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alpine starter trip

Yosemite valley classic

Granite domes, waterfalls, big-tree groves. Four nights, valley-floor base camp.

CA 4 nights tent couple or family summit views, water, photography

Pick your dates

We'll match this trip's vibe against live campsite, trail, fire and weather data and return a real itinerary you can save.

What the trip looks like

Day 1, valley arrival

Drive in via El Portal, set up in the valley, walk to Lower Yosemite Falls at golden hour.

Camp
Upper Pines or North Pines, shaded sites near the river.
Trails
  • Lower Yosemite Falls (1 mi loop)
  • Cook's Meadow loop (1 mi)
Activities
camp setup, valley walk, tunnel view at sunset

Day 2, Mist Trail

Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall stairs, expect spray, dry off in the meadow on the way back.

Camp
Same site.
Trails
  • Mist Trail to Vernal Fall (3 mi RT)
  • Nevada Fall via Mist (5.4 mi RT)
Activities
waterfall hike, lunch on the granite, swim at Happy Isles

Day 3, big tree day

Drive to Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, easy walks, picnic lunch.

Camp
Same site.
Trails
  • Mariposa Grove big trees loop (2 mi)
  • Wawona swinging bridge
Activities
sequoia walk, history museum, Wawona dinner

Day 4, glacier point

Glacier Point sunrise (or sunset the night before), short walk, head home after.

Camp
Pack out morning.
Trails
  • Sentinel Dome (2.2 mi RT)
  • Taft Point (2.2 mi RT)
Activities
sunrise viewpoint, short summit hike, drive home

Day-by-day notes are curated starting points. Once you pick dates, Ranger pulls live availability, current trail conditions, active fire perimeters near the route, and a 7-day forecast at your anchor.

Pulling fresh data

Building your trip plan.

Working on it

Taking longer than usual. Reload and try again.