mcfam's Passport
 | Been to 474 Attractions |
 | 388 Reviews |
 | 230 First to Review |
 | 1293 Photos |
 | 206 Helpful Votes |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
My husband and I have 4 kids... 3 boys and then our girl. We homeschool them all and travel when possible. We just started letterboxing and are finding ourselves a little obsessed with it.
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, structured, relaxed, simple, independent, spontaneous, easy_going
We Just Got Back From
Zion and Bryce National Parks
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Camping in Kings Canyon or Yosemite
A Place We'd Love To Visit
The Redwoods in Northern California
Favorite Vacation Memory
Walking the meadows of Yosemite with my family. The quiet, the sparkling water, the rustling grasses, and a dip in the river made for an amazing day.
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
Anytime throw up is involved. Especially when one kid triggers another. And when we are in the car. And when they choose to use the box that is holding all their library books and toys.
Websites I Like:
Toddler and stroller friendly hikes in Yosemite Valley
With hundreds of trails in Yosemite National Park, there are sure to be many that are perfect for families to meander along at the pace of their toddlers and young children. These trails are less than 1 mile long and are in general jogging stroller friendly.
Bridalveil Fall
Wawona Road, Yosemite Valley Mariposa, California
Comment:
The 0.5 mile round trip trail to the base of Bridalveil Fall is a quick jaunt along a paved path. Strollers will be easy to push until the final, very steep stretches leading to the viewing area. Because the trail is relatively short and crowded, families may prefer to journey it without a bulky stroller.
Be prepared to get wet at the base of the falls during spring and early summer. The rocks may entice young ones to climb on them when the falls are not as full but be aware that the granite is very slippery from water polish and human traffic.
reviewed on: June 12 2010
"First stop"
Make this your first stop when coming into Yosemite Valley. Actually your second... if you come from Fresno because the Tunnel View should be everyone's first stop! Bridalveil Fall is beautiful and is a great little walk for cramped legs. Once you get to your destination in Yosemite Valley (Curry Village, Yosemite Lodge, etc.) and you park your car, it's not easy to get back to Bridalveil Fall. The shuttle busses don't come here, and when you are driving out of the valley, you have to loop back to get to this fall, then drive through the whole valley again before you can drive home. Quite a bit of extra driving!
Expect lots of cars in the parking lot and long lines at the bathroom. We waited for about 20 minutes to use the potty on a weekend.
The hike is short and a bit steep at the end. Not a large viewing area but beautiful just the same. It is stroller friendly but with large crowds, it can be hard to maneuver. If you can manage without a stroller, it may be more enjoyable.
Take time to explore the trails around the falls because they are less crowded and provide other views of the falls.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park, California
Comment:
This meadow is framed by the towering El Capitan cliff and the quiet Merced River flowing through the valley. The narrow and winding trail through the meadow is part of the larger Valley Floor Loop trail which is 13 miles it total.
reviewed on: June 03 2010
"El Capitan Shuttle"
We caught the El Capitan Shuttle bus from in front of the Valley Visitor Center (Near shuttle stop 5) out to El Capitan meadow and Cathedral Beach. When the bus crossed the river we got off at stop E4. There we found a beautiful calm river with wide sandy beaches and a majestic view of El Capitan. Our kids floated in the river, swam and played in the sand. This area was out of the hustle and bustle of Yosemite Village and offered quiet enjoyment and beautiful views.
We enjoyed taking a rarely used shuttle service in a nice charter bus. Free!
This shuttle runs only in the summer.
Center of Curry Village Loop
Yosemite National Park, California
Comment:
Outside of the Nature Center at Happy Isles is a crisscrossing of trails and meanders through the woods and little islands along the Merced River. Several bridges cross over the river and invite families to explore. After spending time in the Happy Isles, walk west towards Upper Pines campground to find little bridges that cross the quiet and cool fen.
reviewed on: May 27 2010
"Outside the nature center"
Another favorite place for us to explore!My whole family loves exploring the bridges and islands that give this place the name "isles" There are rocks to climb on, pools of water to play in (icy cold!), and a fen to learn about. A fen is like a swamp area for water to spread out in, be filtered and seep into the ground. The air coming off the fen is cool and sweet. Last summer we saw 2 young brown bears tumbling and wrestling playfully together near the trail. We watched from afar, quite safe, and enjoyed seeing them play.
Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley Yosemite National Park, California
Comment:
The 2 mile round trip walk to Mirror Lake is perfect for families of all ages. The path is as wide as a road and paved the whole way. Elevation gain is gradual until the final 1/4 mile when it goes steeply uphill. Many families ride bikes the first 3/4 of a mile and then walk the final stretch.
A large pool of water near the very base of Half Dome welcomes wading and swimming. Visitors in late summer will find that there isn't much water to play in but there is still enough to keep any rock-throwing toddler happy.
reviewed on: June 13 2010
"Correct expectations"
Go on this hike with your kids with the right expectations and it will be a great experience. Wrong ones can lead to big disappointments. As a teenager, I couldn't wait to get to this lake to go swimming and find a big rock to jump off into the water. That was the wrong expectation.
As a mom, I knew better and took my kids on this long hike (1 mile one way is long for them) with a steep hill the last half of the hike with the expectation of finding a widened flat stream area to wade in, throw rocks into and explore. We chose to go on a rather cool day in the summer and that was also good planning. It can be a rather hot hike with not enough water to swim in at the end.
