Cycling the 19km Yosemite Valley Bike Paths & Walking to Mirror Lake (Half Dome Reflection)

Here is the single best insider tip for visiting Yosemite Valley between May and October: rent a bicycle. While cars and shuttle buses wait in slow single-lane loop traffic on busy summer afternoons, Yosemite Valley is crisscrossed by over 19 kilometres (12 miles) of flat, paved, car-free bicycle and pedestrian paths that let you glide quietly from Yosemite Falls to Curry Village, Happy Isles and Mirror Lake in minutes.

1. Where to Rent Bikes in Yosemite Valley (And the Free 'Yosemite Bike Share')

• Full-Day & Half-Day Bike Rentals (At Both Yosemite Valley Lodge and Curry Village): open from spring through autumn on a first-come, first-served basis (arrive early on summer mornings before they rent out). They offer upright cruiser bikes, children's bikes, pull-behind kid trailers, tandem bikes, and pedal-assist e-bikes (helmets included).
• The Free 'Yosemite Bike Share' (Via App): sponsored by the Yosemite Conservancy, racks of free blue shared bikes sit at the Yosemite Village Welcome Center and Yosemite Valley Lodge. Download the Yosemite Bike Share app to unlock a bike for free for up to 2 hours.

2. Riding or Walking to 'Mirror Lake' (Shuttle Stop #17, 3.2 km Round-Trip or 8 km Full Loop)

Tucked into the mouth of Tenaya Canyon directly at the foot of the sheer 600-metre vertical north-west face of Half Dome and Mount Watkins lies Mirror Lake (known to the Ahwahneechee as Ahwiyah, 'Quiet Water'):

• Why Having a Bike Here Is a Superpower: walkers get off the shuttle at Stop #17 and walk 1.6 km (25 mins) up the paved service road to the water. Bicycles are permitted to ride all the way up the paved road to the bike racks right beside the lake, turning a 45-minute walk into an effortless 8-minute ride.
• Seasonal Water Reality (Spring Lake vs Late Summer 'Mirror Meadow'): Mirror Lake is the last remnant of the glacial lake that once filled Yosemite Valley, gradually filling with sand to become a meadow. From April through July, snowmelt in Tenaya Creek fills a glass-calm pool that creates a razor-sharp reflection of Mount Watkins and Half Dome; by August, September and October, the water recedes into sandy 'Mirror Meadow', where you can walk onto the dry creek bed to look straight up at Half Dome.