Granite domes
After years of dicey human traffic jams backing up on the anxiety-inducing Half
Dome cables, the park now requires advance permits for this iconic yet grueling 17-mile hike. But other panoramic granite domes await freewheeling walk-ups. Folks with commensurate stamina can summit neighboring Clouds Rest, which hovers above Half Dome and hosts a fraction of its humanity. From Yosemite Valley, take the Tuolumne Meadows hikers’ bus to high elevation Tioga Road and trek one-way from Tenaya Lake, walking the same distance but sparing yourself a few thousand feet of sweaty ascent from the Valley. Or for a more modest commitment, survey the park’s superstar pinnacles and frothy waterfalls from the polished knob of Sentinel Dome, an easy walk from Glacier Point Road.
Colossal trees
For a stroll through towering ancient trees, the less-visited giant sequoia stand of Tuolumne Grove is a tranquil counterpoint to the impressive though crowded Mariposa Grove. Located in the Crane Flat area, it’s a short downhill to explore two dozen mammoth-trunked wonders that rocket to the sky. Saunter through the walk-through stump of Tunnel Tree, a 30ft diameter specimen that had already died before a passageway was carved out for cars in 1878. Kids can frolic in the hollow belly of a fallen giant and examine its intricate and now-exposed root system.
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