Heard a ranger in Yosemite say the Mist Trail is 'just a staircase' now, which made me rethink my whole High Sierra trip.

I was planning to use it as a connector, but after hearing that, I'm looking for a less crowded alternate route to get up to Little Yosemite Valley, anyone have a good suggestion for late August?

2 comments

2 Comments

patel.leo3d ago

That ranger is selling the Mist Trail short. It's a staircase because they built proper steps into the granite, but the views of Vernal and Nevada Falls are still incredible. The crowd moves in a line but it's efficient for getting up high quickly. For an alternate, the John Muir Trail fork right before the Vernal Fall bridge is longer but way more gradual. It meets back up at the top of Nevada Fall and feels more like a proper hike.

kelly613d agoMost Upvoted

Those granite steps are a total cheat code. You miss the whole point of hiking if you're just climbing a man-made staircase with a crowd. The John Muir Trail might be longer but at least it feels like real nature, not an amusement park line. The Mist Trail turns a beautiful place into a conveyor belt experience.