Hike up Mist Trail

Mariposa County, California

Save

View all 3 photos

All 3 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

8.5 miles

Elevation Gain

1900 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Evans Head

While it may just be a through hike in order to get to Half Dome, the Mist Trail is a Yosemite must-hike route.

Starting at 4,000 feet at the Yosemite Valley floor, the hike ascends 1,900 ft. up to the top of, first Vernal Falls, then Nevada Falls. The trail is very well marked, and it is lined with granite rocks on either side of the trail for a good part of the 7 mile trek. Elevation gain is moderately graduate; it's not a climb, but it is by no means a walk in the park.

View from Nevada Falls: vista over sliver of valley floor, good view of Glacier Point, overall nice/wide vista (it's Yosemite, what do you expect).

Definitely a must-do hike if you're in Yosemite and have a good morning/afternoon to spend.

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Photography

Hiking

Easy Parking

Forest

River

Scenic

Waterfall

Hike up Mist Trail Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Grant Lake via Ten Lakes Trailhead

The trail begins at the Ten Lakes trailhead (7600 ft) right beside Yosemite Creek. The first 4 miles start you on the ascent through the wooded forest, however there are portions of the trail that will take you through granite rock valleys marked with only cairns so keep your eyes peeled throughout the trek. After reaching the Half-moon Meadow the lake is now within grasps, 2 miles after the im...

10 Lakes Basin in Yosemite

Beginning at the Ten Lakes trailhead, the trail to the lakes is a moderately strenuous uphill grind to Ten Lakes pass, followed by a quick downhill into the lake basin. We met a woman at the top who made sure we didn’t miss the short side trail to a vista point on the pass that offered a sweeping panorama of the basin and the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne just to the north. The official Ten Lak...

Hike Mt. Hoffmann via the East Chute

This is a solid, day long trip. It is a great hike with a bit of a scramble on the way up to the summit massif and then again at the nearly 11,000-foot peak of Mount Hoffmann. You will have what John Muir described as his favorite view of Yosemite. You can look down onto Half Dome and across the Landscape to Mount Lyell. To get here you need to drive on Tioga Pass road, which is closed in winte...

Mt. Hoffman via May Lake Trailhead

The May Lake trailhead is at the end of a 2-mile unpaved road leading north from Tioga Road. The trailhead has pit toilets and bear lockers. (Please be sure to store any food, garbage, scented items, and empty coolers in these lockers while hiking!) After hiking an easy 1.3 miles, you'll arrive at May Lake, nestled at the base of Mt. Hoffman and the site of a seasonal High Sierra Camp. There's...

May Lake Trail

May Lake is a stunning, serene subalpine lake that rests at the base of Mt. Hoffmann. The May Lake turnoff is located four miles past Tenaya Lake. From the turnoff, it's 1.8 miles to the trailhead parking lot. During summer time, I will recommend getting to the parking area early to get a spot since this is a very popular hike. May Lake is one of the five High Sierra Wilderness Camps in Yose...

Backpack to North Dome in Yosemite

To stay overnight in Yosemite without a reserved campsite requires a "Wilderness Permit" to camp, but you can camp anywhere. However, any fires need to be in pre-made fire pits (so rangers can know where to check for fires) Day 1 - Hike in from the Porcupine Trailhead off of Tioga Road in to views of half dome (possible day hike if thats all you have time for). Find a place to camp for the nig...