Let’s just get this out of the way: Hiking through Yosemite Valley, whether it be to Vernal and Nevada falls or through Cook’s Meadow, is a mesmerizing and special experience.

The hulking granite walls will remind you how small you are — and how remarkable our world is. Listening as waterfalls thunder down the mountain can place you in a meditative trance if you let it. The beauty of the valley is the best kind of sensory overload. It’s the reason that, at times, Yosemite can feel a bit crowded and why so many Angelenos are willing to drive 5½ hours north to reach it.

Patrick, a friend of The Wild, stands at the railing in the Taft Point area of Yosemite National Park.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

If you’re wanting to experience Yosemite’s beauty without the crowds, then dear Wilder, I have a little treat for you. Last week, I visited the park with my friend Patrick in search of a hike around Yosemite Valley where we could still find solitude. I’m so excited to share it with you!

Before we dive in, though, a few reminders:

• Never trod off path into any of Yosemite’s meadows, as they are sensitive habitats.
• Check the weather before heading out; Yosemite’s elevation varies widely, and it heats up in the summer, especially in the valley.
• Pack accordingly — especially on day hikes — as rescue can take hours; your pack should include anything you’d need should you have to spend the night outside.
• Do not feed the wildlife, including squirrels. 🐿️🥜🙅
• In short, please practice Leave No Trace as you explore this national treasure.

Last week, Patrick and I took a 10.4-mile journey to Taft Point, an epic lookout point that many hikers reach through a shorter 2.2-mile trek from the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Trailhead. Let me tell you why, if your schedule and body allow, the long way is better.

For much of the hike from McGurk Meadow to Taft Point, you’ll be under the shade of massive pine trees and evergreens.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

We started our hike from our campsite in nearby Bridalveil Creek, one of about half a dozen campgrounds in Yosemite where you can book two weeks ahead, and walked .7 miles to the McGurk Meadow Trailhead, where around 11 a.m., there remained ample parking.

The green and golden grasses of McGurk Meadow dappled with white flowers glowing in the August sun.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

I was concerned about how hot it would get since we had gotten a later start, but we were immediately shaded on the trail by tall evergreens amid a forest floor of ferns and other greenery. After a short jaunt through the woods, we spotted the green and golden grasses of McGurk Meadow, still dappled with wildflowers.

As we traversed the narrow dirt path, we stopped to observe the red paintbrushes, purply pink fireweed and yellow goldenrod growing along the trail. No one rushed past us as we debated whether a particular white flower was yarrow or something else. (It was something else.)

About 1.8 miles from the trailhead, we reached the end of the McGurk Meadows Trail and continued northeast on the Pohono Trail. We’d seen around eight people at this point, including SoCal-based photographer Jason Anderson who told us about a bear he’d spotted ahead on the trail. (More on bears later!)

Bridalveil Creek is a good spot to cool off or filter water for your canteens along the Pohono Trail in Yosemite National Park.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

We arrived at Bridalveil Creek shortly thereafter, just over two miles in. We crossed a wooden bridge that takes hikers over the waterway, pausing to observe rainbow trout and chat with a hiker who’d spent the night in a nearby backcountry camp. This creek appeared to be the only water source this late in the summer, so if you have a filter and need to refill your bottles, this is where you should stop.

As we hiked through more pine forest, past yellow California coneflower and purple Sierra Larkspur, I asked Patrick: “Does this hike feel like a ‘Yosemite hike’? Or was this like any other walk in the woods?”

Red paintbrush, clockwise, inflorescence of fireweed, a type of goldenrod, common yarrow, sierra larkspur and California coneflower grow in Yosemite National Park.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Patrick paused to consider. We’d already passed a large pristine meadow. We’d seen several wildflowers still blooming and the crystal clear river still flowing despite the August heat. And we were almost always hiking under the shade of giant trees.

Still, when you are hiking in Yosemite, you’re expecting to experience the cream of America’s national park crop. Patrick confided in me that although he’d enjoyed everything so far, much of his expectations for our hike would depend on what we observed at Taft Point.

Unlike me, he hadn’t Googled it before coming on the trip and didn’t know what to expect. And although I’d seen the images, I feared this: What if it’s all just clever Instagram angles, and this turns out to be a waste of precious time? (I am perpetually concerned about letting you down, dear Wilder!)

Then, just under four miles from the trailhead, the landscape shifted from pine forest to boulders and short trees and shrubs. We spotted a short metal railing and marched over boulders to the outlook. I gazed down at Yosemite Valley, my fears about the trail’s splendor (or lack thereof) dissipating. El Capitan, which rises over 3,000 feet above the valley floor, was in full view. Yosemite Falls, mostly dry this time of year, was easy to spot.

