Panorama Trail

Panorama Trail runs 8.2 miles one-way from Glacier Point down into Yosemite Valley, dropping about 3,200 feet along the way. Almost everyone hikes it in that direction — down, not up — because the elevation loss is so lopsided that starting from the valley floor would mean a brutal climb for no added payoff. The trade-off is logistics: you need a way to get to Glacier Point first, since nothing shuttles you back there from the valley afterward.

The route

From the Glacier Point trailhead, the trail opens onto some of the widest views in the park before dropping toward Illilouette Fall. After crossing Illilouette Creek, it climbs roughly 800 feet to a low ridge, then descends again past Panorama Point toward Nevada Fall, Emerald Pool, and Vernal Fall on the final stretch into the valley via the Mist Trail or John Muir Trail. Budget 6-8 hours for the full one-way trip — this is a long day, not a stroll, and the National Park Service has logged rescues here from hikers who underestimated it.

Timing and water safety

• Glacier Point Road (and the trailhead it feeds) is typically open only late May through October or November, so this is a warm-season hike.
• If you plan to finish on the Mist Trail, check conditions first: as of 2026 it's closed weekdays 7am-3:30pm, Monday through Thursday, through the end of October for repair work, though it's open weekday evenings/early mornings and all day Friday through Sunday. The John Muir Trail is unaffected and works as a same-day alternate down to Happy Isles.
• Stay behind railings at the tops of Nevada and Vernal Falls — the current there is stronger than it looks, and Yosemite has a real history of fatal slips at both spots.