Parking
There is no parking at the trailhead. Use Yosemite Village or Yosemite Falls parking; shuttle stop 6 is at Lower Yosemite Fall. Walking from Yosemite Village along the bike path adds about 0.5 mile.
Overview
About Yosemite Valley Loop Trail
Why go
- Mostly level walking links several major valley landmarks
- Meadows, river edges and forest break up the long circuit
Heads up
- Some junctions are hard to follow without a map
- Long distance over a mix of dirt, rock, sand and pavement
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation3,898–4,091 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureEl Capitan Bridge trail closed on weekdaysMentions El Capitan Bridge, referenced in this guideThe trail over El Capitan Bridge, linking Valley Loop Trail sections north and south of the Merced River, is closed on weekdays through December for bridge work.Official details
- ClosureDome Fire closes Glacier Point Road and trailsGlacier Point Road is temporarily closed because Dome Fire smoke reduces visibility and to allow firefighting operations; some trails south of the road are also closed.Official details
“Up ahead is the Lower Yosemite Fall area, where an easy paved loop brings you close to the bottom drop. Allow about half an hour for the mile-long circuit, plus time to stop.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Yosemite, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Yosemite Falls and the Lower Fall Loop0:00 / 0:33
“Up ahead is the Lower Yosemite Fall area, where an easy paved loop brings you close to the bottom drop. Allow about half an hour for the mile-long circuit, plus time to stop.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sentinel Bridge, Cook's Meadow and Yosemite Chapel
- Camp 4 and Yosemite Falls Trailhead
- Yosemite Village
- Swinging Bridge and Four Mile Trail
- 125 audio storiesacross Yosemite’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Peregrine Falcon, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 141 trails, 99 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Trail guide
Hiking Yosemite Valley Loop Trail
A full-day lap of the valley floorYosemite Valley Loop Trail is an 11.
Yosemite Valley Loop Trail is an 11.5-mile full loop from Lower Yosemite Fall, west around the valley floor and back along its south side. Allow 5 to 7 hours. The grade is mostly level, with some gentle hills and enough rough footing to make it a moderate day. A shorter, officially described 7.2-mile half loop turns back east at El Capitan Bridge.
Follow the west valley aroundFrom Lower Yosemite Fall, follow the bike path west to the Valley Loop signs.
From Lower Yosemite Fall, follow the bike path west to the Valley Loop signs. The route runs below the Three Brothers, past Camp 4 and toward El Capitan, then continues west toward Bridalveil Fall before returning along the south side. It skirts roads in places, but also crosses meadows, forest and talus beneath the granite cliffs. At El Capitan Meadow, the open grass makes a good foreground for the broad face of the cliff.
Mixed footing and a tricky lineExpect dirt, rocks, sand and old pavement, with short rises along an otherwise fairly flat walk.
Expect dirt, rocks, sand and old pavement, with short rises along an otherwise fairly flat walk. Some junctions are hard to follow; bring a map and use the valley landmarks to stay oriented. Spring creeks can flood parts of the trail. Winter snow and ice, especially on the south side, can hide the tread and make it slippery.
Views along the floorThe route links views of Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan, the Three…
The route links views of Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan, the Three Brothers and Yosemite Falls. It also follows many of the valley's early east-west trails and wagon roads. The appeal is the long change of scene: meadows, riverside stretches and cliff bases without a sustained climb.
Start and suppliesBegin at Lower Yosemite Fall, shuttle stop 6.
Begin at Lower Yosemite Fall, shuttle stop 6. There is a fountain at the start, but no drinking water along the route. Restrooms are at the trailhead and Bridalveil Fall, with vault toilets at picnic areas on or near the route. Pets, bicycles and strollers are prohibited on the trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yosemite
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
