there is a parking lot at the trailhead; however, it fills up early, so don’t count on getting a spot after mid morning. I usually park right at Curry Village when I use this trail. I like it because I can get some food once I’m done hiking!
Starting At The 4 Mile Trail:
The 4 Mile Trailhead is pretty easy to find and easy to access. As you drive into Yosemite Valley, the trailhead is right along the main road going in. You will see signs for the 4 Mile Trail, and there will be parking along the road. If you end up at the visitor center, Curry Village, or the lodge, you have gone too far.
The trailhead is also within walking distance of the campgrounds and lodges in Yosemite Valley, so you can walk to the trailhead from wherever you are staying if it’s in the valley.
Starting At Glacier Point (not recommended):
The main trailhead for the Panorama Trail is at Glacier Point. From Yosemite Valley, head south on Wawona Road past tunnel view and through the tunnel. Continue on until you reach the intersection with Glacier Point Road, and then turn left onto Glacier Point Road.
Yosemite Grand Tour:
How To Hike It:
This is a loop hike that can be accessed from at least three different trailheads, so you have a few choices on how you want to hike this trail. We’ll list them in order of what we think is the best way, to what we think is the worst way.
The best way to hike this trail is to start at Curry Village and begin with the Mist Trail. Hiking down the Mist Trail would suck, but it’s one of Yosemite’s classic hikes. Starting here allows you to hike up the Mist Trail, and end with a long but smooth descent down the 4 Mile Trail and a flat walk through Yosemite Valley. Second choice would be the same idea, but hiking up the John Muir Trail instead of the Mist Trail.
The way I hiked this was by starting at Curry Village, and then heading up the 4 Mile Trail to Glacier Point, and then down the Panorama and the John Muir trails. This is a great way to do it, and since I had already done the Mist Trail multiple times, it made sense. If you’ve done the Mist Trail, this way is fine, but definitely do the Mist Trail if you haven’t. I would still recommend parking at Curry Village, but you could park at the 4 Mile Trail and then finish with the flat valley walk.
In my opinion, the worst way to hike this trail would be to start at Glacier Point. Either way you go, you’ll be starting with a massive descent and then finishing with a huge climb. I personally hate finishing with a climb, so that doesn’t appeal to me at all. This also would force you to climb later in the day when the heat is more intense. If you are dead set on starting at Glacier Point, definitely descend down the 4 Mile so you can climb back via the Mist Trail.
Curry Village to Glacier Point via the 4 Mile Trail:
Click here for our full guide to the 4 Mile Trail!
From the parking lot at Curry Village, there is a little bit of work to do before you actually start on the 4 Mile Trail: it’s about two miles away. It’s an easy walk to get to the 4 Mile Trail either on the park sidewalks, or along the Valley Loop Trail. Either way, it’s a good quick warm up for the climb to come!
The 4 Mile Trail is brutal, and this is really when the hiking starts. After about a quarter mile, the trail curves and begins to ramp up. You’ll quickly hit the first switchback, and from there it’s about four more miles of switchbacks straight up!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
The first set of switchbacks is pretty tight, meaning the trail turns after only a few hundred feet in most cases. You’ll climb a few hundred feet in this first set of switchbacks, and after about half a mile, the trail straightens.
The next ¾’s of a mile is a straight trail heading deeper into the valley, and with no switchbacks! Views here are great, and at this point you’re already 500-700 feet above the valley floor. Views across to Yosemite Falls begin to be amazing at this stage!
Fortunately, the trails in Yosemite are very well constructed and very well maintained, so the walking actually isn’t as bad as you might expect. Yes this trail is steep, but the fantastic trail and consistent grade makes it much easier than it could be.
At about 6,300 feet, there is a great stopping point. It’s called Union Point, and if you can, I recommend trying to make it here before you take a long sit down break. You’ll be well over halfway up the climb (I hate taking a break before I’m halfway up a climb) and the views are epic looking out over the valley. Getting to Union Point is a challenge, it is 2,300 feet above the valley floor, but to me it’s the most logical break point.
