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We both love visiting national parks and many of them require some minimal hiking if you want to witness waterfalls or epic views. We aren’t avid hikers nor do we go to the gym religiously. Easy hikes to us mean it’s under three miles and has little to no climbing. We’re not in the best shape to attempt hours of rigorous hiking. Luckily in Yosemite, there were plenty of comfortable hiking options for us that still offered breathtaking views. Here are 5 easy hikes you can do at Yosemite National Park:

1. Lower Yosemite Falls

Glancing over the different hikes at YOsemite Falls

This was our first hike in the park and it was a very easy one if you take the painless route. There are other paths for experienced hikers, but that route would have taken an entire day. We definitely weren’t prepared mentally or physically for the advanced hike and opted for the shorter easier one. This hike was more of a leisurely stroll through nature. We saw some people wearing skirts and normal attire as opposed to hiking clothes and this is completely fine if you don’t plan on climbing any rocks like we did. During the spring, the waterfall on this trail is gushing but during the Autumn months the water is gone and you’ll see mounds of big rocks that once laid underneath the water. It’s not recommended to climb the rocks as it can be dangerous and signs are posted with warnings. We were wearing shoes with a good grip, so it helped with the slippery rocks, but we were being very cautious because one slip could end up in a very bad situation.

climbing around on the rocks at Yosemite Falls

After we had some fun jumping around on the rocks, we continued the rest of the hike, that goes in a loop, and the entire walk was pretty flat. It was a nice walk and we were surrounded by trees that helped keep us cool. It was around noon and the temperature was starting to pick up (90° F), so wearing something that breathes well will definitely help you stay comfortable. If you are traveling with a pup, this trail permits dogs on leash.

2. Sentinel Dome

Sentinel Dome is a granite dome and the trail is 2.2 miles (round trip) with an easy comfortable path. The trail has a few scrambling rocks and some narrow passages, but nothing too difficult. From a distance, Sentinel Dome looks like a climb for advanced hikers but don’t let the looks of it fool you. I actually had a mini heart attack when Crystal pointed out the dome on our hike and I thought she was joking at first. But she said she watched some videos on YouTube and the climb didn’t look so bad, so I trusted her research. She was right and it actually was a fairly easy climb. It was much easier than the hike we did at Mist Trail. Once we reached the top of the dome, there was plenty of space to walk around and get different views of Yosemite Valley.

When you head back down, make sure to pay close attention to your path. We were with a group and we were all chatting and having a great time, so we weren’t really paying attention to where we were going. Of course, we ended up taking a wrong turn but luckily one of us realized something looked different before we went too far off the path. We probably had a fifteen-minute setback for not paying attention to our surroundings.

3. Taft Point

Right after our Sentinel Dome hike, we headed straight into our 2.2 miles (round trip) hike for Taft Point. The starting point is in the exact same location as Sentinel Dome, so if you are up for a back-to-back hike, definitely hike Taft Point. We recommend taking a short bathroom break here as well since there won’t be a bathroom once you get back on the trail. Another thing we highly recommend is doing the Taft Point hike for sunset. Not only are the views breathtaking, but the colors of the sunset are spectacular.

The Taft Point trail takes you into a canopy of trees which was the complete opposite from our hike to Sentinel Dome. The trees provided much-needed shade and the earthy smell had a calming effect. We were in a bit of a rush on this hike, since we wanted to make sure we made it to the giant fissures and mile-high granite rock before the sun began to set.

The final approach to the hike was downhill with a rocky surface so it was a bit tricky to hurtle through this section. When we finally approached the end of the trail, we were blown away by the views. The reward for a relatively easy hike was absolutely amazing. If you only have time for one hike in Yosemite, this is definitely the one to do.

Crystal taking a photo of our friend in the distance

Once the sun went down, we began our trek back in the dark. We forgot to pack our headlamps, but luckily we had the flashlights on our phone to guide us back. The phone light was fine but it would have been a lot easier (and safer) to have a headlamp as it was pitch dark. We also lost our bearing a little bit since we couldn’t see ahead far enough to distinguish if we were on the correct path. Luckily, we spotted a couple ahead of us, so we were glad they seemed to know their way back and we followed closely behind them.

A little scary standing close to the edge, so laying down felt more secure

4. Bridalveil Fall

We’re not sure if we should really list this as a hike as it was a super short trail. The paved hike starts at the parking lot and from there the hike is only half a mile round trip. In the spring, this waterfall is intense but since we visited in September, it was a very light flow in the distance. Since the flow of water was low, we were able to climb around the rocks where there would be water in the spring. We enjoyed some relaxing time sitting on the rocks and was able to get a little bit closer to view Bridalveil Fall.

Climbing around on the rocks is not part of the path so if you do this, please be cautious. The rocks are a bit slippery, but doable if you are very careful and have shoes with a good grip. Of course, this doesn’t mean accidents don’t happen, so only take this risk if you are ready to take on the consequences.

Crystal snapping some shots of Bridalveil Fall

A little rock climbing to get closer to Bridalveil Fall

5. Mariposa Grove

Ever since we visited Sequoia National Park, we fell in love with these giant trees so we wanted to see them again in Yosemite. Mariposa Grove went through a massive restoration and recently reopened last summer (June 2018). This restoration was to improve the giant sequoia’s habitat and the visitor’s experience.

Parking for Mariposa Grove is at the south entrance and although there are 300 parking spaces, they fill up by late morning so definitely arrive early to snag a spot. After you park, you need to get in line for the shuttle that takes you to the entrance of the trail. The bus is a short five-minute ride and it’s free.

There are several trail options from easy to strenuous and we opted for the moderate hike. We began at the Mariposa Grove arrival area and started our trek on Mariposa Grove Trail. The trail will take you through notable trees like the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor, the Three Graces and then the famous 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant. When we approached the Fallen Monarch we kept calling it the Game of Thrones tree. For some reason, it looked like the Iron Throne to us. Is it just us or do you see the resemblance too?

Less than half a mile to the Grizzly Giant, yay!

Taking a break and soaking in the views.

The Grizzly Giant was massive and it is among the thirty largest giant sequoias in the world. The largest one is actually in Sequoia National Park and it’s named the General Sherman. The Grizzly Giant is the oldest tree in the Mariposa Grove and is recorded to be between 1900-2400 years old. It’s a massive tree and definitely worth a visit if you have never seen a giant sequoia tree.

We wish we had the energy to walk a little bit further to the California Tree Tunnel. it’s a live Sequoia where you can walk straight through the tree. It was our last day and hike in Yosemite and after our trek to the Grizzly Giant, we turned around and headed back to the entrance.

Conclusion

Taft Point was by far our favorite hike. It was an easy hike and it also rewarded us with grand views at the end. We also recommend doing this hike to reach the end at sunset. We had to rush through this hike so that we wouldn’t miss the sunset so if we had to do it all over again, we’d definitely give ourselves more time to stroll through it. This is one hike we would definitely do over and over again.

View of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall from Tunnel View.

If we had to omit one hike, we’d probably skip Bridalveil Fall only because we weren’t there during peak season. The waterfall wasn’t thunderous like it is during the spring so the impact of the waterfall wasn’t as prominent. Overall, we enjoyed all of our hikes and are glad they were all relatively easy for everyone in our group.

Want to know where we stayed and what we packed for Yosemite? Check out the links below.