Parking
Use the Glacier Point parking and tour unloading area at the end of Glacier Point Road; the paved walk starts from the main lot.
Overview
About Glacier Point Overlook Trail
Why go
- Big Half Dome and Valley views for very little walking.
Heads up
- The seasonal, hour-long drive is much longer than the walk.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation7,192–7,234 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureDome Fire closes Glacier Point Road and trailsMentions Glacier Point Road, referenced in this guideGlacier Point Road is temporarily closed because Dome Fire smoke reduces visibility and to allow firefighting operations; some trails south of the road are also closed.Official details
- CautionMist Trail access limited during October repairsThe Mist Trail between its John Muir Trail junction above the Vernal Fall footbridge and the top of Vernal Fall has limited access through October for repair work.Official details
“You're coming up on Glacier Point, more than three thousand feet above Curry Village. Half Dome is the obvious landmark, but give yourself time to look down into the Valley and across to the high Sierra too.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Yosemite, narrated.
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 trailhead
Glacier Point0:00 / 0:31
“You're coming up on Glacier Point, more than three thousand feet above Curry Village. Half Dome is the obvious landmark, but give yourself time to look down into the Valley and across to the high Sierra too.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Washburn Point
- Happy Isles and Vernal Fall Footbridge
- Curry Village and Stoneman Meadow
- Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center
- 125 audio storiesacross Yosemite’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Peregrine Falcon, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 141 trails, 99 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Glacier Point Overlook Trail
The short versionGlacier Point Overlook Trail is a paved out-and-back, 300 yards each way (600 yards round trip,…
Glacier Point Overlook Trail is a paved out-and-back, 300 yards each way (600 yards round trip, about 0.34 mile). The park estimates 10–15 minutes for the walk itself. It is a short leg-stretch at the end of a long drive, with Yosemite Valley and Half Dome spread below the overlook.
The approachThe pavement has a gentle grade, but the viewpoint is 3,214 feet above Curry Village.
The pavement has a gentle grade, but the viewpoint is 3,214 feet above Curry Village. Stay on the established terrace and keep children close. Yosemite currently describes the paved access as wheelchair accessible; its 2022 accessibility guide says the 300-yard switchback has sections steeper than accessible grades. Check with the park which path fits your needs if that distinction matters. Pets are not allowed on this trail under park rules, even though it is paved.
At the overlookHalf Dome anchors a sweep that also takes in Yosemite Falls and the high country.
Half Dome anchors a sweep that also takes in Yosemite Falls and the high country. Give yourself a little time to look beyond the dome; the Valley and distant ridges make this a worthwhile panorama, not just a quick checkmark at the railing.
Getting thereStart from the Glacier Point parking and tour unloading area at the end of Glacier Point Road.
Start from the Glacier Point parking and tour unloading area at the end of Glacier Point Road. The road usually opens from late May through October or November, depending on conditions; Yosemite Valley is about an hour away by car. There is no regular shuttle between the Valley and Glacier Point.
A story from 1903Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir visited Glacier Point during a three-day trip through Yosemite.
Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir visited Glacier Point during a three-day trip through Yosemite. Buffalo Soldiers from the Ninth Cavalry escorted them and were asked to clear the Four Mile Trail for Roosevelt; Muir and the president used the assignment as a ruse to slip away from their escorts. The story later appeared in print that year.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yosemite
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.
