Located just past the famed Upper Yosemite Falls, the hike to Yosemite Point takes hikers to one of the most beautiful and underrated viewpoints in all of Yosemite National Park.
Following the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail past Columbia Rock and Upper Yosemite Falls itself, this trail takes you further along the North Rim of Yosemite Valley, and away from the crowds that flood the trail ‘s most popular viewpoints. Maybe you want to hike to Upper Yosemite Falls, but you’re still feeling good when you get up there. Maybe you would like to visit an amazing viewpoint that feels quiet and remote. Whatever your reason, Yosemite Point is a worthy Yosemite hike!
Miles/Elevation:
8.5 miles
3,635 feet vertical gain
About Yosemite National Park:
Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, Yosemite National Park is one of the largest and most popular parks in the entire National Park System.
Steeped in history, Yosemite has played a major role in the development of environmentalism and conservation in the United States since the late 1800’s. In 1864, President Lincoln created the Yosemite Grant, which did not make Yosemite a national park, but did set the precedent that would lead to the creation of Yellowstone National Park.
Yosemite was ceded to the State of California and ran by the state for much of the late 1800’s. Eventually, in 1890, Yosemite National Park was created, and stronger protections were put in place to preserve the park.
Beyond the National Park Service, the legendary naturalist John Muir is perhaps best known for his advocacy in favor of preserving Yosemite National Park. A giant in the history of conservation, Muir, who fell in love with the mountains after a serious industrial accident, became arguably the most influential figure in preserving the natural landscapes of the west. His relationship with President Theodore Roosevelt and the expansion of federally protected lands may be the greatest achievement of this era of conservation!
Getting To Yosemite:
Located in Central California, Yosemite is fairly remote, but can be reached from a number of major cities. The closest large city is Fresno, and Fresno’s airport is the best choice if you are flying in. Other cities located within a three hour or so drive with major airports include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento.
From these cities or any others, you’ll then likely need to drive to the park. There is a regional public transit system called YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transit System), and can be useful if you are trying to get to Yosemite Valley. However, I generally advocate having your own car when exploring the mountains. It just makes it easier to explore and get around.
Once you’re in Yosemite, there is a transit system that can get you around the park, however it is not running in 2021. Go to the Yosemite NPS website for more information on public transit in Yosemite. When it is running, the public transit can get you to many of the major trailheads in the park.
Getting To The Trailhead:
Think about purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass if you’re visiting Yosemite!
Once in Yosemite Valley, the best parking area is around the Yosemite Valley Lodge. Follow the Valley Loop Road all the way around the valley. It’s one way, so you’ll take Southside Drive all the way to Curry Village, then take a left to continue onto Northside Drive towards Yosemite Village.
Continue past the village until you reach Yosemite Lodge. Make sure you don’t park in the dedicated lodge parking areas, but there are plenty of parking areas for hikers on the left. The trail begins to the right of the road at Camp 4.
Tips:
- Wear good hiking shoes and bring poles. You will need the stability for this trail; it’s rough, slippery, and steep.
- Bring at least 3 liters of water per person, especially in summer. It gets really hot and there’s tons of sun exposure.
- Start early to beat the crowds and the heat.
- The detour to the Upper Yosemite Falls overlook is worth the time!
The Yosemite Point Trail:
To Columbia Rock:
From the trailhead, walk directly towards the south wall of the valley, and then begin the climb. The initial climb up from the valley floor takes you through dense forest as you ascend through the boulder strewn woods. Through the forest, the trail is extremely rough and rocky. Definitely watch your footing here. Not only can you hurt an ankle on the rocks, they are also often covered in a fine layer of sand which makes them extremely slippery!
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
After climbing through the forest through an endless series of extremely tight switchbacks (literally the switchbacks go almost straight up) you’ll eventually reach more open terrain. Here, ther views really begin to open up!
Once you’ve climbed 600 feet or so, the trail finally leaves the incessant switchbacks and traverses east along the valley wall. Once at this point, you will finally be able to look out and enjoy the views your sweat has earned you! Keep going though, the higher you get the better the views!
