Yosemite with Kids - The Best Hikes in Yosemite for Families
/If you’re looking for the best hikes in Yosemite for families, you’ve made it to the right page. While exploring Yosemite you’ll find gorgeous meadows, dramatic vistas, famous scenic drives, waterfalls, and some of the best hiking trails in California. The family friendly hikes Yosemite are the ideal place to experience true Yosemite wilderness. If you’re trying to find the best hikes in Yosemite for families or find a place to enjoy the views without the hiking — this blog will help you.
We brought 6 kids to yosemite and did several hikes — ages 4 to 15!
Table of Contents
We have traveled to Yosemite several times with children of all ages. Whether you’re traveling to Yosemite with a baby, traveling to Yosemite with toddlers or teenagers - you’ll find the perfect hike for your group here! This guide has over 10 kid friendly hikes in Yosemite listed out by location!
Click the park names below to skip to hikes in that area.
If you’re going to Yosemite with your family, check out my 1-Day Itinerary for Yosemite (with an optional Day 2).
Interactive Yosemite Map
Here is an interactive map where you can easily find all of the best Yosemite hikes for families. You can show the hikes by area of the park. This map will help you plan your itinerary for Yosemite and help to find the best hikes with kids.
View without a Hike
If you’re traveling to Yosemite, these are going to be the best baby friendly hikes. BUT the best part is, these hikes are not hikes at all. They are all overlooks that you can park right by and easily walk to. If you’re looking for Yosemite easy trails, they don’t get easier than this!
Tunnel View: This is the absolute most popular spot in Yosemite, but don’t let the crowds deter you! Seriously! Wait for a parking spot and then head over to the viewing area. The way the wall is built, you can easily and quickly get one of the best photos of Yosemite National Park without anyone else in it! It will look like you had the park to yourself! We have visited Yosemite several times and we still always go to Tunnel View on each visit because it is the most iconic spot in Yosemite. From Tunnel View you can see El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall rising from Yosemite Valley, with Half Dome in the background.
Swinging Bridge: This bridge has unbelievable views of Yosemite Falls and its reflection in the Merced River during the day or by full moon at night. There are picnic tables located here too, so this is a perfect place to take a mid day break. Have a picnic and dip your toes in the Merced River!
Hanging Valley Viewpoint: This viewpoint provides a view straight up El Capitan! Stop and look very closely to see if you can spot anyone climbing or camping on El Capitan’s rock face. From here there are also great views of Cathedral Rocks, as well. It is easiest to stop here on your way out of Yosemite Valley.
Yosemite Valley Chapel: Yosemite Valley Chapel is an icon inside the park. This church has been operation for the pat 135 years and is a great spot to stop for some photos. It is located right off the park road, so no hiking required!
Glacier Point: (closed for all of 2022 for road construction) Glacier Point Overlook is one of the most famous and iconic spots in all of Yosemite National Park. The commanding views of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Yosemite's high country are unmatched from any other point in the park. Be sure to bring your camera. The road to Glacier Point is usually open late May or early June to sometime in November. Glacier Point Loop Yosemite has a nice little gift shop and snack bar too, so take some time and enjoy a picnic up here!
Washburn Point: (closed for all of 2022 for road construction) This is a great stop for a photo op or just to take in the breathtaking views. The views of Vernal and Nevada Falls are also more direct from this overlook than at Glacier Point. I loved this spot because even with a constant flow of visitors, it isn’t crowded. Most people pop out for a photo and leave, so this is a good spot to take in the views of Half Dome. The road to Glacier Point is usually open late May or early June to sometime in November.
My son and I standing on swinging bridge on a january trip to yosemite
The kids at washburn point in yosemite in August
Family Hikes in Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is the heart of Yosemite National Park. Here you will find hikes of all levels, but the bulk of the best Yosemite hikes for families are located here. You can find easy hikes in Yosemite Valley that range from 0.5-miles to multiple miles, just depends on what your family needs. Check out the hikes below to find which Yosemite kid friendly hikes you want to add to your itinerary!
Lower Yosemite Falls Trail: (Do not Miss - Yosemite Valley) This easy 1-mile trail only gains 50 feet total in elevation. Hikers will be rewarded with direct views of the final drop of North America’s tallest waterfall. Lower Yosemite Falls in winter will be flowing, but its peak flow is in Spring. This trail is one of the best Yosemite hikes for first timers to the park. Lower Yosemite Falls Trail is definitely one of the recommended Yosemite trails for kids.
In Winter Yosemite Falls trail may have snow and ice, but it is paved and maintained. You can hike this as a loop trail or an out and back. Don’t miss a stop at the “Lower Falls View” spur for gorgeous views of snowy Lower Yosemite Falls.
Cooks Meadow Trail: (Yosemite Valley) This easy 1-mile loop takes hikers into Cooks meadow where there are stunning views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Sentinel Rock. During the winter, this trail is completely covered by snow, so instead of trying to follow it the entire way, we followed it to the center of the meadow where played in the snow and even built a Yosemite Snowranger!
Bridalveil Falls Trail: This trail remains closed due to construction. This easy 0.5-mile trail takes hikers down to the absolutely stunning 620-foot Bridalveil Falls. As you drive into the valley, this is often the first waterfall you see. It is best viewed from Tunnel View Overlook and this trail. The falls are thundering in Spring after the snow starts melting and the rest of the year it’s a lighter flow. This trail is paved, but not wheelchair accessible due to its grade.
We’ve hiked hundreds of miles with out two kids. Check out my recommended hiking hear for kids!
