Address: Yosemite Valley, Ca. 95389 (Trailhead starts near Curry Village)
The hike to the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls is the signature hike at Yosemite National Park. The hike from the entrance to the first bridge overlook of Vernal falls is about 0.8 miles one way (400 ft. gain) with a combination of a paved and dirt trail but a very steep and challenging trail. The hike to Vernal falls via the mist trail is about 2.4 miles roundtrip with a gain of 1,000 ft and to Nevada falls is 5.4 miles roundtrip with a gain of 2,000 ft. You have to go through 600 slippery, wet, narrow granite rocky steps to the top of the Falls. The best time to visit is during the waterfall peak season from April -June to experience the effect of the mist from the waterfalls. President Barack Obama visited the bridge with the first glimpse of the Vernal Falls in 2016.
We arrived at the dirt and rocky parking area near the entrance to the Mist Trail at around 9 a.m. We changed into our hiking shoes as the trail will be rocky, steep, and slippery. We packed bottled water, ponchos, energy bars, and a hiking pole. The parking area is near Curry Village and the Happy Isle shuttle bus stop #16. We had to pass through a bridge and made a right to the entrance of the Mist Trail. From the entrance, we hiked on a 0.8 miles very steep paved and dirt trail that leads to the first bridge with the first site or glimpse of the Vernal Falls. We had to stop consistently and rested through our ascend as we gasped for air and water break. We took a few family pictures along the way through the trail with a gorgeous view of the mountains and the rivers below. The view from the bridge of Vernal Falls is very fascinating and beautiful. There is also a water fountain refill station at the bridge that wasn’t available that day but the public restrooms were open.
From the bridge, we then proceeded to hike another 0.5 miles on a very steep trail to the beginning of the Mist Trail. After a few minutes, we arrived on a split trail, the left side will lead to the Mist Trail and the right side will lead to the John Muir Trail Loop via the Clark Pointcut off which is a few miles longer than the Mist Trail and it will also lead to the top of Vernal Falls. We proceeded to take the famous Mist Trail which was a very steep and narrow path. When we arrived at the Mist trail, there were a lot of people climbing through the granite steps. The view of the beautiful Vernal Falls, the loud roaring sound of the falls, the wet and slippery granite steps was picturesque and intimidating. We already felt the strong water mist coming from the falls at the bottom of the granite steps. We slowly ascended up through the narrow, wet, and rocky granite steps with our hearts beating quickly as we are very cautious. We took some great pictures and a short break on some areas on the stairs. We only made it to about 30% of the climb (600 steps total up to the top) and we decided to descend back as the steps are so slippery, too many people going on both ways, too much water mist and we were scared of the height. It took us about 3 1/2 hours roundtrip since we have to stop a lot to take pictures, rest to drink water, and eat snacks.
Overall, it was one memorable challenging hiking experience. The struggle, challenge, uphill descent, sore muscles, and fear of heights were all worth it. The view of the Vernal Falls, the loud roar of the falls, and the scary wet, narrow granite steps is one experience that we will never forget. There were a lot of families with little kids also climbing through the Mist Trail. We will come back again in the future to go all the way on top of Vernal falls and be well prepared for the challenge.
Tips: Make sure that you bring lots of water, snacks such as energy bars, poncho as you will get soaking wet, wear good reliable hiking boots to prevent ankle sprains or slips, a First Aid Kit, and hiking poles. Don’t do anything unsafe and out of your comfort level. There were a few deaths relating to people slipping or falling in the river and ending up getting carried over by the strong current. Safety first in mind and wear your masks, social distancing is hard to implement on the granite steps as they are very narrow and people go up and down on both ways. And not all steps have guard rails on the side so all you would see is the bottom of the cliff.
Let me know if you have any questions or comment on what you think about the Mist Trail after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.