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HikeYosemite's Panorama Trail

The Panorama Trail is Yosemite's Best Day Hike

Oct 4, 2008 Betsy Husband

The Panorama Trail, an 8.5 mile hike, is all downhill. See Illiloluette Falls, Nevada Falls, and Vernal Falls all in one hike.

The hike starts by taking a bus from Yosemite Lodge to Glacier Point. Reservations are necessary; get a one-way ticket.

The Bus from Yosemite Lodge to Glacier Point

The ride takes almost an hour, winding around steep curves with views looking over the 1,200-square-mile park. The bus driver becomes a tour guide, showing favorite rock climbing routes and discussing the historical relevance of John Muir's battle to save Yosemite.

Along the way climbers are seen on El Capitan where they'll end up sleeping, literally hanging on the edge of the cliff. Giant sequoias forests give way to massive granite boulders. Vistas reminiscent of Ansel Adams' photographs appear at every turn.

The bus takes a quick turn into Badger Pass Ski Resort where five chair lifts operate during the winter. This is a beginner-friendly ski park, with 85 percent of the runs rated as beginner or intermediate. When snow is on the ground, the ski resort is the end of the road for the bus.

Finally, the bus arrives at the top and the view is stunning. Across the valley, the lip at the top of Half Dome has little, tiny things crawling on it. Turns out they're people, visible through a telescope on Glacier Point.

Illiloluette Falls and Nevada Falls

The hike begins with a gentle down-hill slope through burned out forest. The thought of hiking several hours down hill seems easy--it's hard to imagine getting tired. But the trail gets steeper and steeper, heading down a series of switch-backs.

And what is perceived to be all down hill ends up not so. After reaching Ililoluette Falls the trail heads back up a mountain, climbing and winding around Panorama Cliff. By the time Nevada Falls is reached, the rest of the way is down. By now the knees are feeling it, and what seemed so easy at the beginning turns out to be a challenge.

Vernal Falls to Happy Isles

The final stretch is two and a half miles descending 2,000 feet from Vernal Falls with very wobbly knees. At this point conversation isn't quite as enthusiastic and knees and calves are begging for mercy. The soreness is only a prelude to how they'll feel tomorrow. Thoughts of sitting down with a nice cold beer become all-consuming.

A new crowd of people suddenly appears at Vernal Falls. They've made the short one and a half mile hike from Happy Isles and look fresh and energetic.

The end seems so near, yet the path once again becomes steep and the legs are protesting wildly. This last section of trail is the hardest, only because the legs have turned into Jello. But by the time Happy Isles comes into view, the trail flattens, the legs strengthen once again, and the Panorama Trail has been conquered. It is becoming a fun and fond memory.

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The copyright of the article HikeYosemite's Panorama Trail in Backpacking, Hiking & Camping is owned by Betsy Husband. Permission to republish HikeYosemite's Panorama Trail in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Top of Glacier Point