Yosemite’s Illilouette Falls via Panorama Trail 🏞️✨

August 2025, Sunday. This is a moderate trail that’s downhill on the way there and uphill on the return. We started in the afternoon and returned by evening to avoid climbing in the hot sun. ☀️⛰️ 🅿️ Parking is at Glacier Point Parking. On busy summer weekends, expect to wait 20–30 minutes just to enter the lot. While Glacier Point itself was crowded, as soon as we turned onto the Panorama Trail, it became peaceful and quiet. The views throughout are absolutely breathtaking! Half Dome accompanies you almost the entire way, and you get spectacular distant views of both Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls. The best viewpoint for Illilouette Falls is located just past the second switchback above the Illilouette Creek bridge. There’s a short side path leading to a somewhat wild, unguarded overlook right at the cliff’s edge—please be very careful here! ⚠️ Along this part of the trail, you’ll hear the roaring sound of the waterfall everywhere, and through the trees, you can even catch glimpses of the upper sections of the falls. You can’t see the waterfall directly from the bridge, and during the dry season, the last 0.1 mile of the AllTrails route isn’t really worth the effort—the path narrows and ends at an unsafe cliff edge with no clear view of the top of the falls (though it might be more impressive when the water is high!). Right now, Illilouette Creek has a gentle flow, so you can relax on the rocky beach under the bridge, splash in the water, and enjoy a snack. 🥪💦 Pushing further to Panorama Point might be a better choice for even more incredible views. We headed back in the early evening. The uphill return was pleasant—cool breezes and comfortable temperatures made it feel easier than expected. We lingered for a while at the Glacier Point overlook afterward. Sunset was still an hour away, so we decided to head out without waiting. 🌄 #Yosemite #Hiking #PanoramaTrail #WaterfallLover #NatureWalk #HalfDomeViews #CaliforniaParks #OutdoorAdventure #ScenicHike #SummerHikes #TravelDiary #ExploreNature #TrailVibes #SunsetViews