We were pleasantly surprised with seeing the flat, wide face of Half Dome with a climber on a "port a ledge" half way up the face. My little ones waded in the water and climbed some big rocks and had a great time.
I recently saw my friend's pictures of their camping trip to Yosemite on facebook. I couldn't understand where they had found a big rock with a big area of water to jump into. Apparently, Mirror Lake is big enough to jump into in late May! I was shocked and now can't wait to visit this place earlier in the season than August.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park, California
Comment:
The destination is not the goal of this walk through a beautiful meadow surrounded by towering cliffs and with a view of Yosemite Falls.
The elevation is flat but the trail is narrow at times and unpaved. Some stretches are made from boardwalk that would be suitable for jogging strollers.
In the evening, many wildlife such as deer and an occasional bear can be seen. View their majesty from a distance and enjoy the quiet evening.
reviewed on: May 27 2010
"peaceful"
This was one of my favorite walks with my husband and young kids last summer. The trails through the meadow are on a boardwalk at times and a thin path along the river at other times. There is no incline and no destination. The object is to try to take in the stillness, quiet and amazing beauty all around. You can see almost every major dome and waterfall and river from this meadow and usually the crowds are absent.In the evening, wildlife is abundant. We saw many bucks and does feeding on the grasses here. On an early morning drive by the meadow, I saw several brown bears.
Enjoy!
Happy Isle Road
Yosemite National Park, California
Comment:
The 0.6 mile hike to the footbridge of Vernal Falls is an arduous and steep climb that is never flat. I include it on this list because I have seen many families with youngsters enjoying the challenge of this trail and are rewarded with a beautiful view of Vernal Falls from the footbridge. This waterfall cannot be seen from the valley floor so only hikers to the footbridge or visitors at the top of Glacier Point can enjoy this beautiful fall of water.
reviewed on: May 27 2010
"the longest 1 mile"
I remember hiking this trail as a teenager and thinking, "it's only 1 mile to the top of the falls", and then once I was at the top thinking, "that was the longest 1 mile I have ever walked!" The trail starts off directly on a steep uphill incline with impressive views of the rushing river below and a look out view of Yosemite Falls across the valley floor. You will pass impressive rocks, lots of trees and squirrels until you reach the bridge at the half way point. The bridge offers a spectacular view of Vernal Falls. There is water and a bathroom here, lots of people and lots of squirrels.
The next section of the trail offers about 200 stairs and sharp drop offs to the river below. When the falls are full, the stairs can be wet and slippery and you may get drenched. When you reach the destination at the top prepared to be impressed. What a beautiful view of the thundering water pouring over the edge of the cliff!
Surprisingly, the trip DOWN can be HARDER. Your muscles are fatigued and they have to work hard at stopping your downward momentum. Hard on the knees and thigh muscles.
Despite it being a LONG 1 mile, I have hiked this trail many times since I was a teenager and have loved it every time. My feet and legs have always complained the next day, however!
p.s. We took our two oldest boys to the top last summer (9,7) They made it with a lot of encouragement and bribery. They enjoyed it, but it was very hard work. They said later that they never want to do it again. We trust they'll change their mind when they are older and stronger. So think carefully whether your kids are strong enough to get enjoyment out of this hike!
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park, California
Comment:
The 1 mile round trip trail to Lower Yosemite Falls is a great hike for families. The trail is wide and paved and is great for all strollers. Elevation gain is minimal until the final steep stretches of the trail leading up to the bridge below the lower falls.
Be prepared for getting wet in spring and early summer. During later summer, the small pools and water in the creek will lure families to swim and wade in the icy water. Be careful of very slippery rocks including the dry, slick ones.
Walk past the bridge and down the trail to return to the parking lot. This side of the trail meanders through the woods and along and over the many offshoots of the creek.
reviewed on: May 27 2010
"Dry waterfall also beautiful"
We have visited these falls in August of many years and still find them spectacular! So don't miss a visit just because there may not be much water coming down. Another thing to note is that if the falls are somewhat dry and you have older children who you feel comfortable letting scramble over the often slippery rocks, there are many pools to explore and discover, including a deep one just at the base of the lower falls.
Bring a picnic lunch and eat on the rocks across the bridge or under the bridge. Our kids had a great time splashing in the little pools under the bridge and floating sticks down the little "waterfalls" created by the many rocks.
Yosemite Village
Yosemite National Park, California
Comment:
Although visiting the Indian Village is not technically a hike, families will enjoy the little trail behind the Visitor Center that winds through ancient Native American structures. Children will enjoy exploring the homes made from logs and bark and can learn some history of the early settlers of Yosemite Valley.
reviewed on: June 13 2010
"Combine with Visitor Center"
This little Indian Village and Museum is right next to the Visitor Center and the Yosemite Cemetery. We took our kids through all of them in one afternoon on a recent trip to Yosemite. It is worth combining them all so that on other days, you are free to explore the river, the waterfalls and the many biking and hiking trails.It's honestly hard for me to enjoy these centers when the real beauty of Yosemite is right outdoors, so we usually make our visits quick.
My kids liked walking through this Indian Village at their own pace, looking at all the plants that the natives used, the bark covered tepees that they lived in and the tools that helped in their daily life. The Museum showcased the beautiful baskets that they weaved and their clothes. We wandered into the art room to look at more recent canvases, and I found ourselves a little embarrassed at our loud kids in a silent art gallery, but it was all ok.
