Vernal Fall, Yosemite National Park

We're a family of hikers (including our kids that summited Half Dome with us when they were 7 & 8 in Aug 2021 and did it again Aug 2022) so this review will not be indicative of average family hiking. However for kiddos that have a happy place out on the trail, this hike was an exceptional family activity. Vernal Falls/Mist Trail is one of the most iconic, moderately strenuous hikes in the park but worth it when you get to be so close and feel the mist from the 317 ft tall, powerful waterfall. You have plenty of incline on the initial paved area and then about halfway, past the footbridge, it changes to ~600 granite steps that can be quite wet. Very picturesque and if the sun's out, likely to see a rainbow in the mist! 🌈 According to my tracker, it's 2.47 miles to the top of Vernal Falls from Lower Pines Campground and it took us about an hour (pace of 35:48 min/mi). (To train for it, do your weighted step lunges and good cardio is incline hiking/walking or the stairs climber!) Because of ME...we went up the shorter, steep route of the Mist Trail and down the longer, gradual decline of the JMT for our RT Half Dome hike. (But "me" is also now technically 40½ with 5 total ACL reconstruction/medial meniscus repair surgeries on both knees, breast cancer survivor, recently healed broken big toe, and a destroyed thyroid...but a determination to stay active and "use it or lose it.") Parking can fill up quickly so we just stayed parked at the campground and hiked to the Happy Isles Trailhead...could bike there and leave bikes at the bike rack. Or take the shuttle to stop #16. Once past the initial paved trail, you have one last stop for filtered water and there's a restroom. If you're going up the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls, this isn't the last restroom. When you get back to the bottom...head to the Merced River and put your feet (including knees!) in the water and ENJOY 😉 celebrating your accomplishment!

Probably one of the coolest hikes in Yosemite that doesn’t take a super long time. From entrance to the falls and back takes about 3-4 hours. The mileage is pretty short but incline is moderately high.