fbpx

logo ×

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Glacier Point Day Trip – 1 hour one-way drive from The Redwoods

As you wind along the 16 miles of Glacier Point Road to the amazing promontory at Glacier Point, you will enjoy the unfolding majesty of the High Sierra from roadside pullouts and short hiking trails. The route is open to Glacier Point from late spring until winter storms arrive.

  • Start out midafternoon, and pack a picnic dinner and backpack supplies for a short hike.
  • Drive to the Taft Point/Sentinel Dome trailhead parking area.
  • Select either the Taft Point or Sentinel Dome trail. The Taft Point trail is mostly flat and downhill, and will reward you with unusual rock formations, including the Fissures (wide gaps in rocks hundreds of feet deep), as well as an overhanging lookout point to the Valley floor below you. The Sentinel Dome trail is an uphill climb to the top of Sentinel Dome, where you will marvel at a 360-degree panoramic view of Yosemite’s landscape. Either trail is about 2 miles roundtrip. Allow 2 hours hiking time.
  • Continue driving out Glacier Point Road, and stop at Washburn Point to enjoy a sweeping panoramic view of the High Sierra, as well as views of Vernal, Nevada, and Illilouette Falls.
  • Drive to the end of Glacier Point Road. A walk of about 300 yards from the parking area takes you to Glacier Point, where you will enjoy one of the most magnificent views in the Park. The vista includes views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and down a 3,000 foot cliff into Yosemite Valley.
  • Time your arrival at Glacier Point for early evening, and enjoy your picnic dinner at the amphitheater with the High Sierra as your front seat view. A seasonal snack stand is open until 6:00 pm. Check your Yosemite Guide for current schedule.
  • Meet a ranger to enjoy an evening program presented at Glacier Point, with the alpenglow on the High Sierra country as a backdrop. On some evenings, rangers and volunteers from astronomical societies will host a star program, and on nights with a full moon, there is a special “Full Moon Rising” program. Check the Yosemite Guide for current schedule of activities.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.