There’s about 800 feet left of vertical gain which really isn’t that bad, it just all depends on how your legs are feeling! As you start getting closer to the rim of the valley, you get a new set of awesome views. Half Dome will start peeking out on some of the switchbacks, and you’ll have up close views of some of the jagged rock formations nearer and nearer above you!
You’re in bear country, so be sure to always be bear safe!
Eventually, the trail will enter a forest and you will lose your huge views over the valley. While losing the views is sad, this means you are getting very close!
The last thing you’ll see before you arrive at Glacier Point’s parking area is a set of stairs. The stairs suck. It’s not that the stairs are really that bad, but you’ve just climbed over 3,000 feet! It just kind of sucks that you have to go up stairs at the very end, but oh well, you’re there!
Click Here To See The Rest Of Yosemite’s Best Difficult Hikes!
The final few hundred feet take you onto the paved paths around Glacier Point. It’s a short walk to the point itself, and once you’re there, the views are absolutely world class. There’s an argument to be made that this is Yosemite’s best view, and looking Half Dome in the face definitely supports that!
Enjoy the views, and make sure you pick out the waterfalls as well! Vernal and Nevada Falls are pretty visible and obvious, but you may spot a couple more if you look carefully! When you’re ready, there’s a store close by where you can get snacks or water, and bathrooms are available.
A Great Hike Up By Glacier Point Is The Sentinel Dome And Taft Point Loop
Glacier Point to Nevada Falls via the Panorama Trail:
Check out our full guide to the Panorama Trail here!
Starting at Glacier Point, the first major milestone of the trail is Illilouette Falls. To reach the falls, you first have a two mile plus descent. The trail leaves Glacier Point and almost immediately begins descending through sparsely wooded forest. The trail isn’t too steep to the point it seriously hurts your knees, but it is definitely a solid downhill grade!
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Before long, the trail emerges from the trees into an environment I would describe as chaparral: lots of bushes but not much for tree cover. I was lucky that I did this hike on an abnormally cool day (it was like 65 degrees in June, amazing), but normally this is going to be a very hot section of trail. Going uphill here would be absolutely brutal, and dangerous on hot days if you are not properly hydrated.
Once you notice the falls, there is a turn off that takes you to an overlook at the falls. This is a great place to take a break to get some food and rehydrate. There are some nice spots to sit in the shade, and a great view in front of you!
Read Our Complete Guide To All Things Yosemite!
The next section of trail takes you from Illilouette Falls to Nevada Falls. Leaving Illilouette, the trail continues descending for another hundred feet or so until you eventually reach Illilouette Creek. This is not a good place to swim, as there are signs warning of danger. People die swimming above Yosemite waterfalls, so don’t do anything stupid.
From here, the trail heads back uphill, and you’ll spend the next portion of hiking dealing with a 700 foot ascent. It’s really not that bad, and if it’s not too hot out this really isn’t a bad climb, but even on my 65 degree hiking day, I was sweating really hard on this climb! Push through, and you’ll be rewarded with even more awesome views!
The views are good throughout the climb, and once you have made it to the top the views are outstanding and look out all the way across Yosemite Valley. You will even be able to see Yosemite Falls off in the distance! This spot gives you one of Yosemite’s classic views, and the great thing is you likely won’t be sharing it with anyone else!
Be Sure To Check Out Our Full 7 Day Yosemite Itinerary Too!
From the summit of the climb, it’s now all downhill to Nevada Falls. The trail eventually reenters the forest, and as you descend you will lose most of the views you were just treated to. It’s about 700 feet of descending down to Nevada Falls, so nothing crazy but enough to make your knees sore!
About ¼ mile from Nevada Falls you will reach an intersection with the John Muir Trail. Turn right here to access Nevada Falls. From the intersection it’s a quick five minute walk to the falls with maybe 50-100 feet of descending. Soon enough you’ll be standing at the top of Nevada Falls looking out over Yosemite with views back to Glacier Point and beyond!
Nevada Falls to Curry Village via the John Muir Trail:
Here’s our full guide to the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail Loop!