Yosemite is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
Once out of the dense forest, the trail changes dramatically from a rock strewn mountain path to steep ramps of loose slippery gravel. Over a base of packed dirt and gravel, there is a layer of loose sand that makes descending extremely tricky. Going uphill it isn’t great either, but definitely be extra cautious on the descent!
The first waypoint on this hike is a common turn around point for those not hiking all the way up to the falls, Columbia Rock. Columbia Rock itself isn’t really all that noteworthy. I was kind of expecting a big rock you could climb on, or at least a vertical ledge you could peer over, but really it’s just a viewpoint with a railing protecting hikers from the drop.
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
It’s definitely a great view though! Looking up the valley you’ll have amazing views at Half Dome, and looking down the valley you get a clear look at all the major features of the South Rim! It’s 100% worth it to do a hike that climbs out of the valley at some point: the vantage from up high gives you a totally different look at the walls, and a completely different feel!
To Upper Yosemite Falls:
Once passed Columbia Rock, continue climbing for another 200 vertical feet along the loose, gravely, surface. After 200 feet of climbing, the trail actually descends a bit. You’ll drop about 170 vertical feet, which feels really nice after the steep climb up! It’s a bummer on the way back when you get hit by this little incline, but it’s short enough to not be a huge deal!
Read Our Complete Guide To All Things Yosemite!
Right around the bottom of this short descent you will round a corner and emerge in front of Upper Yosemite Falls. The view here right off the bat is fantastic: the falls really is directly in front of the trail, and there are some perfect breaks in the trees to frame the view! You’ll have a nice little walk along a more or less flat(!) trail for a little bit, and then the upper climb begins!
Be Sure To Check Out Our Full 7 Day Yosemite Itinerary Too!
After a nice flat walk for all of a couple minutes, the switchbacks will come back with a vengeance! There is an extremely tight section of switchbacks right away that gain about 400 vertical feet in a quarter mile or less. This is followed by a tiny reprieve, and then another burst of switchbacks that climb 500 feet!
Fortunately, you will have some great looks at the falls as well as up the nearly vertical walls looming above and at times across the valley! I also saw a bear on the trail on this section of the hike the first time I hiked this trail!
By the 2 mile mark of the hike, you’ll have ascended roughly 1,800 feet and will now be looking directly over at the falling water of Yosemite Falls at eye level. Looking up though, you can see the work is far from over!
Click Here To See Yosemite’s Best Difficult Hikes!
I don’t know if the final stretch to the top of the climb is officially the steepest part of the trail or not, but it definitely feels like it! Looking up, you will clearly be able to see the switchbacks twisting their way up a depressingly steep slope back and forth right above your head! This final ¾’s of a mile will lift you up about 900 vertical feet!
The switchbacks are incessant, the shade is gone, and the trail is rougher than ever. The juice will be gone from your legs and every step will feel heavier than the last. Without proper acclimatization, your lungs will be heaving with every gasp. But still the climbing continues!
There’s nothing to do but put one foot in front of the other over and over and over again, but eventually you’ll make it! At the top there is an intersection. Continuing straight leads into the Yosemite backcountry and other destinations along the North Rim. Take a right to head towards the falls and Yosemite Point!
To Yosemite Point:
At the first intersection, take a right, and then very shortly after, continue straight through the intersection immediately following.
I highly recommend a side trip to the Upper Yosemite Falls overlook if you have never been there. To get to the falls overlook, turn right at the second intersection. When you’re ready, continue straight through the intersection to reach Yosemite Point.
You should seriously consider hiking the Mist Trail, Yosemite’s best moderate hike!
You’ll immediately begin descending down towards Yosemite Creek which feeds Yosemite Falls. There are actually some really nice areas to hang out here around the creek, but be careful around the water. Swimming will sound nice, but it’s dangerous to do so here. People sadly die in Yosemite waterfalls every year, at times being sucked downstream and over the falls.
