Panorama Trail

This was my third time back at Yosemite, previous to this I only did easy/​medium trails for at most 3 hrs and up to 5 miles round trip. However, with a good pace and being mentally prepared, the panorama trail/​john muir trail is definitely do-​able for those who want to take their hiking skills from beginner to an intermediate. This trail is AWESOME!
Must dos — #1) take the glacier point bus up. if you do this, only 15% of the trail will be uphill, the rest is all downhill. #2) pack lots of water, lunch and snacks #3) pace yourself and prepare that it will take the whole day with, about 6 hrs on your feet 4) Read all the reviews for all the trial details as my feedback is mostly commentary =o)
Here is the breakdown of the big points:
Glacier Point Tour Bus — take the one way bus up. As I beginner hike (and possibly now quasi-​intermediate hiker) I can confidentially say that I would NOT be able to climb up this trail, down is the only way if you are not an experienced hiker… Don’t kid yourself!
Illilouette Falls — my first stop, great snack break at the bridge. Brace yourself because after this is the second HARDEST part of the trail in my opinion. After the falls, it is 45 mins to 60 mins of incline, you will be huffing puffing. just know that the horribleness is only for a short while (when compared to the whole hike), I must have done atleast a dozen micro breaks (30 seconds — 1 min) on this part.
Panorama Cliff was worth the mini detour (takes all of 3 mins to get here, then you spend another 10 mins in awe then walk back to the main trail.) Its a pretty well worn detour as you do walk through some clear cut shrubs then the view is awesome. you really start to see your progress! Note, we thought we saw the detour much early from the Falls (¼ miles) but the real one is really atleast ½ mile away from the falls. If the first turn out feels too sketchy don’t do it, the second turn out is the correct one and doesn’t feel like your life is in danger to get here. I thought we missed the turn out because maybe it was the first one, but no worries this one will appear eventually.
Nevada Falls — you will come to a junction (lots of signs) when you finish the Panorama Trail, from here the left is John Muir Trail, turn right is Nevada Falls. NOTE: Before this junction, you might be tempted to take a lunch break like I foolishly did along a beautiful stone wall because I was tired and hungry, but don’t it. Power on to the right to Nevada Falls and the view there will be AWESOME, and there you can have your well deserved lunch break there. Play around here for a bit, then backtrack back to Panorama trail to continue on JOHN MUIR trail. If you don’t back track, you will end up going down the mist trail or some other awfulness which per the reviews sounded extra hard.
Vernal Falls — home stretch, by this point you are very tired and when you see the signs for this, you will questions whether you can do this. You are going have to draw from deep within. The fact is there are LOTS of stone steps and its all UPHILL to get to Vernal Falls. its very tough after a long day. There will be smug folks passing you with big smiles who look like they have all the energy in the world while you have the look of agony. The is HARDEST part of the trail because you have already hiked sooo long. In reality, is prob only about 20 mins of uphill but will look like hell. You can do it because there is a rainbow at the end, literally. There is a mini short cut on the left at about the last ¹⁄₃ so its less steps but its a dirt path and some rocks to climb. This was worth it even thought I thought I was going to PTFO, but I was happy I did it. I cried a little (inside) but there is a rainbow if the light hits the water right and you can rest on the rocks and have well deserved snack.
Final walk down — The last few miles will feel like forever, but at least its down hill. So just stay focused and keep pace… and try not to trip over yourself. Eat the last of your snacks and drink all your water, this is it. Look back in absolute awe of what you have accomplished because it will have been alot!
TL:DR — Glacier Point Bus up at 10am, start hiking by noon on Panorama Trail (stops at Illilouette Falls, Panorama Cliff and Nevada Falls), then down to valley floor via John Muir Trail (stop at Vernal Falls) by 6pm. Almost 10 miles total, but the views and experience are worth every step.

