Hiking and Horseback-Riding in Yosemite

Brendan Hedges

To experience Yosemite National in all of its awe-inspiring, spiritually uplifting grandeur, plan your trip with Yosemite Park Service. The main attractions here are ones you probably already know by name—Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, Half Dome—but you can choose to explore them in a variety of ways like biking or horseback.

The Ahwahnee

This 1927 historic landmark in Yosemite Valley has a stunning setting, surrounded by forest, waterfalls, and towering cliffs and just minutes from the trailheads to El Capitan and Half Dome. The property underwent a renovation in 2010 that gives interiors an English country-house vibe: hand-loomed fabrics, stenciled walls, and hundred-year-old rugs. iPod docking stations and flat-screen TV’s provide 21st-century comforts—not that they hold a candle to that view of Half Dome out your window.

Yosemite Lodge at the Falls

This rustic lodge offers mountain bike rentals for wheeling through the park.

Wawona Stables

Arrange half-day horseback rides through Yosemite to see the park’s mountains and meadows.

The Ahwahnee Dining Room

At dinnertime, splurge on Moroccan tagines and slow-roasted prime rib at this upscale restaurant.