Mist Trail / Happy Isles (Vernal Fall)
There is no parking at the Happy Isles trailhead, and there never has been. NPS is direct about it: “Parking is not available at the trailhead itself, but you can park at Curry Village, less than one mile (1.6 km) from the trailhead.” The other option is the free Valleywide or East Valley Shuttle to stop #16.
So the parking question here is really the Yosemite Valley parking question — get a space anywhere by 8 a.m. and let the shuttle do the rest.
Live restriction worth knowing before you commit: from July 27 through October 2026, the Mist Trail above the Vernal Fall footbridge is open Fridays through Sundays and holidays only. Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., you're detoured onto the John Muir Trail.
The facts
- Trail served
- Vernal Fall footbridge (1.6 mi round trip, 400 ft gain); top of Vernal Fall via the Mist Trail (2.4 mi round trip, 1,000 ft gain); top of Nevada Fall (5.4 mi round trip, 2,000 ft gain). Also the start of the John Muir Trail and the approach to Half Dome
- Cost / pass
- Parking free. Park entrance $35/vehicle for 7 days, $30 motorcycle, $20 per person. America the Beautiful accepted. Non-US residents 16+ pay an extra $100 unless admitted on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The park does not accept cash. No reservation required in 2026. A separate permit is required for Half Dome whenever the cables are up, and it does not exempt you from anything to do with parking
- Lot size
- No lot exists at the trailhead. The effective parking is Curry Village, for which NPS publishes NO COUNT — the same gap as every other Valley lot
- When it fills
- Yosemite Valley guidance applies: NPS says arrive before 8 a.m., after which parking is usually full
- Overflow option
- The free Valleywide Shuttle (every 12–22 min) and East Valley Shuttle (every 8–12 min), 7 a.m.–10 p.m., to stop #16. Because the trailhead has no lot, the shuttle is not the backup plan — it is the plan
- Tow / citation risk
- NPS states it directly: “Do not create a new roadside or off-road parking space; violators may be towed and/or cited.” Vehicles on vegetation or blocking traffic are subject to citation and towing
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Road to the lot
- Paved, year-round, on the Valley floor. The road to Happy Isles itself is closed to private vehicles — shuttle and foot traffic only
- Busy season
- Spring for maximum waterfall flow, which is also when the Mist Trail earns its name and the granite steps are genuinely slippery. Note the Fri–Sun restriction above the footbridge runs July 27 through October 2026
Getting there
Get directions →No lot, on purpose
Most trailheads on this site have a parking problem. This one has no parking at all, which is a different thing and easier to plan for once you accept it.
Happy Isles sits at the eastern end of the Valley on a road closed to private vehicles. NPS's instruction is to park at Curry Village, less than a mile away, and walk in — or to take the shuttle to stop #16 and follow the signs across the bridge.
That makes this page a special case of the Yosemite Valley parking problem rather than its own. Get a space anywhere on the Valley floor by 8 a.m., and the shuttle — every 8–12 minutes on the East Valley loop — closes the gap. The walk from Curry Village is under a mile and pleasant, so a full shuttle isn't a crisis either.
Worth knowing about facilities before a hot afternoon: there are restrooms at the shuttle stop and at the Vernal Fall footbridge (May to October), plus vault toilets above the top of Vernal Fall and at the top of Nevada Fall.
The live 2026 restriction that changes which trail you walk
This is the thing to check before you drive in, and it's new enough that most people arrive not knowing it.
From July 27 through October 2026 (subject to change), the Mist Trail between its junction with the John Muir Trail — above the Vernal Fall footbridge — and the top of Vernal Fall is open Fridays through Sundays and on holidays. Monday to Thursday it's closed from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., normally reopening outside those hours when conditions are safe.
On weekdays in that window, the John Muir Trail is the signed detour to the top of Vernal Fall. It's longer and less dramatic — you trade the granite staircase and the spray for switchbacks and a wider view — but it gets you to the same place, and the Ice Cut section between Clark Point and the Panorama Trail junction is open as of the latest NPS update.
The practical consequence: if the Mist Trail specifically is why you came, come on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or holiday. A Tuesday gets you a different hike than the one in the photographs. NPS updates this page frequently — it was revised the day before we verified it — so check it the morning you go.
Plan B
Park anywhere in the Valley and ride. That is the whole strategy, and it works from Yosemite Village and the Yosemite Falls area as well as from Curry Village. The East Valley Shuttle runs every 8–12 minutes and the trailhead is stop #16.
Start early for the trail, not just the parking. The Mist Trail's granite steps are wet and crowded by mid-morning in spring, and the section above the footbridge is a genuine bottleneck with two-way foot traffic on narrow stone. Being on it at 7 a.m. is a materially better experience than being on it at 11.
Loop it rather than repeat it. Up the Mist Trail, down the John Muir Trail is the standard and it's better in both directions — the Mist Trail's steps are unpleasant descending, and the JMT gives you the classic Nevada Fall view on the way down. On weekdays during the current restriction the loop runs in reverse by necessity.
Half Dome permits don't help you here. A permit gets you on the cables and nothing else — it exempts you from no entrance fee, no parking rule, and no shuttle queue.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you park for the Mist Trail?
At Curry Village, less than a mile from the trailhead — there is no parking at Happy Isles itself. NPS states this directly. The alternative is the free Valleywide or East Valley Shuttle to stop #16, which is how most people reach it.
Is the Mist Trail open in 2026?
Partly. From July 27 through October 2026, the section above the Vernal Fall footbridge to the top of Vernal Fall is open Fridays through Sundays and on holidays, and closed Mondays to Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The John Muir Trail is the signed alternate during those weekday hours.
How long is the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall?
1.6 miles round trip with 400 feet of gain to the Vernal Fall footbridge, 2.4 miles round trip with 1,000 feet of gain to the top of Vernal Fall, and 5.4 miles round trip with 2,000 feet of gain if you continue to the top of Nevada Fall.
Can you drive to Happy Isles?
No. The road to Happy Isles is closed to private vehicles and there is no parking at the trailhead. Access is by the free shuttle to stop #16 or on foot from Curry Village, under a mile away.
Are there restrooms on the Mist Trail?
Yes. There are restrooms at the trailhead shuttle stop and at the Vernal Fall footbridge about a mile up, the latter open May to October. Vault toilets are located beyond the top of Vernal Fall and at the top of Nevada Fall.
Facts on this page last verified July 28, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.