Yosemite Valley: Hikes for Kids

Yosemite Valley and Yosemite National Park are wonderful places to visit with children.  There is a lot for them to learn and to do.  High on the list of things to do with kids is hiking.  There are several trails in Yosemite Valley that are easy and short enough for most kids or parents carrying kids.  Here is the official Yosemite Valley hiking brochure. Here are some of the Best Easy Day Hikes in Yosemite National Park,

Kid Friendly Trails in Yosemite Valley

Lower Yosemite Falls

Trailhead: near the Yosemite Lodge.  The Yosemite Valley Shuttle Bus stops here (#6).

Distance: easy half mile from the trailhead or a bit longer 1.5 miles if hiked from the lodge parking lot

Description: The main attraction is the cascading waterfall.  However, in late summer and winter there may not be a waterfall.  The best time of year to visit is spring and early summer when the water is roaring.  The entire trail is paved and stroller friendly although there is a slight incline.  This trail is one of the more busier in the valley.  Go early.

Bridalveil Fall

Trailhead: southwest of the valley on Wawona Road.

Distance: easy paved one mile from the trailhead

Description: The main attraction is of course the cascading waterfall.  This waterfall runs year round.  But, to see it at its mightiest it is best visit in spring or early summer.  The entire trail is paved and stroller friendly although there is a slight incline.  The spray produced by the waterfall can create slippery conditions.  Again, this trail is pretty busy.  It would be best to go early to avoid the crowds.

Cooks Meadow Loop

Trailhead: near the crossroads of Sentinel Drive and Southside Drive. Shuttle Bus stop #5.

Distance: an easy 2.25 miles

Description: The main attraction are the views.  Cooks Meadow Loop is best hiked in late spring or early summer when flowers are blooming and water is running at its strongest.  From this hike there are some amazing views of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome.  This trail has little elevation gain to it.  Most of the trail is paved or boardwalk and is kid friendly.  This trail is very busy especially at Sentinel Bridge where Half Dome and the Merced River can be lined up for a beautiful picture. Parking can be difficult to find.  Be prepared to deal with crowds.  There are many bathrooms scattered along this trail.

Mirror Lake/Meadow

Trailhead: on Happy Isle Loop east of North Pines Camp.  Shuttle Bus stop #17.

Distance: easy 2 miles

Description: The main attraction are the views and the lake which, spoiler alert, mirrors the surrounding cliffs and Half Dome.  For much of the year the lake will not have enough water to mirror anything.  However, this trail still offers great views year round and can be an excellent opportunity to view some of the wild life in the valley. The best time of year to visit is spring and early summer when the water levels are surging.  The entire trail is paved and stroller friendly although there is a slight incline.  Do not expect solitude by the lakeside.  Mirror Lake is a popular Yosemite Valley swim hole.  Bring a bathing suit.

Vernal Falls

Trailhead: on Happy Isle Loop Drive.   Shuttle Bus stop #16.

Distance: moderate 3 miles and 1,000 foot climb to the falls; or 1.5 miles and 400 foot climb to falls overlook

Description: The main attraction is the cascading waterfall.  The best time of year to visit is spring and early summer when the water is roaring.  This trail is not stroller friendly and there are over 600 stone steps that may be slippery with spray from the waterfall.  Due to the difficulty and potential danger of slippery rocks, this trail is not super busy.  I would not recommend this with very young kids. Here are some excellent photos from this hike.

Whathier Landing to Whitewater Preserve

Whitewater River with San Jacinto

Hike: Stills Landing to Whathier Landing to Whitewater Preserve

Location: Whitewater, CA
Distance: 9.3 miles
Difficulty: moderate with 2 miles off trail rock scrambling and river crossings
Elevation Change: 500 foot gain offset by a 1500 foot descent to the Preserve
Best Time of Year: Late fall to mid spring
Recommened Map:  Here

 

Whitewater Preserve to Stills Landing

Hike: Whitewater Preserve to Stills Landing

Location: Whitewater, CA
Distance: 5 miles
Difficulty: moderate with 3 miles off trail rock scrambling and river crossings
Elevation Change: 1100 foot gain
Best Time of Year: Late fall to mid spring
Recommened Map: Here

Camping: Sleep Preperation

Whether you are overnight backpacking or parking at a camp site in Yosemite, many of us dread that transition from our bed to the ground.  With some effort and proper planning, there are some steps you can take to ensure your sleep in the wild will actually be sleep and not lying awake counting the long, slow minutes until sunrise and coffee.  Sleep is necessary and how good or bad it is can greatly affect our experience.

Begin preparing four days before you are ready to embark on an overnight adventure.

• Four days before: take your sleeping bag to bed with you and use it as a body pillow.
• Three days before: sleep in your sleeping bag in your bed.
• Two days before: sleep in your sleeping bag next to your bed on blankets and pillows.
• The day before: sleep in your sleeping bag next to your bed with your camp pillow.

