Standing atop Yosemite: For best look at the park's waterfalls, take a hike

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Why enjoy America's tallest waterfall, Yosemite Falls, only from the bottom? A 7.2-mile round-trip hike will take you 2,700-feet skyward for a bird's-eye view of the spectacular plunge, seventh tallest in the world.

Now this isn't a "walk in the park," it is classified as a "strenuous" hike by the National Park Service. It recommends having six to eight hours to complete the trek.

If there's one key word hikers will learn traveling this trail, it is "switchbacks," as there are more than 120 to negotiate.

"How many more are left?" is a common query overheard along the path. "Switchbacks galore" is how one hiker described the trail.

"Lots of switchbacks up the trail and it gets moderate crowds — like everything else in Yosemite? but worth it," Arthur Dugbee from Indianapolis wrote on Summitpost.org after his hike.

"Whew, what a set of stairs!" is how another hiker described it.

A bronze model of the falls and switchbacks is located just north of the parking area for the Lower Yosemite Falls paved path. It is here where the best preview of what hikers undertake is to be found.

While scrutinizing that model, a middle-aged outdoorsman from Alaska walked by and offered a 10-minute recount of his experiences there the previous week. Even though he didn't make it to the top, because of snowy weather, he still thought it was a great experience.

He also cautioned that coming downhill isn't easy either, because of the loose gravel and dirt on the sometimes wet, rocky trail steps. That's why older hikers may want hiking poles for this expedition.

The Upper Falls Trail, one of the oldest in Yosemite, was constructed between 1873 and 1877. Superbly engineered, the trail is cut back in the mountain and offers plenty of comfortable margins from cliffs and drop-offs.

The trail begins about 0.3 of a mile northwest of Yosemite Lodge, near the "Camp 4" parking lot (formerly "Sunnyside), or shuttle-bus stop 7.

Shade dominates the first half of the trail. Some of the middle trail also goes downhill for a 600-yard stretch as it curves toward the falls. The middle section also includes chances to see rainbows and some misty but refreshing showers from the nearby falls, depending on the wind.

Even if you only go a mile up the trail, the Columbia Rock viewpoint offers panoramic looks at the valley. This is significant, because the lofty Glacier Point viewpoint is often not open well into May and this is a worthy alternative.

"Do not stray off the marked path, as you will find steep drops adjacent to the trail," the Park Service's trail guide warns.