The Hike to Lower Yosemite Falls is very easy and gorgeous! It is a paved path!
the kids enjoying the view at Columbia rock
Mirror Lake in April
Mirror Lake Trail: (Yosemite Valley) This easy 2-mile out and back trail takes hikers directly to the base of Half Dome. From there, hikers are rewarded with views of Tenaya Canyon, Mount Watkins, Washington Column, and more. We hiked this trail in late March and it was gorgeous and the water was high enough to swim in, but it was COLD. This is one of the easy hiking trails in Yosemite National Park, but packs a punch with incredible views.
Vernal Falls Footbridge: (Yosemite Valley): This moderate 1.6-mile round trip trail takes hikers to the Vernal Falls Footbridge. Hikers are rewarded with excellent views of Vernal falls from here. The first mile of this trail is almost entirely uphill, but there are views along the way. In the spring, the water levels are at their peak. **Check conditions past the bridge because it is often closed in winter due to dangerous conditions
Columbia Rock: (DO NOT MISS - Yosemite Valley) This 2-mile out-and-back trail takes hikers along one of Yosemite's oldest historic trails (built 1873 to 1877). It starts at the Yosemite Falls Trailhead and climbs over 1,000 feet in elevation. There are 3-5 dozen switchbacks. Once at Columbia Rock, hikers are rewarded with great views of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and Sentinel Rock. This hike is definitely one of the family friendly hikes in Yosemite, but it is not a super easy one.
Kids playing at mirror Lake under Half Dome
Columbia rock is a moderately hard hike, but totally worth it!
Family Hikes in Hetch-Hetchy
Lookout Point Trail: This easy 2-mile hike does involve some uphill climbing, but takes hikers to a rocky viewpoint overlooking Hetch Hetchy Valley.
Wampama Falls: This 5-mile moderate hike follows the shoreline of the reservoir. The trail takes hikers to the base of Wapama Falls. The trail includes spectacular views of Tueeulala and Wapama Falls. (The water flow is highest in spring) The Wapama Falls footbridge can sometimes close when water levels are too high.
We’ve hiked hundreds of miles with out two kids. Check out my recommended hiking hear for kids!
Hetch Hetchy is an absolutely stunning part of Yosemite National Park. Plan to spend a day of your trip exploring this area!
Family Hikes to see Seqouias
We hiked tuolumne Grove in April and there was still a lot of snow on the ground.
Tuolumne Giant Sequoia Grove: This moderate 2.5-mile trail descends slowly 500 feet into the grove. The climb back out can be much harder, but it’s worth it because at the bottom hikers are rewarded with a walk through nearly two dozen mature giant sequoias in the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. **This trail requires snowshoes or cross country skis most of the winter. We hiked it in March and the snow was still very deep in some areas.
Mariposa Grove:
This area of the park is home to the largest Sequoia Grove in the park. As a matter of fact, this area of the park is what sparked the idea for Yosemite to become a National Park when, in 1864, President Lincoln signed legislation protecting the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley for "public use, resort, and recreation.”
The Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza has about 300 parking spaces and in peak months it fills up by mid-day. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no shuttle from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza to the Mariposa Grove. This means access to Mariposa Grove is only available via a two-mile hike (each way) on the Washburn Trail or the Mariposa Grove Road (each have approximately 500 feet in elevation gain). Several miles of trails are available in the grove from that point.
Big Trees Trail: An easy 0.3 mile loop from trailhead. This trail is wheel chair accessible. This trail moves through a large forest of giant sequoias. There are nature trail signs along the way to explain the life and ecology of Sequoia Forests.
Grizzly Giant Loop Trail: This is a moderate 2-mile trail that takes hikers past notable trees like the Three Graces, the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant, California Tunnel Tree, and The Bachelor.
This is from an april visit at tunnel view
This is from a january visit at tunnel view
Family Hikes on Glacier Point Road
Sentinel dome is one of the best hikes in yosemite in my opinion
Sentinel Dome Trail: (DO NOT MISS THIS HIKE) This trail is an easy 2.2-mile hike and absolutely perfect for any age. The Sentinel Dome hike offers 360-degree views of Yosemite National Park and rewards hikers with dramatic views of both Half Dome and El Capitan. From the top of Sentinel Dome, you’ll also be able to look down into Yosemite Valley. From the top of the dome you can see down into Yosemite Valley and also see Half Dome. If you can hike this at Sunrise, I definitely recommend it. This is one of my favorite Yosemite hikes to do with kids and is one of the best Yosemite hikes for first timers to the park.
Taft Point Trail: This is a moderate 2.2-mile hike located along the Glacier Point road. Taft Point and Sentinel Dome share a trailhead. While this hike is definitely doable with children, I will warn you - this trail has giant deep fissure you’ll be hiking around. Please please please keep your children close to you. Taft Point offers unmatched views of Yosemite Valley as it looks out directly to Yosemite Falls from the opposite Valley wall. This hike also looks over at El Capitan. Taft Point will help you to know if you are afraid of heights or not because there are no guard rails.
We’ve hiked hundreds of miles with out two kids. Check out my recommended hiking hear for kids!
Tunnel view is such an iconic spot in yosemite and best of all, no hiking required
These are so many Yosemite family friendly hikes to choose from. However, they aren’t all of the hikes! You can find much longer day hikes and even overnight backpacking hikes within the parks. If you are looking for the best hikes in Yosemite with kids, these are them. The family friendly hiking trails in Yosemite are the ideal place to really experience the wilderness of Yosemite. From rugged switchbacks to climbing the Sentinel Dome to sunrise at Tunnel View, Yosemite’s hiking trails have something for every ability. When you find the your favorite in Yosemite, come back and let me know!
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