The Most Underrated Hike in Yosemite National Park

• Yosemite’s Lower Yosemite Falls Trail is a short, paved loop with easy access to one of the park’s most iconic and breathtaking waterfalls.
• The trail is wheelchair and stroller-friendly, and has benches and interpretive signs that make it ideal for families and casual hikers alike.
• Open year-round, it’s especially stunning in spring when snowmelt swells the falls, creating misty rainbows beneath Yosemite’s towering cliffs.

Yosemite National Park is a bucket-list destination that draws 4 million annual visitors from around the world. The park has more than 750 miles of hiking trails, with dramatic scenery, from towering cliffs to remarkable waterfalls and old-growth trees that have stood for centuries. If tackling the park’s challenging hikes like the Half Dome or Cloud’s Rest Trails doesn’t appeal to you, the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail offers an easier path that leads to one of Yosemite’s most iconic cascades.

The Lower Yosemite Falls Trail is a short, paved loop just under a mile that winds through shaded forested areas and rocky outcroppings. It’s ideal for families, casual hikers, and anyone who wants to enjoy beautiful scenery without a long or difficult climb. Even though the walk is brief, the views feel generous. You soon find yourself surrounded by the sight and sound of the waterfall.

One of the best features of this trail is its accessibility. Wheelchair users and those with strollers can navigate the path with ease, and benches along the route offer spots to pause, rest, and take in the scenery. Interpretive signs provide insight into the geology and history of the falls, enriching the experience with educational tidbits about the area.

Yosemite welcomes visitors all year, though summer is its busiest season. Those seeking a quieter experience often come during the fall or winter. Every February, the “firefall” appears when the setting sun illuminates the seasonal Horsetail Falls, located on the northern end of the park. In spring, melting snow swells the waterfalls, and Lower Yosemite Fall becomes especially impressive, with the mist rising from the base producing rainbows. 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are a short drive away, so visitors can easily explore more than one park on the same trip. For luxury stays close to the action, book a forest cabin at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite. Another option is The Ahwahnee Hotel, a 100-year-old National Historic Landmark lodge containing 97 hotel rooms and 24 guest cottages, within easy reach of many of Yosemite’s top sights.