After Nevada Falls, I started going down the John Muir Trail. Most hikers take the trail back down to the valley. However, I wanted to complete the same grueling route that my friend took before me. There is no sign for the Panorama Trail on the John Muir Trail. Shortly after walking from the falls, there is a sign that points you towards Glacier Point. That path is the Panorama Trail and will take over 5 miles. You will ascend for a little bit. Then, you will go downhill for awhile. You will pay for it later as you will ascend for a long time afterwards in order to get to Glacier Point. Before you start the climb up, you will walk over a bridge above a beautiful stream. It is a good resting spot. As I got very close to the top of Glacier Point, I cramped up bad and had to take a 15 minute break to proceed. Fortunately, some food and water did the trick. While the Mist Trails and John Muir trails have a lot of shade, there are a lot of parts of the trail up to Glacier Point that are not shaded. As such, I highly recommend wearing sun block. I got sunburn because I did not put any on. The view at the top of Glacier Point is incredible and my favorite view during my trip to Yosemite. There is also a store at the top with food and beverages. I expected a significant markup in prices but it was consistent with a regular convenient store.
For more recommendations for hikes and routes in Yosemite and places to stay/​eat outside that are nearby the park, please go to

Unbelievable views along the entire trail. If you only have one day to spend in the Yosemite Valley area, then this is definitely the biggest bang for your buck vista wise. Here comes the biggest HOWEVER of all time though — definitely know what you’re getting into and be prepared. I’m almost glad we didn’t give this more than a cursory look before setting off since had I known what we were in for, then I may have never dared to attempt it. You need to be in good shape, I don’t know that I could in good conscience recommend this to other beginners (though we are beginners and we made it) and bring plenty of water and some good snacks that will give you boosts of energy along the way. The elevation is no joke as well — if you’re not used to it, as we weren’t, then it can be an unpleasant surprise.
Both my husband and I are in decent shape and while I’m (mostly) sure there were never any actual life threatening moments, I learned the true meaning of «bone tired» by the end of the day. My legs (particularly the hamstrings) and knees vehemently let me know about their displeasure for about three days after the hike. Thank goodness we were off to wine country after this and I could sooth my pains with some of the best red wines in the country. Our guide book of lies told us that the Panorama could be accomplished in 4 – 6 hours. I couldn’t bring myself to check the actual time, but we were definitely on the 6+ range. I realize there are far, far better hikers in the world, but unless you can somehow float above the landscape/​run the entire thing, then I see no earthly way to complete that monster in 4 hours. It also said there was, and I quote, «a bit of an uphill section.» HA. Sure, buddy. «A bit» my (aching) left foot. That is a rough section, but in the grand scheme of the hike it actually isn’t that long (a mile or two I believe).
We hiked in early September so losing daylight was a concern by the end. This would be unbelievably treacherous at night — make sure you allow yourself plenty of time. The waterfalls were still lovely, but by this time of the year they are quite dry — something of a blessing when it came to the end and we (by mistake) took the Mist Trail down by Vernal Falls — AKA — never ending cliff walk/​stairs of death. If those had been damp, as happens in the spring/​early summer, I think I might have died a bit on the inside. I have… a thing when it comes to steep stairs/​edges/​open-​air-​to-​your-​untimely-​death-​on-​the-​right types of heights. I saw one poor woman who seemed more freaked than me, but nearly everyone else just skipped (or so it seemed to me) on down. If you’d like to avoid this part, then take the John Muir down instead. Bring a good guide book or map as the signs can be tough to spot in some areas.
Do yourself a favor and take the shuttle or bus tour from Yosemite Lodge up to Glacier Point and hike down. Between the views of Half Dome at GP and all of the gorgeous spots along the Panorama, you really get an outstanding sense of this area of the park.
I am super glad and very proud that we accomplished the trail — I think it’s one of my favorite vacation memories of all time, which I can say now that my legs are finally back to normal.
One last thing — we stayed at Camp Curry, which is great. They have a pizza patio and a small bar on site as well. That simple pizza and beer after completing the Panorama was possibly the best meal I have ever enjoyed. Period.

