Parking
Day visitors use the Yosemite Falls parking area across the road and just beyond the Camp 4 entrance; Camp 4 parking is for campers. Valleywide Shuttle stop 7 is near the trailhead.
Overview
About Yosemite Point Trail
Why go
- Combines Columbia Rock, Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point in one hike.
- Finishes with views of Half Dome and Lost Arrow Spire.
Heads up
- A strenuous exposed climb that takes most of a day.
- Loose rock and serious drop-offs demand careful footing.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation4,091–6,965 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 nearing Camp 4, the tent campground that became a gathering place for Yosemite climbers after World War Two. Yvon Chouinard made climbing gear here on an old anvil and sold it from the parking lot.”
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
Camp 4 and Yosemite Falls Trailhead0:00 / 0:31
“You're nearing Camp 4, the tent campground that became a gathering place for Yosemite climbers after World War Two. Yvon Chouinard made climbing gear here on an old anvil and sold it from the parking lot.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Yosemite Falls and the Lower Fall Loop
- Swinging Bridge and Four Mile Trail
- Sentinel Bridge, Cook's Meadow and Yosemite Chapel
- Yosemite Village
- 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 Yosemite Point Trail
A full day to Yosemite PointYosemite Point Trail is an 8.8-mile out-and-back from Camp 4 via the Yosemite Falls Trail.
Yosemite Point Trail is an 8.8-mile out-and-back from Camp 4 via the Yosemite Falls Trail. Climb to the top of Yosemite Falls, then head east toward North Dome on the Yosemite Point extension and return the same way. Allow about eight hours. The first climb is strenuous, and the extra distance makes this a full-day hike, but the payoff is a high rim view toward Half Dome and Lost Arrow Spire.
The steep climbThe trail starts behind Camp 4 and gains height on sustained switchbacks through oak woodland.
The trail starts behind Camp 4 and gains height on sustained switchbacks through oak woodland. Columbia Rock, about a mile up, opens a view toward Half Dome and Sentinel Rock. Another half mile brings you to a view of Upper Yosemite Fall. The path briefly drops after that overlook before climbing again; the upper half is steep, rocky and exposed.
Above the fallsNear the top, loose granite can be slippery and the tread runs close to steep drops.
Near the top, loose granite can be slippery and the tread runs close to steep drops. Yosemite Creek flows directly above the waterfall; do not wade or swim there. Stay on the established path rather than exploring toward the rim.
Continue east to Yosemite PointAt the top of the falls, follow the signs toward North Dome for Yosemite Point.
At the top of the falls, follow the signs toward North Dome for Yosemite Point. The extension adds 1.6 miles round trip. Half Dome fills the view from the point, with Lost Arrow Spire close by. Turn back at Yosemite Point if that is your destination; the trail continues farther toward North Dome.
Flow and winter footingYosemite Falls is usually strongest in spring and can be only a trickle by August.
Yosemite Falls is usually strongest in spring and can be only a trickle by August. The upper trail may hold snow or ice in winter even when the lower section is clear, so check conditions before starting. The route is described as open year-round, but upper-trail winter travel can be hazardous.
Start with waterThere is no drinking water along the trail.
There is no drinking water along the trail. Fill up at Camp 4, where the fountain and restrooms are near the start; the National Park Service recommends carrying four liters for the climb to the top of the falls, before adding the Yosemite Point extension. Day visitors use the Yosemite Falls parking area across the road and just beyond the Camp 4 entrance; Camp 4 parking is for campers. Valleywide Shuttle stop 7 is nearby. Pets, bicycles and strollers are not allowed on the trail.
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.
