Trip Highlights:
The Yosemite Mist Trail hike offers beautiful scenery of Yosemite’s astonishing landmarks from start to finish. Walking beside towering waterfalls, viewing the Valley from the Yosemite Panorama Trail and Glacier Point, and an awesome descent and return to the Valley from the historic 4-mile trail offering incredible views of El Capitan. This strenuous day trip offers a TOTAL Yosemite experience for the visitor who is in good shape. The Yosemite Mist to 4 Mile Trail hike is an iconic adventure not to be missed! All tours are private.
All Tours Are Private
You will receive a full refund if you cancel within 48 hours of the original booking date.
Book with confidence, knowing you can cancel for any reason 30 days before your trip date and receive a full, lifetime, transferable credit.
Not sure if your current trip dates work? Rest assured, you can change your trip date as many times as needed, provided you do so 30 days before both the current and the new trip dates, subject to our guide’s availability.
Meeting Location: Curry Village Tour Kiosk at 4,000′
High Point: Glacier Point at 7,214′
Mileage and Elevation Gain/Loss: 15 miles, +/- 4,234′
For a detailed map with elevation profile of the tentative itinerary, click here: Map.
This hike begins at 7 a.m. when we meet in Curry Village at the Tour Kiosk. Curry Village offers a wondrous view of the world famous Half-Dome, which will be viewed from a variety of different perspectives throughout this trek. We will head east and begin our actual hike on the John Muir Trail at Happy Isles. From here, it is a strenuous, uphill charge upon a paved trail for the first mile, and an even more strenuous following half mile tracing the Merced River up a misty, granite-laid staircase to the top of the 317′ tall Vernal Fall. Amazing photographic opportunities are all around. The next ¾ of a mile or so takes you up another stone stairway to the top of our next scenic stop, the 594′ waterfall, Nevada Fall. After enjoying a relaxing and breathe-taking pit stop here, the hike continues a half mile along flat terrain until we reach the last serious uphill charge of the day, a mile-long switchback gaining 700 vertical feet to the Panorama Trail junction. The subsequent scenic 2.5 miles is mostly level, with a few ups and downs, traversing the southern rim of Illilouette Gorge, to the top of our third and final waterfall of the day, Illilouette Falls. This is a great destination to stop for lunch.
From this checkpoint, the hike continues on uphill switchbacks for 1.5 miles to the peak of Glacier Point at 7,214′, where incredible views of Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, and Yosemite’s most famous, 2,425′ waterfall series, Yosemite Falls are offered. Reward yourself with an ice cream in the Gift Shop as you celebrate your 3,179 feet of elevation gain. Glacier Point has a unique historical background detrimental to the establishment and evolution of Yosemite National Park, which will be discussed and pointed out while here.
To end the day we will descend 4.7 miles from Glacier Point to the base of Sentinel Rock, dropping back nearly 3,200 vertical feet back into Yosemite Valley offering incredible views of El Capitan -the largest granite monolith in the world and a mecca for rock climbers. Now, most likely exhausted after a long 15 or so mile day, we will have the option to take a bus back to Curry Village or hike the additional 2-miles to complete our loop.
Your participation helps sustain our non-profit mission of supporting youth, families, and disadvantaged communities with positive experiences in America’s National Parks and natural spaces.
Yes, we book all of our Day Hikes as private and do not have an option to join a group. The only exception is our Half Dome in a Day hike in Yosemite, which allows up to 5 guests and 1 guide per trip.
Unfortunately, no, we do not schedule half-day tours. However, as every Day Hike is private, you can modify and customize your day with the guide as needed upon meeting and/or throughout the tour. For example, if you need (or prefer) to end at a specific time, just let the guide know when you meet, and they can make that happen.
Yes, and lucky you, as you will have a private guide for that day.
Yes, see here for our Day Hike Equipment List.
Our Guides will supply trekking poles, the gloves for Half Dome cables, and will also carry first-aid supplies and water purification devices for water along the way. They also carry bathroom supplies (toilet paper, trowel, hand sanitizer), bug repellent, suntan lotion, and they are always armed with fun, natural facts and stories from the park.
No, and we suggest you bring your own trail lunch, snacks, and full water bottles.
Yes, parking is always available at our meeting point, and your vehicle can remain there throughout the day.
Although past clients have said they were glad they rented a vehicle, there are limited public transportation options for most of the trips we offer in Yosemite. See here for additional information: Yosemite Transportation Options.
See our Day Hike Cancellation Policy on our Terms and Conditions Page, which is summarized below:
Availability