From the top of Nevada Falls, you have the choice of either descending down the Mist Trail, or the John Muir Trail. I think the Mist Trail is incredible, but I really would not want to hike down it, so I highly recommend descending via the John Muir Trail if you are hiking in this direction. I said this earlier, but I would recommend starting the hike by coming up the Mist Trail, but if you are going this direction, definitely go down the John Muir!
From Nevada Falls, the trail climbs mildly for a quarter mile or so until it intersects with the Panorama Trail. From here, the descent starts. The views on this first section of descent are some of my favorite in Yosemite. Looking across the valley you can see Liberty Cap above Nevada Falls with the back side of Half Dome in the distance. Right in front of your feet is a massive drop separated from you by a waist high rock wall!
Even on a hot sunny day, you’ll encounter quite a bit of water through this part of the trail. Part of the wall leaks water, and forms a sort of weeping wall along the trail. It’ll probably be pretty warm by this point, so the light shower will probably feel really nice!
Consider purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass if you’re visiting Yosemite!
As you continue down, the views are consistently awesome for the first half of the descent. You pass a junction that leads to Vernal Falls, and from here the trail drops down into more forested areas. To be honest, the descent tends to drag on, and my knees and/or ankles are always sore after this descent, not sure why!
Push through the switchbacks, and you’ll make quick progress! The John Muir Trail eventually joins the Mist Trail a little bit above a bridge below Vernal Falls, and from there it’s just a paved part of the hike left! There are a couple of painfully steep sections on the way back through the paved section left, but you’re so close! Then you’re back to the road, and your car is just a short flat walk away!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 10/10
This is legitimately one of the best hikes I have ever done. In almost any place on earth, this would be easily the best hike around, but here the hiking is so good that it somehow has competition! To be fair, Half Dome is right there!
The views are amazing almost the entire time. You will pass by at least two awesome waterfalls. The trails are very well made and maintained. All around, there really isn’t anything to complain about. Yea it gets hot, but if you’re complaining about that you’re hiking at the wrong time of year, know yourself!
One question I could anticipate is how does this hike earn a 10/10 when none of the constituent hikes earn a 10/10 (the 4 Mile earned a 9/10, the Panorama a 8/10, and the Mist/JMT a 9/10). My response would be that on any one of those hikes, there are either repeated views or large portions of the hike that are somewhat boring. On the Grand Tour, it’s a loop so you get new views throughout, and the occasional mile or two of uneventful hiking is a tiny percentage of the total hike!
Overall, one of the best hikes I have ever done.
Pros:
- Incredible views throughout
- Waterfalls
- Well built and maintained trail
- Many ways to hike or modify
Cons:
- It’s hard?
Alternative Hikes:
When To Visit Yosemite:
Hiking in Yosemite is a three season activity. Winter usually brings quite a bit of snow, and the entire park is liable to experience winter storms. While lower elevation areas of the park may be hikable in winter, I really wouldn’t say Yosemite is a four season hiking destination.
Purely in terms of weather, fall and spring are the best times of year to hike in Yosemite. Summer can get extremely hot, and hiking in 95 degree heat isn’t fun for most people! The one issue with fall is that fire season can either close down areas of the park, or more likely will blanket the park with smoke. In good years, it’s hardly an issue, but some years it’s harmful to even be outside.
It is also worth considering when Yosemite is busiest. This is one of the busiest parks in the country, so be ready for crowds if you visit in peak season, namely summer. Some people are really turned off by the crowds, and I agree if you only visit the valley, but there are always places to get away from the big crowds. This can cause issues with finding campsites in the park though.
Overall, I would say that late spring is probably the best time of year to visit Yosemite. The temperatures are comfortable, rain is rare, and the crowds are lighter than summer. Late autumn is also a great time to visit as spring may still have snow lingering on the trails.
The last thing to consider when planning your visit is that the high elevation roads through the park close for snow. Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Road both close from winter to whenever the snow melts (usually May or June but it varies). Spring will limit where you can go in the park, so if you really want to explore the high country, wait at least until late June!
Links For Further Reading:
Best trails in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park (US National Park Service)
Yosemite National Park | Lodging & Year Round Activities | TravelYosemite.com
Yosemite National Park | Lodging, Camping, Attractions | Yosemite.com
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