Vernal Fall — Local services in Oakhurst

We're a family of hikers (including our kids that summited Half Dome with us when they were 7 & 8 in Aug 2021 and did it again Aug 2022) so this review will not be indicative of average family hiking. However for kiddos that have a happy place out on the trail, this hike was an exceptional family activity.

Vernal Falls/Mist Trail is one of the most iconic, moderately strenuous hikes in the park but worth it when you get to be so close and feel the mist from the 317 ft tall, powerful waterfall. You have plenty of incline on the initial paved area and then about halfway, past the footbridge, it changes to ~600 granite steps that can be quite wet. Very picturesque and if the sun's out, likely to see a rainbow in the mist! 🌈 According to my tracker, it's 2.47 miles to the top of Vernal Falls from Lower Pines Campground and it took us about an hour (pace of 35:48 min/mi).

(To train for it, do your weighted step lunges and good cardio is incline hiking/walking or the stairs climber!)

Because of ME...we went up the shorter, steep route of the Mist Trail and down the longer, gradual decline of the JMT for our RT Half Dome hike. (But "me" is also now technically 40½ with 5 total ACL reconstruction/medial meniscus repair surgeries on both knees, breast cancer survivor, recently healed broken big toe, and a destroyed thyroid...but a determination to stay active and "use it or lose it.")

Parking can fill up quickly so we just stayed parked at the campground and hiked to the Happy Isles Trailhead...could bike there and leave bikes at the bike rack. Or take the shuttle to stop #16.

Once past the initial paved trail, you have one last stop for filtered water and there's a restroom. If you're going up the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls, this isn't the last restroom.

When you get back to the bottom...head to the Merced River and put your feet (including knees!) in the water and ENJOY 😉 celebrating your...

I have a love hate relationship with this hike.

Our overall hike was taking the Mist Trail past Vernal Falls, to the top of Nevada Falls, and then taking the John Muir Trail on the way back down. It's about 6.7 miles round trip this way.

The beginning of the hike is the worst part in my opinion. It starts with a relentlessly steep climb to get to Vernal Falls. Then, you stop to enjoy the falls. But don't get excited because there's about a million steps to get to the top of Vernal Falls. I was happy to not have to go down all of the stairs since we took the John Muir Trail back.

Once you get to the top of Vernal Falls, it gets significantly easier in my opinion. There's a flat portion and then more stairs to get to the top of Nevada Falls, but not as many.

Now for the views. Vernal Falls was beautiful. The best views are closer to the end of the stairs where you can see the pool at the bottom. The views of Nevada Falls were ok from the Mist Trail, but not great. It's kind of an awkward angle.

There's great views of the surrounding area at the top of Nevada Falls. Probably my favorite view was of the back side of Nevada Falls with the domes next to it from the John Muir Trail on the way back down.

It's a popular trail so it was kind of crowded. It seems like a lot of people only do the Vernal Falls portion because the beginning of it is definitely more crowded.

The hike is pretty long and definitely challenging, but totally worth it. We were there in October when there wasn't as much water flowing and we...

The walk to Vernal falls is mostly paved. Not super overwhelming(scenery wise), lots of people on the trail. Steep incline. Then 600 stairs. Took us 1hr 50 to get up to vernal with stops. The hike to Nevada falls is much more gorgeous. Less crowded as well. Not paved. Took us about and hour to go from vernal to be Nevada falls, multiple breAks. The incline to Nevada is much easier than the Vernal stairs. We weren’t able to stay at the top very long as we were trying to make it back to the car at 5. We started the trail at I believe 10:30am from upper pines campground parking. Stopped for a quick lunch at Vernal Falls, maybe 20/25 mins max, took breaks walking up. Got to Nevada Falls at 2:10ish, left by about 2:40, got back to our car at 5:12. Stopped along the way briefly a couple times to take super short breaks. Definitely start earlier than we did, would highly suggest getting to the south entrance by 7:30:/7:45 as there was a line(on Saturday, during along weekend). We waited in line for about 20 mins to get into the park. Got in the park about 8:15, got started on our hike by 10:30. If you start earlier you will have more time to actually sit and enjoy the falls, not just pass by. We left early because the park rangers told us the park closes at 5pm. Call ovid time, you also can’t enter earlier than 8am. Shady the whole way to vernal and Nevada, very little sun until at the top of Nevada. 4 stars because Vernal falls was...