Katie & Leo
Things To Do
Some Favorite Yosemite Hikes
Our top recommended hikes - click AllTrails link for details of each **Note: the road to drive to Glacier Point is closed for repairs all year** LOWER YOSEMITE FALLS - Easy - 1.2 mile loop, flat, wheelchair accessible MIST TRAIL TO VERNAL + NEVADA FALLS - Moderate - 6 mile loop, 2,000 ft elevation gain VERNAL FALLS - Moderate - 4 mile out & back, 1,200 ft gain COLUMBIA ROCK - Moderate - 2 mile out & back, 1,000 ft gain UPPER YOSEMITE FALLS - Hard - 7.6 mile out & back, 3,000 ft gain FOUR-MILE TO GLACIER POINT - Hard - 9.2 mile out & back, 3,600 ft gain MAY LAKE - Easy - 2.3 mile out & back, 500 ft gain ELIZABETH LAKE - Moderate - 5 mile out & back, 850 ft gain CATHEDRAL LAKES - Moderate - 8.5 mile out & back, 1,600 ft gain VALLEY FLOOR - Easy - full loop is 20 miles but you can stroll any portion of it MIRROR LAKE VIA VALLEY FLOOR LOOP - Easy - 4.4 mile loop, wheelchair accessible, anticlimactic if dry HALF DOME - Epic - 15 miles, 5,000 ft elevation, permit required, closes Oct 15
Bike the Valley Floor - Rentals at Yosemite Valley Lodge Bike Stand
Rent or bring your own bike! Yosemite valley offers a beautiful, fairly flat, mellow loop around the east side of the valley floor - a little under 10 miles for the whole loop. Easily done by all riding level abilities, generally takes people about 1.5 - 2 hours to do a comfortable ride with stops. Mirror Lake is a great place for a picnic! Here is Katie's private AllTrails map of the route: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/yosemite-valley-bike-loop-65f2a94?u=i
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Wapama Falls
Yosemite Valley’s less crowded but spectacular cousin, Hetch Hetchy is a beautiful glacial valley also within the official park limits, which was damned in 1913 to create the reservoir that is San Francisco’s main water source (180 million gallons a day travel 350 miles to get there!). It's got a separate entrance just across the 120 from Rush Creek, and hiking trails begin at the O'Shaughnessy Dam. We recommend Wapama Falls (Easy, 5 mile out & back), which runs through a rock tunnel and then along the north side of the reservoir to reach the beautiful falls!
Favorite Roadside Viewpoints
Stunning viewpoints, without the hiking. **Note: Driving to Glacier Point is not an option because the road is closed for repairs all year** In order as you enter the park from the west Big Oak Flat Entrance: CASCADE FALLS - pull off the road and walk 100 feet to enjoy the falls from the bridge, if they're flowing TUNNEL VIEW - the location of our invitation photo! Incredible views of El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall in the distance EL CAPITAN - bring binoculars to find the ant-size climbers as you gape up from the valley floor at the famous Dawn Wall, or maybe even see Alex Honnold attempting another Free Solo or chilling in his climber van TIOGA PASS - a beautiful scenic half-day drive along Tioga Road (Hwy 12) between Crane Flat and Lee Vining with gorgeous cliffs, alpine lakes, forests and meadows. It's usually open in October, unless the snow starts early this year.
Rock Climbing Lessons with Yosemite Mountaineering School
Learn to climb from the pros outdoors! Or... Bring your own gear to climb on your own. Tons of amazing bouldering, sport, trad, and top roping options.
Ride a Steam Engine at Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
We personally have never done this, but seems cool, especially for the kiddos! (Not located in the Yosemite valley, this is about an hour south of the valley floor.)
Mountain Biking Tracks
If you're into single-track mountain biking, we found some really fun, mellow loops outside Groveland! It's family friendly, and we met the dudes who made the trail. Hint: there's a new one in the shape of a duck, to the east of where you park along Ferretti Road, too. See if you can find it!
Rush Creek Spa
Get pampered and relax. We've had incredible massages here, and the day pass is well worth it! No nail or hair services, just lots of steam and soaking options!
Food and Drink
Rush Creek has you covered: a restaurant, more casual tavern, and a coffee shop (with great little to-go breakfast burritos), inside a market that sells everything from wine to prepared foods. In Yosemite, our favorite food spot is the Mountain Room Lodge, complete with warm cocktails and a roaring fireplace. Fancier food can be found at the Ahwahnee and quick bites are at Base Camp Eatery, Degnan's or the Village Grill. If you'd like something unusual, you can visit the old mining towns of Groveland, Sonora, Columbia or Murphy's west of the park. The town of Groveland is the closest, and has the Iron Door Saloon, one of the oldest in California, with good but overpriced food. Groveland also has our favorite unusual brewery, Around the Horn, but no need to make the trek because that's where we're hoping to be providing beer from!
Hiking and Playing at Rush Creek
There’s so much to do at Rush Creek, you can easily enjoy a couple days without leaving the property. There’s three miles of hiking trails on site, bike rentals, giant checkers, a two-story slide, zip lines, tunnels and rope swing, bocce ball, corn hole, ping pong, fire pits, a heated saltwater pool and 50-person 24-hour jacuzzi (!!), a game room with indoor playground and foosball, professionally guided tours into Yosemite, a market with everything from wine to prepared foods, a coffee shop, tavern and restaurant!