We went to Yosemite National Park with our 4-year-old and a stretch goal to hike to Nevada Fall. Having not hiked the trail ourselves nor read any reliable accounts of a child that age completing the hike, we were unsure if we were going to make it all the way there. Hoping for the best but prepared to turn around at any point, we headed to the trailhead.
Four hours later, we were standing at the top of Nevada Fall. It took a total of 7.5 hours to make the roundtrip — covering 9 miles and 2,600 feet of elevation gain — to Vernal and Nevada Fall and back again, via Mist and John Muir Trails.
In this post, we explain what that experience was like. We’ll go through our initial plans, our possible turn-around points, and exactly what the trails were like. Specifically, we focus on what they were like with a 4-year-old — or 4.5 if we’re being specific. We’ll go over what was difficult and in what ways and how our kid handled each part. At the end, I also threw in our packing list and a few tips to keep in mind.
If you’re wondering what it’s like to hike to Nevada Fall with a kid around 4, keep reading for everything you need to know.
A Quick Disclaimer
First and foremost, kids are all different and develop different skills, abilities and interests at different times. We are in no way saying what other children are / could be / should be capable of. I am sharing my child’s background for transparency — a gage for other parents trying to decide if this hike is right for their child.
As a family, we’re not particularly avid hikers, but we’re getting there. In the past few years, we’ve gotten more into the National Parks. Most notably, we visited Zion National Park a year ago when our child was 3. During that trip, our highlights included The Watchman, Emerald Pools and a short portion of The Narrows. Most recently (also age 4), we visited Acadia National Park. There, we stretched out to even further hikes, including Pemetic Mountain, Gorham Mountain and 11 miles of carriage trails.
We’re not always hiking, but we are pretty much always walking. We have chosen to be stroller-free and car-free, so our kid has been walking most places since they could walk. As NYC residents and frequent theme park goers, that means quite a bit of regular walking. Being able to walk 9 miles is a helpful prerequisite for being able to hike 9 miles.
Beyond general walking, our child has also expressed a bit of an interest in climbing and scrambling. They don’t have a traditional daredevil spirit (in fact, they’re scared of many features on the playground we go to every day) but they do ask to climb up most any rock or boulder we pass. This energy and interest is helpful on the trails.
They also love snacks, and there is very little they won’t do for a Fruit Roll-Up. This is helpful.
So that’s who we’re working with, here.
Our Route
During our April trip to Yosemite National Park, we hiked the Winter Route to Nevada Fall and the full Mist Trail back.
The trail started at Happy Isles (here). You can park nearby at the parking lot here (or Curry Village a little further) or take the shuttle to stop #16. The shuttle was going to take almost 1.5 hours so we decided to drive. There was plenty of parking when we arrived at 7:30 AM on a mid-April Saturday.
The first leg was the trailhead to the Vernal Fall Footbridge. This leg is just shy of a mile, but entirely uphill.
After the footbridge, the trail splits into two which join back up at Vernal Fall. The Mist Trail hugs the Merced River and includes 600 stone steps up the side of Vernal Fall. The John Muir Trail cuts away from the river and up a series of switchbacks. The later is less steep, but 1.5 miles longer.
We wanted to follow the Mist Trail up, but this segment of the trail was closed. Instead, we had to take the Winter Route, which meant we took the John Muir Trail to Vernal Fall, via Clark Point.
After Vernal Fall, we followed Mist Trail toward Nevada Fall and up a series of steep, rocky switchbacks to the top of the fall.
On the return journey, we again followed Mist Trail from Nevada Fall down to Vernal Fall. From the top of Vernal Fall, we saw that Mist Trail had opened. We happily took Mist Trail from Vernal Fall down to the footbridge.
Finally, we walked the combined Mist/John Muir Trail from the Vernal Fall Footbridge back to the trailhead.
Route Summary
Here’s a snapshot of our route. In the next sections, we’ll go over the details of what each leg was like.