This review is for the NOT-​SO-​FIT MENTALLY-​UNPREPARED BUT REALLY-​WANT-​TO-​DO-​IT HIKERS!
My friend and I planned to do our very first day hike and chose to go all out with the four mile trail-​panorama circuit route. Both of us are 22 and fairly fit, but definitely not as physically inept to tackle a strenuous hike as most others take weeks preparing for.
We began our hike around 9am walking to the Four Mile Trail TH from camp 4 and began our way up, but since this review is for the Panorama Trail, I’ll just start from when we began our way down.
We started our trip downhill towards the Illiouette Falls around 2pm and quickly realized how strenuous the hike was going to be. By the time we reached the sign that told us only 1 more mile was left towards the first falls and 7 more miles left to the valley, it was already 3pm. One hour per mile? At this rate, our hopes were beginning to get shot as it already felt like we wouldnt be reaching the valley floor until 10pm.
After reachinf the beautiful Illiouette Falls, we were both extremely tired and dreading the fact that the next 1 – 2 miles looked like straight uphill in a not so shaded trail. After taking MULTIPLE stops with each shaded area we got, we reenergized with food, drank that water, had a few moments to contemplate what would happen and what we could possibly do if we COULDNT finish the trail in time, we finally got up and kept on going (at our own pace of course).
We did get passed by a rude person making a snide comment at how we «should have worked harder… before getting here!!!»
(Which in all honesty, yes maybe he did have a point to some degree, but nobody should fault someone for just trying to explore nature and do it to the best of our ability?!?)
ANYWAY, nevada falls was BEAUTIFUL, and we didnt reach it until about 7pm. Prior to this stop, we had already mutually agreed to take the John Muir trail back to Happy Isles but ofcourse, we saw no such distinction between the trails when we passed it. We ended up at the top of the Mist Trail stairs and began the long journey down the Unforgivable Stairs of Doom (as I began to call it).
Luck as I had it, I banged my knee EXTREMELY hard against a rock while trying to balance my way down on of the steep stairs which dampened my mojo for a quick second but, we still had 4ish miles to go? Couldnt just be stuck there next to the a raging waterfall. After limping a good .5 miles, the pain eventually became one with my whole body and the numbness began. What even is pain? Mind over matter.
We reached Vernal Falls fairly quickly but time began to pass even faster. The stairs are really NO. JOKE. If you have bad knees or ankles, dont even try doing this. But on the contrary, I can attest to having THE weakest knees and THE weakest ankles (my right ankle was already sprained before this hike even began), and I was able to do it! I pushed through the pain quite fluidly, not saying it was easy but I did it!
By 8pm the sun was pretty much gone and all we had to do was walk the rest of the trail to the end and up to the Happy Isles shuttle stop. Finally reached the stops with plenty other hikers at 830.
ALL IN ALL, it was a wonderful, life-​changing hike. I feel like my body was put into a situation where I’d be forced to push it in ways I’ve never pushed it before. I lugged around a gallon + more of water and plenty of food plus a heavy Nikon D90. If you have a good hiking buddy, and the right intentions set, theres no reason why you wouldnt be able to do this trail :)
(Cept rly though… was not anticipating how hard it’d be) (the reviews are no lie) (this is one of the most strenuous but rewarding hikes forshure)

BEST HIKE I HAVE EVER DONE.
.
To do this hike (Panorama Trail) you have three options
1) take the bus tour (no shuttle service) up to Glacier Point which only leaves from The Yosemite Lodge. Reservations required. Call the lodge.
Note: there is free «shuttle service» all over the Vallley floor including Happy Isles where the hike ends FYI.
Our party did this. We did the 830 AM
2)hike up from the Valley floor on the 4 Mile Hike, starting point near the Swinging Bridge near Bridaveil Fall. Elevation gain almost 4,000feet.
Note: to do both hikes you will need to be especially fit.
3) hitch hike up. Hike down.
Maybe another option is two cars.
Good Luck.
My son and GF are doing the 4 mile and Panorama. Of course they are half my age… ha ha
Park your car at Yosemite Lodge… free. Like many say here it has everything a GREAT hike should have. I went in late May and all the falls were on full display.
It will be hard on your knees. It is not easy and I hike a lot. But I am old so many youngsters did pass me by. It is mostly downhill if you start at Glacier Point. A 700 foot elevation gain after about 2 miles awaits you. It is 8.5 miles long one way. Take the bus to Glacier Point. Give your self 6 hours or so and stop frequently to snap photos! I suggest the 830 bus from Yosemite Lodge. Reservations required. Or hitch hike up. Your choice.
You will see Illouette Falls first. This one is mostly missed because the valley hikers usually do not go this far.
Next will be Nevada Falls. The trail divides and you could either down the Mist Trail which is steep and slippery or the less demanding John Muir trail which gives you a lesser view of Vernal Falls but a most awesome view below Nevada Falls.
All in all if you like to hike like I do this is the ONE to do in Yosemite.
I would not bring my 2 year old but if you are in decent hiking shape do not miss this one!
Beautiful!

