One full day - good hike and great views wanted!

Hope you can help with some advice for our time in Yosemite in August.

We are a couple in our 30s, pretty fit, enjoy hiking and the outdoors.

We are staying two nights in Curry Village (driving from SF on day one, arriving early evening. Third day leaving by lunchtime for Monterey).

I%26#39;ve done a bit of research but most of the suggestions seem to involve driving about here and there with some short trail walks. Or else hikes to waterfalls which I guess will be dried up in August?

Ideally we would like to spend plenty of time out of the car and have a reasonably long hike (eg 4-6 hours walking, more if needed for a good route), can be steep or challenging, in fact we%26#39;d probably enjoy that.

However we don%26#39;t want to sacrifice experiencing great views and main sights - definitely want good views on the hike, and to allow ourselves some time to get to other %26#39;must-see%26#39; views as well - it%26#39;d be helpful to get some suggestions for how we can use our 1st day evening and 3rd day morning.

Thanks for any suggestions.

One full day - good hike and great views wanted!

For a challenging hike with wonderful views, without driving anywhere, you could hike up to Glacier Point. There are two trails, the Four-Mile Trail, which takes a pretty direct route, and the Panorama Trail, which makes a long traverse into the area above Vernal Falls, So you can do a loop, up one way and down the other..

One full day - good hike and great views wanted!

Thank you Enzian! I had just found the rather useful %26#39;Yosemite Hikes%26#39; website and reached exactly the same conclusion myself. I%26#39;m thinking about the loop round 4 mile and Panaroma. It%26#39;ll be a longer day than 4-6hrs for sure, but looks well worth it - just looking at the photos gives me goosebumps!

A couple of questions about this route:

-Will trail shoes (ie like a sneaker designed for trail running and rough ground) be adequate or should we be wearing boots?

-My boyfriend isn%26#39;t great with exposure - He%26#39;s fine with drops if he%26#39;s not forced to clamber around them where one false move and you%26#39;d be goner! From what I%26#39;ve read there is no *unavoidable* exposure to severe drops on this route - is this right?

I believe that is correct. It has been years since I%26#39;ve been on the Four-Mile trail, but I read about people hiking down it with their children. I can%26#39;t imagine there would be any tricky spots like you describe. Most of the Yosemite trails (apart from the cabled route up Half Dome) are built to a very safe standard---wide enough for safety and with good footing.

As for footwear, that is personal choice. My younger sister hikes all over Yosemite and in the Swiss Alps with trail shoes; I hike right behind her in lightweight boots. I always recommend boots for the Grand Canyon, due to long downhill slopes, grit on the trail, and mule droppings. But in Yosemite, as long as the soles of the shoes have good traction on the granite, trail shoes should be fine (and cooler to wear than heavy leather boots).

Also---as for waterfalls, Vernal and Nevada Falls will not be dry in august. You should see them both on the hike, from the Panorama Trail. Or walk up the Mist Trail alongside Vernal Falls on your first evening or third morning.

Have a wonderful time. We%26#39;ll be there in early August ourselves, but we are staying in the high country (Tuolumne Meadows).

No major drop offs on the 4 mile trail and it is a nice hike but my vote would be up to the top of Vernal if you were up for it. Two great waterfalls and tremendous views. It was a little busier than 4 mile (we hiked down and took the bus up)but if you start early, you can beat the crowds. The Vernal hike has more areas where you are close to some edges but our kids ages 9,7, and 4 did fine. Held their hands real tight a couple of times but no real worries. You may want to stop at Hetch Hetchy on your first day. It is on the way in from SF (depending on your route) and offers a nice flat 5 mile hike to warm up with. The dam and lake there is pretty impressive. Do not know if the falls there will still be flowing or not in August. Consider a hike through Mariposa Grove if you get the chance on your last day. If you leave out through the south exit headed toward Monterrey, it is on your way out of the park. If your time is limited, take the tram to the top and then hike down. If you break camp early, you could drive to Glacier Point for the views and then onto Mariposa for a hike before you head out. Bring lots of storage for your camera as you will want to takes lots of pics. Enjoy.

Glad to hear that we should be able to get by with trail shoes, that%26#39;ll keep our luggage down a bit.

I%26#39;ve told my other half about 4-mile/Panorama route and he%26#39;s quite excited about it so I think we%26#39;ll do that one.

Good to hear that there will be some waterfalls - only wish we were going in spring for the full experience!

Thanks for the suggestions for ways to spend our time on the 1st and 3rd days, appreciated!