Yosemite Falls Trail

This trail doesn't ease you into anything. From the first switchback near Camp 4, you're climbing — and you won't really stop for nearly four miles. The lower section grinds through dozens of tight, rocky switchbacks with views that keep improving just enough to keep you moving. Around the halfway mark, you'll hit Columbia Rock, a flat overlook where most casual hikers turn around (no shame in that — the view is legitimately spectacular). Push on and the trail gets rougher, more exposed, and significantly steeper as you grind toward the top of the tallest waterfall in North America. The final push is a lung-scorcher, but when you step out onto the overlook and peer straight down the 2,425-foot drop, every switchback earns its keep. This trail rewards stubborn hikers who like earning their views the hard way.