Upper Yosemite Fall Trail
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5.9 mi
Distance
1 hrs 53 min
Time
terrain
2,713 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult out and back trail to Yosemite Falls Overlook in Yosemite National Park.
This trail goes by Columbia Boulder, Energy Boulder, Columbia Rock, Upper Yosemite Fall, and First view of Upper Yosemite Falls.
Taking Children
This trail can be grueling but is highly rewarding. The youngest children and families I observed on the trail were between 8-10, though many did not do the whole trail. I would say this trail rates about a 4 on a scale of 1-10 for general acceptability for children. This is something I would have done around the age of 10 in the Boy Scouts, but it is challenging. I highly recommend starting this trail early in the AM 6-7.
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
There’s something to be said about this trail. Like many other cultivated trails, it is well maintained and safe. The endurance to ascend this elevation over 3 miles up is what gives it the difficult rating. Pack your lunch and some hydration and take your time. Enjoy the hike. I burned through it in just under 6 hours up and back with a stop to eat Andie the view. The snow in March has spot to transit with care. But on a sunny warm spring day, it was no waste of time.
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Lots of up and down on this one – go only about halfway up for the best view of the falls. You don’t really see the falls from the top at all - but the view from the top more than compensate. As usual, a little bit harder to go down than up - you don’t expend the energy, but you do spend a lot of effort looking for the right foot plant. Decomposing granite on top of the regular granite boulders can make spots very slippery.
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Public Tracks
