So today, reservations were made available from June 1st and later. I was able, by some miracle, to get a reservation at Upper Pines for June 7th and 8th at one site, and the 9th and 10th at another. The sites are close to one another so we will be carrying the tent over to the other site. Anyway, what should I do while there? What must I see? My son is 12 and daughter is 5. They are both capable of hiking, we went to Glacier in July and they tackled some 6+ mile hikes. Thanks
If you're going to Yosemite for waterfalls, then June is perfect. The best trail that time of year is the Panorama Trail: take a bus up to Glacier Point and hike back down to the Valley. You go by three huge waterfalls (Illilouette Fall, Nevada Fall, and Vernal Fall) at max flow. You'll want to time it for a start about noon or maybe 11AM, as the best views on the trail are East towards the Cathedral and Clark ranges, and if you're doing this in the morning you'll just be looking at the sun and missing the best views. The Mist Trail part is extremely slippery and wet that time of year, so I don't recommend going down it. You can instead take the John Muir Trail down from Nevada Fall. I would never take a 5 year old down the Mist Trail because of how slick it is and because the crowds will be ridiculous. Everyone hikes the Mist Trail up to Vernal Fall and it is insanely packed. A couple of years ago a University of Texas professor fell to his death on the crowded and slick trail under Vernal Fall. And keep the kids out of the water above the fall too; the Merced River goes a lot faster than it looks. 3 people were swept over it 3 years ago and it took weeks to even retrieve the bodies.
But for hiking I think you're going at least a month too early. Yosemite Valley is the reason lots of people think Yosemite sucks. It's really crowded in the summer and the traffic is a nightmare. I'm talking LA freeway bumper to bumper level at time (especially weekends). June is great for the waterfalls, but it cuts you off from the high country, which is where all the best hiking is.
If you go in July, August, or September you can go up to high country and leave the valley for the people who don't know any better. Lots of spectacular hikes to summits like Mount Hoffmann or Mount Dana up there (though Dana is steep; not dangerous steep, but fatiguing steep). And Tuolumne Meadows is a great campsite since you're so close to the best dayhikes. Some nice lakes to hike to like Tenaya Lake and May Lake, or Lower and Upper Cathedral Lakes. If you want a good level hike you can go up Lyell Canyon with views towards Mount Lyell and the Lyell Glacier, or Mono Pass with views to the Kuna Crest and Mono Lake. You have some nice domes with great views in Tuolumne Meadows: namely Lembert Dome and Pothole Dome. Pothole Dome is a really easy hike with spectacular views of Tuolumne Meadows and Mount Dana when you're on top. Someone mentioned Clouds Rest, and while that is maybe the best dayhike I have ever done, it's 14 miles roundtrip and I would never take a 5 year old on it. The summit ridge can get only 3-5 feet wide in places with a big 4500 foot dropoff into Tenaya Canyon on one side and a 1500 foot dropoff the side of the mountain on the other. Anyone scared of heights would get freaked out to hell on this ridge because the dropoff into Tenaya Canyon looks vertical when you're there (it's actually maybe 45-50 degrees).
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