- Trailhead to Vernal Fall Footbridge
- John Muir Trail from Vernal Fall Footbridge to Clark Point and Vernal Fall
- Mist Trail from Vernal Fall to top of Nevada Fall
- Mist Trail from Nevada Fall to Vernal Fall
- Mist Trail from Vernal Fall to Vernal Fall Footbridge
- Combined Mist/John Muir Trail from Vernal Fall Footbridge to Trailhead
Distance: 9 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,600 ft
Time: 7.5 hours (7:30 AM – 3 PM)
Treats consumed by 4-year-old: 3+
Steps taken by 4-year-old: 35,760
Trailhead to Vernal Fall Footbridge
We parked our car at this Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking lot at 7:30 AM. Then, we walked along a road-side trail for about a half mile to the trailhead. On the way, we passed by a public restroom, which I’d highly recommend using. (There were not many great options after that one.)
We picked up the John Muir/Mist Trail just after the Happy Isles Bridge.
At this point, the trail was paved … that was the only easy thing about this trail. It got steep very quickly. This leg of the trail is only about .6 miles, but it is almost entirely uphill with 400 feet of elevation.
The path here was wide and established, but there were a few steep drop-offs. Some places had rock walls, but not all. There’s not a huge risk of falling off because the path is so wide, but you also don’t want your child running too far ahead, goofing off or not paying attention.
The views from this trail were already banging. You can see the gushing Merced River Below, as well as what I believe is Illillouette Fall in the distance. The valley is already showing off.
At this point, our child (Zoe, btw) was full of energy, so this portion didn’t actually feel that hard in real time. Plenty of adults were taking breaks along the way, but we managed to power up this segment pretty quickly.
We reached the footbridge around 8:30 AM. At that time, we were the only ones there! Thankfully, we grabbed plenty of pics because it would be jam packed when we returned later in the day.
This was our first of three possible turn-back points. Zoe was still into it, so we gave them a pack of Gushers and continued on.
John Muir Trail from Vernal Fall Footbridge to Clark Point & Vernal Fall
Shortly after the Vernal Fall Footbridge, the trail hit a fork and the Mist and John Muir Trails diverged. Though we would have preferred to go up the Mist Trail, it was officially closed for the season so we followed the John Muir Trail.
The John Muir Trail from Vernal Fall Footbridge to the top of Vernal Fall is not as iconic as the Mist Trail steps, but it is beautiful in its own right. The views over the valley were incredible. The switchbacks were also a much more comfortable way to scale that kind of elevation, particularly with a kid. It wasn’t the choice we would have made, but it was the right choice. (More on that later.)
This leg of the trail was mostly switchbacks. First, we climbed up. The trail here was comfortably wide and clearly established but no longer paved liked the first segment. The path was often rocky, including several areas with stone steps. There were some areas with some steep drop offs, but for the most part this area felt pretty safe.
It was steep, but Zoe handled it fine. We played a lot of 20 Questions.
After about 1 mile up the switchbacks, we arrived at Clark Point. This viewpoint was one of my favorites. It looks out over the valley with epic views of Half Dome and Nevada Fall. There’s lots of flat rock space, so it’s a great place to grab a snack and take a break. That’s exactly what we did. (Zoe chose a Fruit Roll-Up for this break.)
After Clark Point, the trail descends down a series of steep downhill switchbacks. This portion was very rocky and a little bit tricky, particularly for little legs, but not scary. Some of it was stone steps, but some of it was just rocks. You really needed to pay attention to your footwork, but it wasn’t otherwise too dangerous. (We were very much not looking forward to going back up this segment later, though.)
The scariest part of this stretch of trail was when we approached the first Vernal Fall lookout. Here, there was a short hedge of stones and then a near-vertical cliff that went basically straight down to the base of the falls. It sneaks up on you and has a very low barrier, so be really careful here.
Terrifying fall aside, this was the best view of Vernal Fall (I think.) Be sure to stop here, but be extremely cautious about it.
After that, it was just a little bit further to the main viewpoint at the top of Vernal Fall. There is a guard railing near the edge of the fall, but you know, still be careful. We took a short break on the rocks nearby and popped into the bathroom (available, but not great.)
After a check-in Zoe, who with was still in good spirits, we continued onward.
