Yosemite was one of the first national parks established in the United States, and in my opinion it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world.
If you only have one day in Yosemite National Park, the best way to spend it is in the valley, where you can enjoy the spectacular waterfalls, viewpoints, and hikes. Most of these are located pretty close to each other.
A side trip to the Mariposa Grove is also worthwhile to see the ancient Sequoia trees. Some of these giants are more than 3,000 years old!
You won’t see the whole park in a day, because it covers almost 1,200 square miles, but you’ll have enough time to see a lot of the main highlights. I’ll cover each of these places in detail, and then share a map and timeline you can follow for your itinerary.
Swinging Bridge Viewpoint
For your first stop in Yosemite, make a quick visit to the Swinging Bridge picnic area. This spot has one of the best views of Yosemite Falls in the park.
Better yet, when we visited in June, we were lucky to see an amazing reflection in the water because of the historic flooding. The Merced River had turned into a lake!
In most months you won’t see that, but it’s still worth a quick stop here to get your first good view of Yosemite Falls. This is the park’s biggest waterfall, and it’s one of the world’s tallest, at 2,425 feet (739 meters).
Mist Trail
Next, drive to the parking lot for the Mist Trail. This is one of the busiest hikes in Yosemite, so you’ll want to get there early to beat the crowds and secure a parking spot.
You can park at Curry Village or the Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking. The latter is closer and saves you 10 minutes of walking, but the former has a cafe if you want to grab something to eat before or after the hike.
The Mist Trail is a wonderful hike with two big waterfalls: Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. If you’re a fit hiker, it’s well worth going at least to the top of Vernal Fall. Otherwise, you can enjoy a nice rainbow below the waterfall.
Sentinel / Cook’s Meadow Loop Trail
After you finish the Mist Trail, it’s time to see more of the valley. Drive to the Yosemite Falls Vantage Point and find parking. Here’s a map.
From here, you can walk the Cook’s Meadow loop trail, which is flat, easy, and mostly paved or boardwalked, making it accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
Anyone can and should do this trail, because it’s so relaxed and it has some of the best views of Yosemite Falls and the valley!
Lower Yosemite Fall
It’s time to go see another waterfall up close! Drive to the Lower Yosemite Fall trailhead, park, and hike to the waterfall.
As you’ll notice, Yosemite Falls is actually a three-part waterfall, with upper, middle, and lower falls. This hike gives you a great view of the bottom waterfall.
It’s another short, flat, easy, and accessible hike, and it takes about 30 minutes roundtrip. Anyone can do it.
Along the way, you’ll get peeks of the Upper Yosemite Fall through the trees, and the hike ends at the Lower Fall, which you can see up close.
Yosemite Valley View
This is another viewpoint that’s right by the road, and it’s one of the last places you’ll stop in the valley.
It has excellent views of the Merced River, El Capitan, Cathedral Rocks, and Bridalveil Fall. We even saw a big rainbow at Bridalveil in the afternoon.
How To Spend More Than One Day In Yosemite National Park
If you have more than one day in Yosemite, there are lots of other great things to do, especially if you’re a hiker.
For the second day, do the strenuous hike to Upper Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point. Even if you don’t go all the way to the top, it’s still a great experience to see the waterfall up close.
Better yet, try to get permits for the Half Dome hike, which is the most thrilling hike in the park! It has a scary cable section at the end that leads you to panoramic views of the entire Yosemite valley.
For the third day, go to any places in the valley you missed on the first day, such as Bridalveil Fall and Mirror Lake. Both of these are short and easy hikes. Then do the scenic drive on Tioga Road to see Olmsted Point, Tenaya Lake, and the Tuolomne Meadows.