5 Amazing Yosemite Hikes with Kids

Talk to any parent of a young child, and they’ll tell you that “hiking” with a 4-year-old is just about impossible. This means that here in my home region of Northern California, where hiking options abound, it can be hard for me to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes. But on our family vacation in Yosemite, we found some easy Yosemite hikes with kids. There are many trails in Yosemite, but if you visit with kids, this list of best hikes with kids in Yosemite is a good place to start. Plus, as noted below, almost all the walks are dog-friendly as well.

First, resources to help you plan your trip to Yosemite: (click the image for a link to the book)

And click the map for a Google Map for these 5 Yosemite hikes with kids:

5 Easy Yosemite Hikes with Kids

Glacier Point loop

• Strollers & leashed dogs are OK.
• Bathrooms located at the parking lot. Snacks available at the store.
• This walk is easy and about 1/4 mile on paved paths.

Glacier Point is perhaps the most strikingly beautiful place in Yosemite National Park, and you can enjoy the views with this easy, kid-friendly walk. At the trailhead you’ll find a shop with ice cream, water, and other supplies as well as a mini stone amphitheater where we ate lunch while taking in a view of Half Dome and Nevada Fall.

From there you’ll follow the short walk to the main Glacier Point lookout. You’ll need to keep an eye on your kids because it’s crowded and there are lots of big rocks for them to climb.

The walk ends at the Glacier Point lookout and a full view over Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and the high country. In winter and spring, you can spot Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. As you leave the Glacier Point lookout, take the other paved trail that goes downhill slightly and enjoy a quieter walk past trees and boulders. This short trail takes you back to the shop near the parking lot.

(A portion of) the Panorama Trail

• The entire 8.5-mile trail goes from Glacier Point down to Yosemite Valley.
• With kids, walk as far as you’d like and then turn around.

• The trail is unpaved, fine for kids to walk but probably not OK for strollers.
• No dogs allowed.
• While the trail is safe, it’s also close to some places where a fall could be dangerous, so I’d recommend keeping the kids with you at all times.

This trail was the biggest surprise of our time in Yosemite. After enjoying Glacier Point for a few hours, we decided to squeeze in one more walk before heading back to the hotel, and I’m so glad we did. The views are extraordinary!

You can see that the trail overlooks the valley with Nevada and Vernal Falls in the distance. We could even hear Nevada Fall rumbling below.

The rest of these are located in Yosemite Valley and can be done in one day.

Bridalveil Fall trail

• Leashed dogs are OK.
• No strollers because the part of the path is rugged.
• Bathrooms located at the parking lot.
• Parking is easier to find early or late in the day.
• This walk is 1/2 mile round trip.
• Be careful near the waterfall as rocks can be slippery even when dry.

This is the first main attraction as you enter Yosemite Valley after stopping at Tunnel View. We tried to stop on the way in, but the parking lot was full, so we came back at the end of the day on our way out of the valley. It’s a short walk through the woods and then up a path to the base of the waterfall. Apparently when the fall is at its peak, the spray comes all the way to the path, but due to the drought, the waterfall wasn’t that strong.

Cook’s Meadow Loop

• One mile loop on a flat open trail around the meadow.
• Leashed dogs, strollers, and bikes are OK.
• Parking is available near the Visitors Center.
• The closest restrooms are at the Visitors Center.
• This train is wheelchair accessible except in snow.

This easy walk around the big open meadow includes views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and more. This might be a good option to get acquainted with the valley, to walk in the morning when it’s not hot, or to see the evening light fall on Yosemite’s rocks.

Lower Yosemite Fall trail

• Strollers and leashed dogs are OK.
• No bathrooms
• Park on Northside Drive for close access or walk to the trail from the main visitor parking area near the park Visitors Center.
• This walk is a 1-mile loop.
• Be careful near the waterfall as rocks can be slippery even when dry.
• The waterfall is crowded during peak season.

This was our favorite part of our day in Yosemite Valley and definitely one of the best hikes with kids in Yosemite. The trail to Lower Yosemite Fall was easy and beautiful, meandering through tall trees, over little bridges, and past boulders before bringing us the loud rushing waterfall. Along the way we got an up-close view of three very loud mountain jays.

Finally, another stop worth mentioning was not a hike at all, but the kids really enjoyed it. After lunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel (which we unfortunately did not enjoy), we let the kids wander near the hotel. If you’re in the area, save a little time for it.

Behind the hotel, away from the parking lot, are some small walking paths and a big chair on a little bridge. If you have small kids, you know that they love crossing bridges, no matter how small, and testing out any empty chair. 🙂

And across the street from the hotel are some great rocks for exploring.

Nature is so much more interesting for kids when they can actually interact with it, and Yosemite has a lot of things for kids to climb, touch, and hide behind. We spent a good 30 minutes with these boulders, including looking for “caves” and figuring out how to get down from too-tall rocks.

I didn’t include any walks among the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove because when we arrived, there was nowhere to park and such a long line of cars waiting that we finally gave up. If you plan to go, get there early.

Yosemite day hikes.

Our 3-day stay in Yosemite National Park

What are some of your favorite kid-friendly places to hike? What easy hikes in Yosemite with kids do you recommend?