Mist Trail from Vernal Fall to top of Nevada Fall
As we left Vernal Fall behind us, we picked up Mist Trail. It’s pretty well marked, but Mist Trail basically follows the water toward Nevada Fall, which you can see at this point. (The John Muir Trail between Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall is closed in the winter.)
The first half of this segment was delightful. It was wide, and mostly flat and shaded. We followed a lovely bridge over the river, walked through the woods, and reached a stunning view near the base of the fall. We took a short break here to climb on this tree.
After that though, things got hard. When we saw the switchbacks from the base Nevada Fall, we offered Zoe a final chance to bail. They decided they could make it to the top.
This segment from the base to the top of Nevada Fall going up was the hardest part (and combing back down it was the scariest part) of the entire hike.
The climb began up some steps and boulders. For the most part, it was easy to find and follow the trail, but it wasn’t always super obvious. We did lose the trail briefly at one point here, but there were enough people that we figured it out quickly.
About a third of the way up, the trail became more defined and narrow. It followed a series of step stone step switchbacks up the majority of the elevation. This part was hard. It was a steep climb with very steep drop-offs. For the most part, this section was stairs, but they were often rocky, uneven and narrow. Fortunately, there weren’t many other people passing us on the trail on the way up.
At this point, Zoe knew what they were doing was hard and understood it was dangerous. You could tell they were really in the zone and were really focused on doing the thing. We paused a few times to check in and give them pep talks, but there was not a lot of space on the trail for stopping.
For safety, we kept Zoe in the middle. I mostly went first and tested the trail. That meant giving Zoe warnings about any wobbly rocks, slippery spots, or particularly dangerous sections. My husband then followed behind, keeping a close eye on their footing and listening for passing hikers. He would be there in case they slipped or fell, which fortunately they never did.
As we approached the top of the fall, the trail evened out and turn away from the fall a bit. It eventually turned back around and led us to the final viewpoint at the very top of Nevada Fall. We proudly crossed the footbridge over the river and celebrated our success!
At the top, there was lots of flat, open space away from the fall to rest and enjoy the view. There were several people up here where we got here, but it wasn’t crowded by any means. We found a spot in the shade and enjoyed a much-needed picnic lunch. Zoe picked to have a Fruit by the Foot as their reward for making it to the top.
There was also some great views of the falls on both sides, but it’s pretty terrifying, even as an adult. On the south side of the falls (opposite side of the river from where you came up), there is no rail or guards at all. As you can see here, you can just walk right up and over the falls if you wanted.
Oh the other side, there was a railing and a fence, but not one I’d trust my life or my child’s life on. We stayed safely away from the edge and I held Zoe’s hand this entire time.
Zoe was the youngest person we saw on the trail by far, but we did see a few other kids at the top of Nevada Fall. I would peg the kids we saw up there to be around 6 to 10.
By the time we left the fall, Zoe was definitely pretty tired. They did not complain once on the entire hike up, but you could tell that they were a little nervous about having to do it all over again before we were done. At this point though, there was no choice other than going back down. With a belly full of lunch and the promise of their favorite juice after our next leg, we left Nevada Fall.
Mist Trail from Nevada Fall to Vernal Fall
As difficult as Mist Trail up to Nevada Fall was, we were even more nervous about the downhill. Going uphill is harder physically, but going downhill is more technical, and thus harder mentally. It’s also much scarier. I didn’t pause to take many pictures on the way down, because we were focused on getting down safely.
It was also much more crowded. There were so many more hikers on this portion of the trail when we were heading down around 12:30 PM. We frequently had to step to the side to let people go past us in both directions.
This was a rare time that we decided to hold Zoe’s hand. Generally, we don’t like to hold their hand while hiking. We want them to be focused and work on mastering their hiking skills — plus walking two-across can be dangerous on a narrow trail. However, on this leg with all the crowds, the priority was getting down and through this section quickly (and safely, of course.)
I didn’t get any photos on the switchbacks down, but I did snap this one near the base. I’m not sure who is giving the pep talk to whom.