This is one of the best trails in Yosemite because you can take Mist Trail from Vernal Falls Trailhead up to Nevada Falls, and connect with the Panorama Trail — all the way up to Glacier Point. The hike is about 8.2 miles from the Vernal Falls Trailhead to Glacier Point. We did this hike this past weekend and really worked ourselves out! It was spectacular, with phenomenal views of the Yosemite monoliths, including Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, Liberty Cap, and more! :)
We even saw a Coyote, walking uphill through the mountainside, as we were hiking. You should be in decent shape before you take on this trek. We did the hike upward from the valley floor all the way up to the elevation of Glacier Point at 7,214 feet above sea level.
There is an easier route (supposedly) that you can take from Glacier Point down to the valley floor, but it may be hard on your knees. I think the uphill hike is probably better and easier. :)
Some photos I captured are available here:

BEST HIKE EVER
Seriously, if you only have one day to see Yosemite this is the hike to do. You get the most bang for your buck, miss a lot of the big crowds, see a ton of great scenery and get a great workout too.
We did this hike on memorial day weekend and it wasn’t even that busy. Sure, we passed people on the trail but it was not crowded by any means.
We started at the 4 mile trail head, hiked up to glacier point and the followed the trail to nevada and vernal falls then took the bus back to the lodge and walked the last half mile back to the car. I highly recommend taking this route because you get the most strenuous part of the hike done first and the views just get more and more amazing. Finishing with the mist trail was perfect and then it is just a short bus ride back.
Be warned, 4 mile trail is quite steep but you can do it. Just plan on taking your time. Not to mention that when you get to glacier point you can reward yourself with an ice cream cone at the gift shop. From glacier point you can take the trail down to illouhette falls, to the top of nevada falls and down the mist trail past vernal falls.
Start early, bring LOTS of water and a water filter if you have one (we brought 5 liters each and still had to stop and filter more water twice), pack a lunch and plenty of snacks and be sure to take your time. Enjoy!
More info: we left the valley floor at 4 mile trail at 6:30 am and made it back to curry village at about 6:30 pm and were able to catch a free shuttle back to within a mile of the car.

On Monday 05÷20÷13 I decided to hike the Panorama Trail in the opposite direction from all the reviews that I had read. 95 percent of the reviews have hikers starting this hike from Glacier Point. I must admit that I was a little intimidated by the elevation gain and the hike up both Vernal and Nevada Falls. I decided to park my vehicle at the 4-​Mile Trailhead and take the shuttle to Happy Isles Trailhead. I arrived in Yosemite at 8:30am and after getting off the shuttle I was at the trailhead
At 10:20am. My initial thoughts are that Nancy and I were getting a late start to a difficult hike. Here are some trail times for those who choose to attempt this route in the future. One last comment; We did not rush through this hike, we took many pictures, enjoyed Panorama Point, Glacier Point, and Union Point during our hike.
1) 11:05 top of Vernal Falls (10 minutes to take pictures).
2) 12:13 top of Nevada Falls.
3) 1:30 Panorama Point (12 minute stop, fantastic views).
4) 2:00 Illilouette Falls.
5) 3:30 Glacier Point (30 minutes lunch & views).
6) 4:00 4-​Mile Trailhead at Glacier Point.
7) 4:33 Union Point (sat on rock ½ hour and enjoyed view).
8) 6:30 4-​Mile Trailhead & parked car.
In a couple of years I will be getting my senior card to US national parks so anyone in good shape will be able to do this hike. I must say I was surprised it was not more difficult considering all the reviews. This is one of the most scenic hikes I have been on and there are many photo opportunities throughout this hike. I hope you find this review helpful and that you realize that the elevation gain for this hike is about 3200 ft. Just do it and you won’t regret it and the feeling of accomplishment is great.

Hiked from G Point to LYV.
As this name, really enjoyed great panoramic view.

