Sentinel Bridge

Sentinel Bridge is a road and pedestrian bridge over the Merced River in Yosemite Valley, known for the view upstream to Half Dome and its reflection. It’s an easy stop if you want that classic Yosemite view: the bridge itself is the viewpoint, with the river below and Half Dome beyond it. A paved route from the nearby bus stop and parking crosses the street and continues onto the bridge; the site is listed as wheelchair accessible.

The mirror depends on low, fairly still water. Fall and winter give you the best chance, and sunset is the time to plan around if the reflection is your goal. Leave some river below Half Dome in the frame; the water is what completes the shot. Sunset can get busy with photographers and tripods, though quieter visits are reported at other times.

There’s a small lot beside the bridge, but it’s reachable only from the northbound lane of Southside Drive. If you’re coming from the other direction, park at Yosemite Village and walk over; it’s a short walk. A pedestrian route from the nearby bus stop crosses the road and joins a paved sidewalk onto the bridge.

The crossing has a longer story than the structure you see now. An earlier Sentinel Bridge, built in 1918–19, carried the main traffic over the Merced at Old Yosemite Village, once the center of activity in the Valley. In 1991 it was described as the park’s oldest surviving Merced River bridge; that span was demolished in 1993.