Wild writer Jaclyn Cosgrove celebrates their successful jaunt to Taft Point, an epic lookout point in Yosemite National Park.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

I went to check out the famous rock outcropping I’d spotted online. Patrick, who was rapidly discovering his fear of heights, stayed at the railing to take my photo. I marveled all around me at all that rivers and glaciers had carved over millions of years.

The view from the railing near the Taft Point lookout.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Taft Point was the busiest point of our hike, but it was still easy enough to find a spot in the shade to enjoy our lunch. We saw fewer than 20 people on the trail and just a few dozen total at Taft Point. It never felt crowded.

As we headed back, I remarked to Patrick how surprised I was not to see a single bear given how few people were on the trail. I learned why when we met a group of about eight kids from South L.A. swimming in Bridalveil Creek.

“We saw four bears!” one of them shouted to us.

One of their chaperones showed us a picture of a bruin just off trail. I chuckled to myself. The children’s joy over the sightings was infectious. And we still got to see squirrels, chipmunks, woodpeckers, blue jays and one deer just a few feet off trail (who wasn’t particularly concerned about our presence).

A deer rests just off the McGurk Meadow Trail in Yosemite National Park.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

I understand that writing about a less crowded hike in Yosemite will undoubtedly mean more people take this path. I heard similar complaints when I wrote about Kings Canyon last year. This is why I try to always include Leave No Trace principles and encourage hikers to respect the space.

Additionally, I hope my words not only inspire you to visit Yosemite but also to do further research, as this is only one of several less-crowded hikes in the park. Given the park’s fever-pitch overcrowding, I was surprised to learn just how easy it remains to be alone in Yosemite!

I hope you find a similar solitude, should that be what your heart needs.

3 things to do

Dogs are allowed to swim during Pooches in the Pool, an L.A. County Parks and Recreation event that marks the end of the county’s pool season. All pools are drained and cleaned for the year after the event.

(L.A. County Parks)

1. Enjoy the dog days of summer in L.A.
L.A. County Parks and Recreation will host its Pooches in the Pool event on Saturday morning at two county pools. Dogs can swim at Ted Watkins Memorial Park (1335 E. 103rd St.) or Don Knabe Community Regional Park (19700 S. Bloomfield Ave. in Cerritos). Swim times are split between small and large dogs, with small dogs swimming from 9 to 10 a.m. and large dogs from 10 to 11 a.m. Learn more at parks.lacounty.gov.

2. Hike and swim with new pals in Malibu
The Just Trek Crew will celebrate its sixth anniversary with a hike and beach day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in Malibu. The group will hike 2.5 miles and then dance and lounge on a secluded beach in Malibu. Register at partiful.com.

3. Soak up the stars in Beverly Hills
TreePeople will host a moonlight hike Friday in Coldwater Canyon Park in Beverly Hills. The event starts at 7 p.m. with a performance by local musicians. Guided hikes will start at 8 p.m., and the group will be split among those taking easy, moderate or strenuous routes. Tickets are $20 per adult and $10 per child under 15. Register at treepeople.org.

The must-read

Yellow 2291, an adult female black bear, gave birth to three cubs (two males, one female) in mid-January in the Santa Monica Mountains, making them the first family of black bears living in the range in years.

(Steve Gonzalez / California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

The bohemian enclave of Topanga Canyon has a new celebrity resident: a roughly 175-pound female black bear known as Yellow 2291, reports Times staff writer Andrew Campa. The 5- to 7-year-old bruin recently gave birth to three cubs, and wildlife officials say the quartet is the first black bear family to reside in the Santa Monica Mountains in years. Thanks to a tracking tag applied to the mama bear by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials know she has an extensive travel history, traversing at least 100 miles across L.A. County before landing in Topanga Canyon. If you happen to spot her and her babies, please give them a wide berth. It’s always best to respect the locals!

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

REI’s annual Labor Day sale starts tomorrow and runs through Sept. 1. You will find 25% off REI Co-op brand tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads and other deep discounts on the brand’s clothing. I plan to take advantage of the 25% off all Darn Tough socks, my favorite brand of (blister-free!) hiking socks, which I reviewed in last year’s holiday Gift Guide from The Times. This is also a great time to grab a discounted Garmin inReach Mini 2, which will enable you to keep in touch with loved ones while out in the wild. Have fun out there!

For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.