Family-Friendly Hiking Trails in Yosemite

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The first time I ever went to Yosemite, it was just my mom, my sister, and our five kids, ranging in age from 2 months old to 6 years old. We were prepared to simply camp in Yosemite, but upon entering into the Valley, I knew I wanted to explore it all. I just didn’t know how that would be possible with kids and strollers so I was on a hunt to find some easy hikes in Yosemite that I could do with kids.

Yosemite truly is one of the best national parks for kids. There is so much beauty that can be seen in the Valley without going on any crazy adventures. However, if you’re like me and want to explore even further, there are plenty of easy hikes in Yosemite that you can bring the kids along for (or even to push in a stroller!).

I’d also recommend having baby carrier backpack for more flexibility in your hiking endeavors if you have really little ones. Otherwise these kids hiking essentials can help you out on the trails as well.

If one of your kids happens to be a 4th grader, you can get into Yosemite for free. Click here to find out how.

Lower Yosemite Falls Trail – One of the very easy hikes in Yosemite

One of the easiest trails you’ll find is the Lower Yosemite Falls trail. This trail is about a mile long and takes about 30 minutes to complete. And it’s completely paved, so you can push a stroller or wheelchair on the trail. The trail takes you to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls, and offers beautiful photo opportunities. To see the waterfalls in all of their glory, the best times to visit are spring to early summer. By late summer, the falls might be just a trickle.

Bridalveil Falls Trail

Note: This trail is currently closed for restoration (Apr. 2023) Bridalveil Falls is a beautiful focal point you’ll notice as soon as you enter the valley. Even in the drier months, this waterfall tends to be flowing. There’s a half-mile paved trail will take you to the waterfall’s base. While this trail is paved, it’s not wheel-chair accessible due to the steep grade. You can can decide if you’re up for pushing a stroller or not. The tricky thing about this trail is getting to it. There isn’t shuttle service to it, so you need to drive your own vehicle and hope to get parking, or take the much longer valley loop trail to it.

Cook’s Meadow Loop – An easy hike in Yosemite (more of a stroll)

This is a flat, 1-mile loop trail that’s easy to get to via the Yosemite shuttle. While walking this trail, you’ll enjoy beautiful views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point and Sentinel Rock. This trail is both wheelchair and stroller friendly (when not covered by snow).

Mirror Lake Trail

Mirror Lake is a great place to spend a portion of your day hanging out and letting the kids splash around in the freezing cold water. When the water levels are high enough, there is a rock that they can jump off of if they dare. Getting to Mirror Lake involves a bit of a trek though. If you’re just looking to get to the lake, it’s a 2-mile hike there and back. If you are wanting to explore more, it’s a total of 5 miles when you add on the loop around the lake.

You can take the shuttle to the Mirror Lake shuttle stop (#17), and it will bring you to a paved service road that takes you directly to the lake. You can also bike to this point. But at the end of the service road, all bikes must be parked, and it’s a pretty steep walk up to the lake. It is possible to do the 2-mile hike with a stroller (or a wagon), but the steep trek at the end will make you work a bit. And strollers can’t continue on beyond the lake.

Vernal Fall Trail – Not one of the super easy hikes in Yosemite, but worth a mention

The Vernal Falls trail was the most intriguing to me on my first Yosemite visit because the trail led to waterfalls that you couldn’t see from the valley floor, and I love a good waterfall.

I was told that the trail was paved so I could take my stroller… so I loaded my two kids up in the double jogger and took off. And yes, while this trail is in fact paved, it is very steep and was a lot more work than I was anticipating, especially going back down. I did make it though… and then the next year when my husband joined me and was the one to push the double jogger, he was in awe of what I had accomplished. So know that while it is possible, it is very challenging if you choose to push a stroller. I’d recommend a hiking backpack with child carrier over a stroller on this one.

The Vernal Fall trail is 1.6 miles round trip, and will take you to the Vernal Fall footbridge, where you will get the first glimpse of Vernal Fall. If you go just past the footbridge, you’ll see the famous Mist Trail — one of the best trails in Yosemite. It’s just half a mile longer to get to the top of Vernal Fall, however, that hike consists of more than 600 granite stairs and is very slippery from the waterfall mist, so no strollers for that part.

Consider Going to Nevada Falls

If you don’t have young kids, I recommend hiking to the top of Vernal Falls (2.6 miles round trip), or going even further to the top of Nevada Falls (5.4 miles round trip via the mist trail). When my youngest was just a couple months old, I put him in the ErgoBaby carrier and made it to the top of Nevada Falls, just stopping to feed him every couple of hours. It’s a strenuous hike, but definitely worth it to see two amazing waterfalls.

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