Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park

If I had to choose my favorite place on Earth, it would probably be Yosemite National Park.

To me, it is the perfect place for backpacking. The weather is often stable with clear blue skies, the trail network is incredible, the forests feel open and accessible, and the scenery is simply breathtaking. Massive granite walls rise above deep valleys, waterfalls pour down cliffs, and there are endless beautiful places to camp in the wilderness.

I have visited Yosemite probably over a dozen times by now, and in many ways, this is where my entire journey into adventure and filmmaking began.

When I lived in California in 2017 and 2018, I visited Yosemite for the first time mainly as a tourist - doing day hikes and exploring the park by car. At that point, I knew nothing about wilderness backpacking.

That changed when I met a guy named John at Camp 4.

He had just returned from a backpacking trip in the Yosemite backcountry, and while sitting around the campfire, he started showing me photos on his phone. One photo in particular completely changed my life. It showed his campsite high above Yosemite Valley overlooking Half Dome, with his tent and a small campfire in the foreground.

The moment I saw that image, I knew instantly: that is what I want to do.

The following year, I returned to California, stopped by REI to buy my first backpacking gear, and set out on my very first backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park.

Ever since then, I have continued returning almost every year - both to backpack and simply to spend time in the park. It remains one of the few places in the world that still gives me that same sense of excitement and inspiration every single time I visit.

I took this photo near Tunnel View at the end of an eight-day backpacking trip through Yosemite in 2025. After days in the wilderness, finishing the trek with this iconic view over Yosemite Valley felt like the perfect ending to the journey.