Family Friendly Hikes in California

Family Friendly Hikes in California at a Glance

This page lists 5 family friendly hikes in California from the Summit Seeker trail database. Summit elevations run from 3,975 ft (Lower Yosemite Fall) to 9,329 ft (May Lake).

5 of the 5 routes have a distance we can quote from a published source. The shortest is Lower Yosemite Fall at 1 mi; the longest is Mirror Lake at 5 mi. Elevation gain ranges from about 50 ft (Lower Yosemite Fall) to 1,000 ft (Sentinel Dome & Taft Point). Together the quoted routes add up to 15.7 miles of hiking. By their own ratings they break down as 3 easy, 2 moderate.

All 5 guides name a specific trailhead or parking area.

Figures are as recorded in each trail's own data and are planning estimates (≈ marks a figure estimated from the mapped track); confirm conditions and route length with the land manager before you go.

Every family friendly hike in California, with route facts

Trail	Summit	Route	Distance	Gain	Time	Difficulty	Trailhead
May Lake	9,329 ft	—	2.4 mi round trip	485 ft	1.5 hr	Easy	May Lake Trailhead, Tioga Road. Small parking lot, arrive early
Sentinel Dome & Taft Point	8,122 ft	Sentinel Dome & Taft Point Loop	4.9 mi loop	1,000 ft	3.5 hr	Moderate	Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Trailhead, Glacier Point Road. Limited parking
Vernal Fall	5,900 ft	Mist Trail to Vernal Fall	2.4 mi round trip	1,000 ft	3 hr	Moderate	Happy Isles Trailhead, Yosemite Valley. Take free shuttle in summer
Mirror Lake	4,100 ft	Mirror Lake Loop	5 mi loop	200 ft	2.5 hr	Easy	Mirror Lake Trailhead, Yosemite Valley. Paved path, wheelchair accessible first section
Lower Yosemite Fall	3,975 ft	Lower Yosemite Fall Loop	1 mi loop	50 ft	30 min	Easy	Sentinel Bridge Parking & Lookout

Route notes

May Lake — 2.4 mi round trip from May Lake Trailhead, Tioga Road. Small parking lot, arrive early, 485 ft of elevation gain, about 1.5 hr, rated Easy. Parking: $35 park entrance.
Sentinel Dome & Taft Point — a 4.9-mile loop via the Sentinel Dome & Taft Point Loop from Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Trailhead, Glacier Point Road. Limited parking, 1,000 ft of elevation gain, about 3.5 hr, rated Moderate. Parking: $35 park entrance.
Vernal Fall — 2.4 mi round trip via the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall from Happy Isles Trailhead, Yosemite Valley. Take free shuttle in summer, 1,000 ft of elevation gain, about 3 hr, rated Moderate. Parking: $35 vehicle entrance fee.
Mirror Lake — a 5-mile loop via the Mirror Lake Loop from Mirror Lake Trailhead, Yosemite Valley. Paved path, wheelchair accessible first section, 200 ft of elevation gain, about 2.5 hr, rated Easy. Parking: $35 park entrance.
Lower Yosemite Fall — a 1-mile loop via the Lower Yosemite Fall Loop from Sentinel Bridge Parking & Lookout, 50 ft of elevation gain, about 30 min, rated Easy. Parking: $35 park entrance.

3,975 ft

Family Friendly Hikes in California