The view coming out from the tunnel was simply breathtaking. It's hard to imagine that places like this really exist until you actually see them for yourself. We went in February and I was really excited to see snow, but it was one of their driest years and there was none on the ground. I think I would have liked this park more covered in snow (the valley), but I think that's also because I was really looking forward to it. It was still beautiful and the hikes we took were really pretty. We didn't get to explore the high areas due to the roads being closed for winter.
This was my favorite part of Yosemite! I just couldn't believe the trees were SO BIG! I love the reddish color as well and how it contrasts with all the greenery. We went in winter, so none of the shuttle buses were running. The trail wasn't too bad though, and there's good signage with distances to know how far each landmark is. We found a pinecone that was probably 2 feet long. And it snowed (although for just a few minutes) when we were there, which was beautiful. It was so quiet and serene.
You can pay for parking or you can park along the side of the road. The road is narrow with a curve though, so be careful! There were park rangers hanging around when we were there near the entrance to the trail and they were very friendly. The trail isn't too long or difficult down to the overlook and it isn't super crowded. You can't actually get down to the falls, but the view from the look out is beautiful!
This is a true hidden gem! PURPLE sand!!!!!! I'm not kidding! If you go after a rain that's when there's supposed to be the most purple sand. The walk from the parking area is easy and the beach is beautiful.
So beautiful! There's a small parking area to pull over if there are too many cars on the side of the road. Just be careful walking across the road. I can't believe this kind of scenery exists in the US. The PCH is gorgeous!
Gorgeous area to walk around and enjoy the scenery. The beach is rocky (not sandy), but I think it was beautiful. It was really neat to walk around and see the tide pools with the sea anemones.