Parking
Start at the upper Tunnel View lot east of Wawona Tunnel; rock steps on its east side climb to the Pohono Trail.
Overview
About Stanford Point Trail
Why go
- Inspiration Point and Stanford Point give two distinct Yosemite Valley views.
Heads up
- A long, steep, rocky climb for a single destination.
The Stanford Point hike is a 7.6-mile out-and-back from Tunnel View to the south-rim overlook and back. Allow about six hours for a long, steep climb with roughly 2,800 feet of total ascent. The route is rocky and switchbacked early; the view at Inspiration Point gives you a first look at Bridalveil Fall, but the trail keeps climbing through forest and exposed ground. Turn around at Stanford Point for this itinerary; Crocker Point lies farther along the Pohono Trail and makes a longer outing.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe climb and the payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation4,403–7,018 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureDome Fire closes Glacier Point Road and trailsGlacier 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 approaching Tunnel View, where El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and distant Half Dome share one view into the Valley.”
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
Tunnel View0:00 / 0:31
“You're approaching Tunnel View, where El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and distant Half Dome share one view into the Valley.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Weighing the Winter’s Water
- Valley View
- A Bat You Can Hear
- Bridalveil Fall
- 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 Stanford Point Trail
Out of Tunnel ViewStart from the upper lot east of Wawona Tunnel.
Start from the upper lot east of Wawona Tunnel. Rock steps on the east side join the Pohono Trail. The first stretch climbs steeply on uneven rock toward Inspiration Point. At the old Wawona Stage Road crossing, follow the Pohono signs; leaf litter can hide the tread and make the descent slippery in fall.
Across the south rimBeyond Inspiration Point, the path winds through mixed pine forest and exposed sections,…
Beyond Inspiration Point, the path winds through mixed pine forest and exposed sections, passing Old Inspiration Point before crossing Meadow Brook near Stanford Point. Unbridged crossings on the Pohono Trail can run high in late spring and early summer. Snow and ice can cover or obscure the tread in winter and spring. Pets and bicycles are not allowed on Yosemite hiking trails.
At Stanford PointThe granite overlook opens across Yosemite Valley to El Capitan, Half Dome and the Merced River.
The granite overlook opens across Yosemite Valley to El Capitan, Half Dome and the Merced River. The rust-colored Stanford Point sign makes a strong foreground for a valley view; keep back from the exposed edge. Return by the same route.
A road beneath the trailThe approach crosses the old Wawona Stage Road, built around 1875 as a toll road between Wawona…
The approach crosses the old Wawona Stage Road, built around 1875 as a toll road between Wawona and Yosemite Valley. Wawona Tunnel opened in 1933 after a 29-month project that blasted through more than 4,200 feet of granite.
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.