This is a pretty nice trail with lots of great views. A lot of people will take the shuttle to Glacier Point and then hike back down to the Valley on this trail (or the reverse of that) My wife and I hiked up to Glacier point via the 4 mile trail (trail head is on the right side of the road driving east through the valley just before Swinging Bridge) and then used the Panorama Trail to get back down to the Valley floor. It was then another 3 mile walk back to our truck parked at the 4 mile trail head.
There is a 3200 foot elevation change from the valley to GP, but this trail has a few hills to go over as well. There is also another 800 — 1000 foot drop down, across, and back up and out of the Illiouette Creek to add on top of that. Hiking down to the valley isn’t that hard (even with the hike up and out of Illiouette Creek) unless you had already climbed up to Glacier Point instead of taking the shuttle to the top, or you can’t sustain that long of a straight incline or decline.
There are lots of awesome views along this trail, but the best is at the unmarked Panorama Point. This is located on the left about ¾ of the way up from Illiouette Creek when hiking from GP down to the Valley. It’s a short distance through some tight bushes to an overlook that once housed a guard rail, but lost it during a few rock slides in the 60’s and 70’s. This is a completely unobstructed view of most of the park. Do not miss it!
The other great thing about this trail is that you get to see Nevada and Vernal Falls for free since this trail spills out into the John Muir trail just a short distance over from the top of Nevada Falls. From here, you can either go back over Nevada Falls and come down the Mist Valley Trail over Vernal Falls (Lots of stairs, lots of people, very steep, and very slick) or continue down the John Muir Trail until it meets back up with the Mist Valley Trail at the bottom. Since I have previously climbed up the Mist valley Trail to see Vernal and Nevada Falls, I elected to take the easier sloped (and less crowded) John Muir Trail down to the bottom.
Do it on it’s own, or do it as part of an all day loop, but if you like to hike, then definitely do it at least once.

If you are reading this review and have yet to hike the Panorama Trail, or haven’t visited Yosemite at all, please take the following steps:
1. Turn off your computer.
2. Pack some hiking gear, trail mix, and water.
3. Get in your car.
4. Drive to Glacier Point, Yosemite (This applies to everyone, even if you live in Maine).
5. Get hiking.
The Panorama Trail at Yosemite is by far the most beautiful hike I have ever had the pleasure of taking. You start off looking across the valley at Yosemite’s big hitters, such as Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and end up walking all the way around so you end up looking down at the water rushing down the falls. You cover some incredible ground. The hike is diverse and breathtaking.
I recommend doing a one way trip of the Panorama Trail. We really liked starting from Glacier Point and hiking down to the Valley. It took us about 6 hours (this was with several stops to take in the beautiful vistas along the way). We ended up taking the John Muir Trail from Nevada Falls instead of the Mist Trail to avoid the steep downhill and crowd, which turned out to be a perfect decision.
This hike is a little deceiving at first, if you start from GP. It’s downhill and has a rather relaxed beginning. Later, it goes uphill and things change. Make sure you have plenty of snacks and water. I definitely underestimated this one.
And a final note, don’t tell too many people about this trail. Keep it between you and me. It is one of the less traveled trails and is far more enjoyable for that reason. Share this information sparingly.
But first and foremost, check out this trail immediately and enjoy!

POSITIVE
a road less traveled
a waterfall less seen
a panoramic view
NEGATIVE
panoramic views are limited
downhill, then uphill, then downhill, then…
WILL I RETURN?
maybe

If you’re in Yosemite and want a hike with some of the most breathtaking views available then look no further than the Panorama Trail.
Starting at Glacier Point, the trail offers great views of Half Dome as you hike your way down to Illilouette Falls at the valley floor before ascending up to Nevada Falls. It’s about 8.5 miles one way and down hill for the most part, except for a climb (760 feet) after reaching the valley floor.
I did this hike with a friend at 8am at the end of July, starting at Glacier Point, stopping for a rest at illilouette Creek, ascending to Nevada Falls before having a rest and dip in the water there, before heading back to Glacier Point. Once you reach Nevada Falls you have the option of continuing down the Mist Trail past Emerald Pool and Vernal Fall, but as we had parked our car at Glacier Point we thought we would hike it back. BIG BOO-​BOO!!.
As it was now midday it was over 100 degrees and I had a 3200 foot ascent back to Glacier Point with very little water. The hike from Nevada Fall to Glacier Point is still a hike with beautiful scenery, but is very strenuous. Ensure you’re experienced enough and have water/​food reserves if you take it on. Also don’t forget to stop off at Panorama Point which is just off the trail about half a mile after crossing Illilouette Creek, it offers a great view of the back of Half Dome, Liberty Cap and Glacier Point.
This trail was well sign posted along the way and we never lost the trail once, it’s predominantly a series of switch backs and offers ever changing perspectives of some great Yosemite scenery. I would rate the down hill one way hike about ⁵⁄₆ out of 10 for difficulty, while the return must be an ⁸⁄₁₀. The crowd factor was low during the hike although Nevada Fall and Glacier Point both got busy as the morning wore on.
There’s only one thing I can guarantee with the Panorama Hike — you will remember the views and hike itself for a long long time to come.