After the rocky switchbacks, it was pretty smooth sailing back to Vernal Fall. The trail flattened out, we climbed the tree again, and we made the final push back to our next break at Vernal Fall.
We got to Vernal Fall the second time at 3:30 PM and it was packed. I imagine it’s more crowded during peak summer season, but even mid-April it was pretty full. It was definitely a different vibe than when we left it earlier in the day.
Nonetheless, we found some space and took our final break of the day. Zoe’s last treat was a character juice box — the chokehold that these juices have on us!
Mist Trail from Vernal Fall to Vernal Fall Footbridge
From the top of Vernal Fall, we could see the Mist Trail steps — the portion that was closed when we passed it on our way up. The trail opened up at some point and was now packed with hikers. We were thrilled to join them — both because we hadn’t hiked this trail yet and because it was 1.5 miles shorter than our planned route down John Muir Trail.
The trail is called Mist Trail for a reason, so we put on Zoe’s poncho and headed down. We also had ponchos for us, but didn’t bother wearing them. It wasn’t that cold and we didn’t mind getting a little wet. That turned out to be a fine decision.
This portion of the trail is exactly what we thought it would be: 600 steep stone steps, drenched by the spray of a the nearby waterfall.
The steps were tall, but pretty well defined. There was a railing along some of the steeper portions, but not the entire way. It was wet, but in our experience (maybe it was our hiking shoes) not that slippery.
There was quite a bit of traffic on the steps — most headed up. By the look on everyone’s faces, going up looked like a chore. Going down though, it was not that bad. We ended up climbing down pretty quickly, mostly to just get out of the crowds and the water.
Again, we opted to hold Zoe’s hand, though. We know they can go down stairs on their own, and holding their hand just allowed us to go a little quicker. If it wasn’t as crowded, they could have done it on their own, but we didn’t need to push it.
We did stop a few times to look back at the waterfall and it was STUNNING. The mist created multiple rainbows and it was just so beautiful. Going down, the only time you got to enjoy the view is when you stop to turn around. That wasn’t always possible or safe. You would definitely get a better view experience going up, but at a physical cost.
Zoe didn’t really care about the view, but they liked wearing their poncho and happily took the shorter route.
Vernal Fall Footbridge to Trailhead
We got back to the Vernal Fall Footbridge just after 2:30 and found a totally different scene than earlier.
The footbridge is a very popular destination on it’s own. Plenty of people just hike to footbridge and then turn back. The bridge and surrounding area was packed, and so was the rest of the trail back to the trailhead. (There is no shame in that! It’s a beautiful destination and not an easy hike either.)
The final push back was harder than we expected. We forgot just how steep this 0.6 miles of trail was. Going up it was hard, but going down it was hard too. After hiking 8.5 miles already, our feet were sore. And with the steep grade downhill, I could just feel my toes jamming into the front of my shoe with every step. The flat surface was nice though.
It was in this final stretch of trail that Zoe first started to complain. They were tired and decided they were over it. We were pretty happy to have made it as far as we did with a happy and enthusiastic kid, so we conceded a smidge of negativity in the final push.
And just like that, we were back at the trailhead and then to the car. It was time for dinner and Zoe’s pick of dessert.
Closing Thoughts on the Hike to Nevada Fall with a 4-year-old
This was one of the hardest things our kid has done to date. It wasn’t the longest hike they’ve done, but it covered significantly more elevation than we’ve ever experienced. It was hard for my husband and I, and we run marathons regularly.
The hardest and scariest part of this hike was definitely the switchbacks near Nevada Fall — hard going up, scary coming down. It was a steep descent with steep drop-offs and a fairly narrow, crowded trail. It required full focus from both of us and our child.
Other than that part — and some of the sketchy viewpoints above the falls which you could avoid — the hard part was endurance. Could they cover the distance and the elevation change? It was not as technical as it was tedious.
Overall, this hike went well for us and Zoe’s attitude had everything to do with that. We gave Zoe three sincere chances to turn around, without any sort of shame or judgement. Each time, they chose to keep going. They wanted to reach the top. (Was it also just because they wanted more candy? Probably.) Without that motivation, interest and positive attitude, we would have never succeeded.