Although this may add some inconvenience leading up to your trip, it will reap rewards.  There is almost nothing out there that I would rather have then a good nights sleep.  Think refreshed.  Not drained.  A good sleep sets the tone for our entire day.

Including the steps noted above, when camping, ear plugs may be useful.  I have been kept awake by the slightest of sounds wondering if I was living in the minutes leading up to a bear mauling.  Usually it is the wind or a mouse.  As long as you properly store your food, there should be no worries from bears.  Ear plugs will greatly reduce this restless worry.

Sleep well my friends.

Hearst Castle: Trip Report

Location: near San Simeon, CA (on the coast halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles)
Time of Year Best to Visit: November thru May, summers can get very hot

Hearst Castle sits among and atop the dramatic Santa Lucia Range looking 1,600 feet down to the Pacific Ocean.  The castle has been donated by the Hearst family to the state of California.  Different tours are now conducted of the estate.  The tours explain the history.  The tours explain the buildings, rooms, statues, surrounding hills, pools and what it all is.  The tours are not for everybody.  

Due to the sensitive nature of the furniture and decor inside the buildings, and most tours run through the buildings, little kids, especially toddlers, do not do well. While in a building with a crazed and restless two year old, I was escorted outside.  They were so nice about it, I was actually smiling and agreeable, not realizing what was happening until I found myself on the porch, alone with my kid, door slamming behind me.  Also, being on these grounds is what I would imagine a Scientology compound to be like.  There was a gang of guards (employees) walking around smiling and joking, but quick to correct a wayward tourist, which I was on three or four occasions.

Overall, the tour is good, but expensive.  Summary: a really rich guy spent a lot of money to build a really nice castle and now people pay money to the government to go look at it.

Big Sur Pfeiffer Burns State Park Overlook Trail

Location: 37 miles south of Carmel, CA
Distance: very easy 1 mile
Time of Year Best: year round

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is home of the beautiful 80 foot McWay Waterfall that can be viewed from the Overlook Trail.  There is camping above the cove. While driving, it is easy to drive past this cove and never knowing it was there.  For more accurate trip planning, the address of the parking area is: 65100 Cabrillo Highway (Highway One); Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park; Big Sur, CA 93920. You can either park in the official parking area and pay a day fee or park along Highway One for free.  The trail heads north of the cove offering expanding views of the coast and ocean.  The Overlook Trail to McWay Waterfall in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is awesome.

Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Penitentiary Sign

Alcatraz Island as a penitentiary shut down in 1963.  Now it is a National Monument and a throbbing hub of tourism attracting over one million visitors per year.  It has been a main stay in the top attractions in the San Francisco area.  Before visiting Alcatraz, there are some preparations you can make.  And once you are on the island, there is much to do, see, and learn.

How to Prepare:

Properly preparing for a trip to Alcatraz Island can make your visit much more enjoyable.

First, know what day and time you want to visit Alcatraz and then reserve your tickets with Alcatraz Cruises.  There are several different tours and prices to choose.  These reservations can fill up weeks in advance

Give yourself plenty of time to arrive before your departure time due to traffic or any other unforeseen problems.  The boats leave from Pier 33.  Parking in the area is expensive ($40 for the day).  A few blocks
away from Pier 33 is a $10 flat rate all dayparking area between Kearny Street. and Montgomery Street.

Bring food.  There is no food sold on Alcatraz Island.

Bring a hat and good walking shoes.  The sun is bright and there is a lot of standing and walking involved in a tour of this island.  Wear layers of clothing.  It will be chilly early and in some of the deeper parts of the prison, but being in the sun will warm things up even in the winter.

Educate yourself.  There are some excellent books and movies about Alcatraz.

• Book - Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years
• Book - Letters from Alcatraz
• Documentary - Real Story: Escape From Alcatraz  
• Movie - Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood
• YouTube Documentary - Alcatraz Island History

What to do on the Island:

Immediately after being dropped off, a National Parks staff member will welcome the guests descending from the boat and explain the do's and don'ts.  At this point you will be able to get a brochure type map.  From the map, you can plot your path.

There will be some walking and a lot of standing.

There is an audio tour in the main prison that lasts about 45 minutes.  Don't miss this part of your visit.

Throughout the island there are plagues, short videos, and tutorials to visit.

Also, if you have a smartphone, there are some geocaches on Alcatraz Island.  Finding this role play cache could be fun.

Take pictures.  Have fun and be happy you are visiting as a tourist.

Alcatraz Island Early Morning Fog

Alcatraz Prison Recreation Area

Alcatraz Prison Jail Cell

Alcatraz Prison Guard/Tourist

Alcatraz Prison Mess Hall

Golden Gate Bridge from Alcatraz

Alcatraz Island Dock

Alcatraz Island Departure