Glacier Point

5 stars — offering majestic views of the Half Dome — the crown jewel of Yosemite National Park. Glacier Point is about an hour drive from Yosemite Village but a definite must. The best time to visit Glacier Point is sunset, so plan the trip accordingly — you want to get here about 30 minutes before sunset and stay at least 30 minutes after it. The lighting on Half Dome at sunset will not disappoint. Sentinel Dome is a mile hike, so worth exploring as well, if time permits.

We had arrived very late in the day on Nov 1, 2015, the first day of standard time at Glacier Point.
Weather forecast was for heavy rain the next day, and we wanted to see Glacier Point before they closed for the winter.
The Glacier Point Parking Lot is a one way counter clock wise parking lot running in a loop, with spots for perhaps two hundred vehicles, including extra long spots for buses and RVs.
During weekends the entire parking lot will be filled. Arrive early before 10am, or arrive late after 4pm, and avoid all the parking hassles, and hordes of tourists overrunning the site.
There is a limited number of restrooms open and these were nonflushing unisex pit toilets. The only flushing toilets are the four at the entrance, and these were always closed when I was here.
Normally there are long lines of women at all these restrooms, so I stop by Sentinel dome on the way up, and go there.
The drinking fountains do not work either. No tap water available, as the main restrooms are closed. Bring your own water, or pay through the nose at the concession stand, which is closed when we arrive at 5pm.
The paved asphalt trail to the Point is very broad and on an incline, but is stroller accessible and wheelchair accessible. There are safety railings everywhere, as it is a sheer 3000 foot drop into the Valley below.
At Glacier Point we have a 180 degree view. Upper and Lower Yosemite falls to one side, and Half Dome on the other side. Come here in July, and the Falls will be only a trickle, or dried up completely.
Glacier Point overlooks the Yosemite Valley, some 3000 feet below.
Dominating our view was Half Dome, and the surrounding granite mountains. There are spotting telescopes anchored at observation stations for viewing sights, including climbers on Half Dome.
The flat side of Half Dome is in the shade until the late afternoon. So you can’t make out the features of the Dome when it is in the shade.
We come here at sunset, for the best views of Half Dome, when the sight turns a bright gold color from the last rays of sunlight.
There is also views of Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls, short but broad falls set against the green background of the surrounding forests. These falls are still running in November before the first rains.
There is a concession stand selling ice cream sandwiches, and a souvenir shop.
We watch the last rays of sunlight flashing on Half Dome, with a pinkish tinge, as shadows completely engulf the massive piece of granite.
As we are leaving, a bus load of Asian tourists arrive, spilling hordes of people, minutes too late to see the sunset!
Darkness arrives at 515pm as we go down the long winding road to the Yosemite Valley 1 hour away. It’s a harrowing journey, driving in the dark, with hairpin curves and blind curves the first part of the road back.
The next day it rains the entire day, closing Glacier Point Road for the entire week, and perhaps the entire winter season.

this soooo far is the most scenic hike i’ve ever been to. It was challenging with the uphill slopes but nothing like the hike to Mission peak so I’d say it was medium difficulty. The middle part where you get to meet «the stairway» dpending on the waterfall you will get wet from all the mist. Be very cautious with the stair steps since they can get really slippery.
The way to the top for me gets easier with more stairs but it was more fun since you can almost see a glimpse of the top of the waterfall!
We finally got to the top, it was a nice area to relax… some people would go further back the stream of the waterfall to play with the water (AT YOUR OWN RISK due to the currents!!!)
Unfortunately for us it rained after just 10mins up top so everyone headed down immediately, NOT good, so be sure to check the weather.

We hiked to Glacier Point by taking the Four mile trail and little did we know the trail basically was all uphill with sharp switchbacks. The hike up was brutal — many areas were strenuous and steep. The whole experience felt like we were on the stair master for 3 hours in the 90 degree weather at a steep incline. The end of the trail led us to the visitor center at Glacier point and it was the most rewarding feeling after completing the most strenuous hike. The experience is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
The view at the top of Glacier Point is incredible and my favorite view during my trip to Yosemite. You get a beautiful view of Half-​dome and the surrounding areas. No picture will ever capture the beauty of Yosemite as seen in Glacier point. We packed a lunch and drinks which we enjoyed at the top of Glacier Point after our monstrous hike. We were so tired after our 3 hour hike that we all fell asleep on a rock side by side next to each other. Nothing felt more satisfying than that moment.

Glacier Point is a great place to enjoy stunning views of the valley floor. You can hike there or drive there. There is a parking lot, but the road isn’t always open due to the huge amount of people that flock there. During the summer season, there are shuttles that run throughout the park if you want to save yourself the hassle of trying to drive and get parking.
There are restrooms in the parking lot. There is also a shop that sells snacks and souvenirs. It’s a paved route that takes you from the parking lot to the overlook, which makes it really easy for people to get around. I saw people of all ages there.
The view is stunning, which is not surprising considering how popular it is. There are plenty of rails and walls to help make you feel safe if you are uneasy.

This is one of the top tourists spots in Yosemite. You get amazing views that will shock you up and down, but be prepared to deal with a lot of people. People from all corners of the world come here, which is great, but then you don’t have a lot of room or privacy to enjoy it.
However, Yosemite is huge and you aren’t restricted to this little spot to move around so you can go off the beaten path and still enjoy the same views. It’s really high up in case I didn’t blatantly didn’t say it, but unlike Sentinel Dome, there are plenty of barricades and the like to prevent you from falling.
There are many views like this in the world. You look down in the Valley and can imagine there being a medieval town being placed right there. It really feel like out of this world, which is just the way it should be.

