With only 1 day in Yosemite Valley, how do you see the best of the best? Say hello to Panorama Trail.
There are a few ways to hike Panorama Trail, the 10-mile hike that allows you to take in some of the best views in Yosemite Valley from top to bottom. It wasn’t easy and it took some research to understand how to hike it, but I eventually figured it out. To make it easier for you, here’s what you need to know. First off, remember to pack light and carry A LOT of water. You will be hiking up and down mountains and you will get very thirsty. Pack some food as well since you’ll be gone for over 5-10 hours depending on your pace. I wore layers starting off with leggings and a sweater and ended with shorts and a sports bra so remember to come prepared.
Even if you rented a car, the only way to do Panorama Trail is to take the Glacier Point Tour Bus. I know…I know…I am not one to do tour buses, but it’s the only way to get to Glacier Point and I actually found the ride up to be VERY informative! It taught us a lot about the park, its history, its wildfires etc. Our bus driver and narrator, Saul Singleton, was very animated, knowledgeable, funny and full of puns, so he made the ride that more enjoyable.
STEP 1: Park your car in Yosemite Valley Lodge. This is where the Glacier Point Tour bus begins.
STEP 2: Take the Glacier Point Tour Bus up to Glacier Point. Finding the Glacier Point Tour Bus online was not easy, so to help you, I linked out to it here. Click the check rates on the upper right hand side, select Glacier Point Tour and book your ticket. Tickets are limited so make sure to book them as soon as you know you are going to Yosemite. Make sure to only book the ONE WAY ticket from Yosemite Valley Lodge to Glacier Point. The whole tour lasts 4 hours, but you will only be doing it for 1 hour. The bus departs at 8:30AM, 10AM and 1:30PM. We recommend you do the 8:30AM or 10AM to get started early. Number 1 because of the heat and number 2 because it will take you anywhere from 5-10 hours to hike Panorama trail depending on how fit you are.
After your informative tour and ride up to Glacier Point,get off and take some pictures at Glacier Point. In my opinion the view is not as expansive as the one from Sentinel Dome, which we hiked the day before, but equally as beautiful.
From here, make your way towards the trail on the right hand side. A sign clearly marks Panorama Trail and you are off! You begin by hiking down Glacier Point with front facing views of Half Dome. Your first scenic stop will happen when you start wrapping behind Half Dome. You will come across a small overlook with a view of one of the many waterfalls in the Valley—Illiouette Falls. It wasn’t running as strongly as it does during the wetter months, but you could still see a trickle run down the side of the glacier.
Once you make it to the bottom of the glacier, you’ll come across Illilouette Creek. This is the perfect place to stop, rest and refresh yourself with some water from the creek. We were lucky the current wasn’t too strong when we were there so we were able to enjoy the area. But if it’s strong, be advised not to get too close to it. Once you’ve caught your breath, cross over the bridge for an uphill battle with rewarding views. If the first half of the hike was all downhill, now you were going to go back up.
This part was pretty rough. It was the hottest time of day and we were walking at a 45 degree incline for a good hour. Once we reached the top, the terrain finally started to flat out as we entered a wooded area. From here we went back downhill through yellow pines and cedar trees. The trees looked enormous and offered shade from the sun. They were so big, Pat could fit in one!
At the bottom of the hill you get stunning views of glaciers, not mountains as our earlier tour guide pointed out, that reminded me of Acadia National Park’s Bubble Mountains…but bigger. Stop here for the perfect photo opp and take in the size of these glaciers before heading downhill for the next 2 hours through waterfalls.
For the tail end of your hike you have 1 of 2 options. You can either take the easier trail down to Yosemite Valley via the 4-mile John Muir trail, which is not as scenic but very easy to do, or you can go down the 3.3-mile Mist trail. Mist trail takes you by 2 of Yosemite Valley’s most famous waterfalls, Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls. But I promise you…this option is not easy. It requires going down at LEAST and I say at LEAST 600 steps. It hurts your glutes and your knees…so if you have problems in those areas, I don’t recommend you go this route following an 8-mile hike.
But don’t turn around and take the John Muir trail just yet! Do make your way to the top of Nevada Falls to take in the views. Have a snack bar, enjoy a sandwich, and drink some water before making your way to the John Muir Trail. If the current isn’t too strong, you have the opportunity to go down closer to the fall, but again—please BE CAREFUL if you choose to do so and don’t get too close to the edge. The park is beautiful, but many people decide to put themselves in dangerous situations that can cause less than fortunate circumstances. So please think twice before you take that selfie, step too close to the edge etc.
If you decide to continue down Mist Trail, like Pat and I did, be prepared for your glutes to hurt. But it is worth it. You’ll be taking in some breathtaking views. The steps aren’t clearly marked either. They are just rocks, so make sure you have the right shoes. Pat and I were wearing sneakers and were going down slower than we wanted to, because our shoes didn’t have the right grip for the rocks. Hiking shoes here would be better! I know what I’m getting Pat for Christmas now..Since it was dry season we didn’t experience a lot of Mist, hence the name Mist Trail. But if you are here in the spring, come prepared for slippery steps and a rain jacket. It can get very misty.
You finally make it past Nevada Falls and think that the descent is over. Wrong my friend, you’ve now got to hike all the way down Vernal Falls. Steps, steps and more steps. But the end of the hike leads you to a beautiful waterfall. You can stop here and have a sip of water like Pat did below before you get to the end of the trail.
After another half-mile descent…you’ve finally made it to the shuttle stop. Pat and I were STARVING to say the least. It was 4PM and we had started our hike at 11AM. 10+ miles in just 5 hours isn’t bad at all! We grabbed the shuttle to the nearest lodging area and devoured a couple of sandwiches. We were so satisfied with our hike that believe it or not…we did another smaller one later on in the evening at Mirror Lake. If you’ve only got a day in Yosemite and want to see the best of the Valley, Panorama Trail is the way to go!
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