Sight · Yosemite National Park
El Capitan anchors a far-reaching view from the granite rim.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
“McGurk Meadow Trailhead is coming up, with a choice between a short meadow walk and the hike to Dewey Point.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tourRecorded for this place
McGurk Meadow and Dewey Point“McGurk Meadow Trailhead is coming up, with a choice between a short meadow walk and the hike to Dewey Point.”
Plays as you drive up to Dewey Point in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Guide
Dewey Point is a granite viewpoint on Yosemite Valley’s south rim, looking across the valley toward El Capitan, Cathedral Rocks and Half Dome. It’s a destination hike, not a roadside stop: plan on about 7.6 miles round trip with roughly 750 feet of gain, and set aside at least half a day.
From McGurk Meadow Trailhead on Glacier Point Road, the path drops about 250 feet to its junction with the Pohono Trail, then climbs roughly 500 feet over the final two miles. It crosses forest and meadow and passes the site of shepherd John McGurk’s old cabin before heading west on the Pohono Trail to the rim.
The payoff is a wide look into Yosemite Valley, with El Capitan prominent and Cathedral Rocks and Half Dome in the sweep. For a photo, keep El Capitan in a wide valley frame; the surrounding cliffs help show the depth, while a tight crop of granite loses the scale.
Wildlife
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyBridalveil Fall Trail0.5 mi · 20 min · 0.9 mi awayA short paved walk to the base of Bridalveil Fall.
ModerateArtist Point Trail2.2 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayA quieter perch beyond Tunnel View, reached along the old stagecoach road.
ChallengingStanford Point Trail7.6 mi · 6 hr · 1.6 mi awayA steep south-rim climb ends at a granite valley overlook.
ModerateInspiration Point Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 1.6 mi awayA steep climb to a quieter Yosemite Valley viewpointModerateDewey Point Trail8.2 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayA meadow and cabin site lead to a sweeping valley rim.
EasyMcGurk Meadow Trail1.6 mi · 1.3 hr · 2.7 mi awayA short meadow walk to wildflowers and a weathered cabin.
EasyWestfall Meadow Trail2.8 mi · 2 hr · 2.7 mi awayA short forest path reaches a meadow where the tread fades.
EasyTurtleback Dome Trail1.2 mi · 1 hr · 3.2 mi awayA short climb ends on granite above Yosemite Valley.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayBridalveil FallA 620-foot fall up close, with a short paved approach.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayValley ViewGranite cliffs and Bridalveil Fall framed across the Merced River.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayEl Capitan MeadowA 3,000-foot wall, dotted with tiny climbers.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayTunnel ViewThe valley opens in one huge panorama beyond the tunnel.
Beach · 1.9 mi awayCathedral BeachA shaded picnic with El Capitan reflected in the Merced.
Picnic area · 2.3 mi awayEl Capitan Picnic AreaPicnic tables and February access to Horsetail Fall’s elusive glow.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayTaft PointThe short walk ends at a rim facing El Capitan.
Sight · 3 mi awayBadger Pass Ski AreaA historic Yosemite ski base for downhill, Nordic, and snowshoe days.Parkwolf’s Yosemite ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