The other thing that had a huge impact on our experience was the Mist Trail closure. Had Mist Trail been open on our way up, we probably would have taken it. I think that would have been a mistake. Those steps up looked a whole lot harder than the switchbacks we took on the other trail. Obviously I can’t predict what would have happened, but I’m not sure Zoe would have chosen to keep going after that.
As I was writing this post a week after our trip, I asked Zoe about it. They said they would do it again for the candy. And you know what? I’ll take it. We all have our reasons why we do hard things, and that was was theirs.
I’m not here to say that 4-year-olds can or can’t do this. I wrote this post to demonstrate that it’s possible, and provide an anecdotal example of what it was like and what it takes. In summary, it was difficult, a little bit scary, but overall a great experience for our little hiker.
What We Packed for the Hike
Here is what we packed for this 9 mile, 7.5 hour hike. My husband and I carried a majority of this in our two backpacks. Our toddler had a little backpack, too, but we only had them carry a couple of their snacks and a small juice bottle.
Food & Hydration
- Water. NPS officially recommends 3-4 liters per person for this hike. It wasn’t hot during our visit, and we ended up bringing 4 liters total for the three of us. We drank 2 liters, but better safe than sorry.
- Juice. Zoe also brought 1 small plastic bottle of juice as another treat.
- Snacks. We brought Peanut Butter Clif Bars, fruit leather, Pringles and trail mix.
- Reward snacks. Zoe picked the variety pack of Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit by the Foot as their motivation snack. They brought one of each on this hike and ate all of them.
- Lunch. We made PBJs in our hotel. I packed them inside the cardboard box Zoe’s fruit snacks came in to keep them from getting smooshed in my bag.
Other Essentials
- Ponchos. I have a reusable one for Zoe and disposable ones for Kenny and me. (They no longer make the exact one Zoe has, but this one is similar.)
- Sunblock
- Sunglasses
- Hats for all
- Bug spray
- Hand sanitizer
- Tripod. I have and like the SwitchPod, but it’s a pretty low tripod.
- Compostable bags. This was in case of any bathroom emergencies, which fortunately we didn’t have.
Tips for Hiking to Nevada Fall with Kids
- Download the map in advance. We had very poor cell service on the trail. The trails were marked in some places (if you knew where to look), but we referred to the downloaded map a few times. This video explains how to do it.
- Hug the mountain. When you’re hiking switchbacks, particularly with kids, always stay on the inside (mountain side) of the trail. This is an important safety lesson to instill in your kids early on. If you come across other people on the trail, then …
- Step inside to let others pass. If you’re hiking with kids, you’re likely going to be passed by faster adult hikers. Our policy is always to find a safe space on the mountain side to stand while they pass. (Technically, downhill hikers have the right of way, but as slower hikers, we tend to yield to anyone passing in either direction.)
- Keep kids close. On some portions of this trail, it’s okay and even encouraged to let kids lead. However, there are several sudden, steep and unprotected drop-offs that are pretty terrifying. Don’t let them run ahead if you don’t know exactly what is coming.
- Carry all food with you. There are bears in Yosemite and they are active and smart. (Kenny saw a bear during a morning run on a trail we’d hiked with our kid the afternoon before!) Do not leave any food in your car or on the trail. Any food you bring will need to be in your bag on your person.
- Start early. We started around 7:30 AM and it was perfect. We got to the footbridge and Vernal Fall before the crowds and didn’t have much traffic on the trails on our way out. By the time we turned around, we hit substantially more crowds.
- Tax yourself, credit your kid. In other words, make it a little harder for you and a little easier for them. For example, Kenny runs in the morning before we hike. Maybe it means you carry your kid for a portion of the trail when it’s safe to do so. This is how we balance the scales and try to proactively practice empathy with our kid.
- Wear the right shoes. Make sure you and your child wear shoes with good traction. If you are taking Mist Trail between the footbridge and Vernal Fall, waterproof shoes are even better. Zoe has these hiking shoes and Kenny and I both wore Nike Gore-Tex (waterproof) running shoes.
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