It’s not really a hike, but I just love the view.
You get a GREAT view of half dome AND lower & upper yosemite falls! No wonder it’s so crowded with families here! It’s the perfect photo op!
There’s also a gift shop that sells food and ice cream!
There are a few hikes you can take if you walk towards the sides of the crowded area. My boyfriend and I did a little exploring since Glacier pt. wasn’t really a hike and we found some great trails! There’s trails to Illilouette Falls, Nevada Falls, and even all the way down to the valley!
Great place to go if you’re coming to Yosemite for the first time!

Great view! Make a habit if when the road is open to check this view out.
When I arrived the Rangers closed it down because they were overwhelmed with visitors. But on the way back I got the opportunity to see what I have seen on photos only.
Plenty of parking but it also depends how many visitirs are there at any given time, plus it’s summer so everyone is here, well not everyone.
It’s a good 30 minute drive from the main highway but worth it.

Snow kept me from visiting Glacier Point for way too long. At it high altitude, it melts so, so slowly!
Finally, after few days of sunshine it reopened!
OK, I have to admit — I do not scare easily, but that is one scary mother of roads. There is no way in hell you catching me driving it after sunset.
It’s windy, slippery, narrow and old. Holy pot-​holey-​ness!
Last segment before you hit the Glacier point has so many sharp turns, you half expect it turn into the knot.
But once you there, it’s an easy walk to the viewpoints. It’s a bit too touristy and over-​civilized for me, with all the asphalt and structures. But the view cannot be beat, so I can overlook the civilization if I stand on very edge…
You walk around, and whole Yosemite valley spreads up in front of you, wide open. Standing proud are the old mountains, white clouds catching up at their tops and hanging there like freshly washed linens on the line. Sun is bright, and it reflects in waterfalls and rivers. Tall and proud pines hanging standing on the edge…
So magnificent.

Wow, this will be my 900^th review! :)
Glacier Point is a special place. There are 2 ways to get there — either by car or by foot. Out of the 2 ways, we chose the «by foot» way. JUST GREAT. hahaha…
Yes, we hiked from Happy Isles at the Valley Floor, all the way up to Glacier Point, via Mist Trail and Panorama Trail (approx 9 miles of steady incline). We were able to see so many sights along the way, including Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, Liberty Cap, Half Dome, and Illilouette Falls. Our hike included sightings of a coyote too! :)
The views along the trails were so beautiful, and since we did the hike UP from the valley floor (most people do the trail that goes down instead), it was quite tiring and intense. Good thing we brought plenty of water, snacks, and made sure to hydrate.
The reason why we chose this hike was because the cable lines for Half Dome are not up yet (until past May 22, 2015 for this season), so we made the most of our time in Yosemite by doing another magnificent hike to Glacier Point. There are actually plenty of people that hike DOWN from Glacier Point to the Valley Floor (by taking a bus to Glacier Point, costs $ 25), we didn’t do that. haha…
Overall, the experience was wonderful and rewarding! We had a fabulous time and look forward to returning in the near future to climb Half Done! :)
Note: once you reach the top of Glacier Point, there’s a gift shop to buy souvenirs and ice cream bars. We bought 2 bars to rewards ourselves for conquering the hike up!
More photos here:

We drove up here. It’s worth coming up here. I know there are trails you can hike as well to get to Glacier Point as well, like the Four Mile Trail (it’s not really 4 miles, it’s longer).
Great views! Definitely a touristy spot. There’s a restaurant up here as well, but it wasn’t open when I went this weekend (April 10, 2015). There was snow and it’s chillier up here.

After Nevada Falls, I started going down the John Muir Trail. Most hikers take the trail back down to the valley. However, I wanted to complete the same grueling route that my friend took before me. There is no sign for the Panorama Trail on the John Muir Trail. Shortly after walking from the falls, there is a sign that points you towards Glacier Point. That path is the Panorama Trail and will take over 5 miles. You will ascend for a little bit. Then, you will go downhill for awhile. You will pay for it later as you will ascend for a long time afterwards in order to get to Glacier Point. Before you start the climb up, you will walk over a bridge above a beautiful stream. It is a good resting spot. As I got very close to the top of Glacier Point, I cramped up bad and had to take a 15 minute break to proceed. Fortunately, some food and water did the trick. While the Mist Trails and John Muir trails have a lot of shade, there are a lot of parts of the trail up to Glacier Point that are not shaded. As such, I highly recommend wearing sun block. I got sunburn because I did not put any on. The view at the top of Glacier Point is incredible and my favorite view during my trip to Yosemite. There is also a store at the top with food and beverages. I expected a significant markup in prices but it was consistent with a regular convenient store.
You can also pay for a shuttle to bring you up to Glacier Point and hike down.
For more recommendations for hikes and routes in Yosemite and places to stay/​eat outside that are nearby the park, please go to

Amazing views. Glacier point is about a quarter of a mile from the parking area. It’s about an hour from Yosemite Valley, but well worth the drive. We would have gone back our second evening, but ran out of daylight. All the points along the road, Tunnel View, Wabash, etc. are also spectacular in case you are running a bit late for a good sunset view.