Yosemite Valley and Rim

More than one person has told me that this is her favorite trail in Yosemite, but I certainly wouldn't go that far. It does, however, offer nice views, a pleasant stop at Illouette Creek and, if you take the hiker's shuttle to Glacier Point, is mostly downhill. It is also relatively uncrowded compared to the other trails to the top of Nevada Fall.

There is nothing in Yosemite Valley quite like a hike to Fern Ledge. Within minutes, the Fern Ledge hike will take you from the bustling, crowded, Lower Yosemite Falls area to a quiet, unmaintained (and possibly dangerous!) trail that leads you past dense beds of flowers (Elegant Brodieia, Larkspur, Yawning Penstemmon, Live Forever, Giant Red Paintbrushes and more), winding up open slabs leading to Fern Ledge, the most staggering place from which to experience Yosemite Falls. Jutting out into the actual waterfall about 200 feet from the bottom and 1400 feet from the top, you can lie on your back for hours and watch the water comets cascade down past you. Fern Ledge was a favorite spot of John Muir’s and the site of Ansel Adams’ famous photo looking up Upper Yosemite Falls. (And my not famous photo of the same, which, surprisingly, is not as good as Ansel’s.) That said, though the hike is only a couple of miles long all told, it is not without its difficulties and dangers. Though usually fairly clear once you find it, this is not a maintained trail and it requires a bit of talus hopping and one or two exposed, though short and easy scrambles. There are some steep, loose slopes and if you got sliding, you might not stop yourself before sliding off into the abyss. The area is ideal rattlesnake habitat and we saw two on a June 2007 hike (that’s two out of the three live rattlers I’ve ever seen in Yosemite) and one rattlesnake was right in the trail. The middle part of the hike is hot and sun-drenched and Fern Ledge itself can be a dangerous place for the foolhardy, as John Muir discovered. Be smart!