After a quick 70 foot descent down to the creek, cross the bridge over Yosemite Creek and then begin ascending towards Yosemite Point. Across the bridge, the trail takes a hard left turn, then ascends a series of switchbacks. Once through the switchbacks, the trail begins heading directly towards the cliff edges of Yosemite Valley. After a 400 foot climb from the creek, you will reach Yosemite Point!
Yosemite Point itself isn’t anything spectacular, and you wouldn’t really notice it from below, but the reason this spot shines is the view! One of the best views of Half Dome anywhere in Yosemite is right here! You’ll have unobstructed views of the giant granite feature directly across from you, and since you’re up so high, you can pretty clearly see many of the peaks far in the distance!
Turn around at Columbia Rock for a shorter, but still awesome, hike!
While the view of Half Dome is really the highlight, there are also nice looks up and down the valley as well. But given how much work it takes to get up here, it’s fair to expect amazing views, and the look at Half Dome is nothing short of incredible!
Hiking Down:
Whenever you’re ready to head back down, steel yourself for the ordeal to come! Most people prefer descending, and it usually goes faster. Makes sense, you generally will get more tired hiking up than down. But on this trail, I think I may have hiked up faster than I hiked down! The return trip down to the creek and the intersection at the top of the big climb is easy, but from there it gets seriously tough!
On the way up, large steps and rocks are easy to navigate: you just take a bigger step up. But on the way down, those steps are just as big, but now you have to lower yourself down that step. And not only do you have to lower yourself down, you have to do so onto usually uneven and slippery rocks. Rocks that love to roll your ankles or create a slip!
It’s a brutal descent, and to be honest, I was thinking that I would give this hike a 10/10 the entire time going up, but when I started going down, the crappiness of the trail really hit me. It’s honestly terrible. It’s a marvel that they somehow managed to get a trail up here, so for that I’m thankful, but it is by no means a pleasant walk, other than for the views of course! Every single step for miles you have to be concerned about slipping and falling, or injuring an ankle!
Anyway, after an interminable descent, you’ll eventually make it back to the valley floor. The views on this hike are awesome, but you might have forgotten all about them by the time you make it down! Definitely some type 2 fun, but all worth it in the end!
Verdict: 9/10
The view of Half Dome from Yosemite Point is one of the best you’re going to find in Yosemite, and really throughout this entire hike the views are excellent. You have close access to one of the worlds highest waterfalls, I mean really, what else do you need? The only downside to this trail is the abysmal trail quality up to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls. It’s really not an enjoyable stretch of trail to hike on, but even with that this is a 9/10!
Pros:
- Amazing views
- Easily accessible in Yosemite Valley
Cons:
- Terrible trail up to Upper Yosemite Falls
- Extremely busy
- Gets hot with lots of sun
Alternative Hikes:
The Pohono Trail from Tunnel View to Dewey Point
When to Hike to Yosemite Point:
Hiking in Yosemite is a three season activity. Winter usually brings quite a bit of snow, and the entire park is liable to experience winter storms. While lower elevation areas of the park may be hikable in winter, I really wouldn’t say Yosemite is a four season hiking destination.
Purely in terms of weather, fall and spring are the best times of year to hike in Yosemite. Summer can get extremely hot, and hiking in 95 degree heat isn’t fun for most people! The one issue with fall is that fire season can either close down areas of the park, or more likely will blanket the park with smoke. In good years, it’s hardly an issue, but some years it’s harmful to even be outside.
It is also worth considering when Yosemite is busiest. This is one of the busiest parks in the country, so be ready for crowds if you visit in peak season, namely summer. Some people are really turned off by the crowds, and I agree if you only visit the valley, but there are always places to get away from the big crowds. This can cause issues with finding campsites in the park though.
Overall, I would say that late spring is probably the best time of year to visit Yosemite. The temperatures are comfortable, rain is rare, and the crowds are lighter than summer. You’ll also have close to peak flow through the park’s streams and waterfalls! Late autumn is also a great time to visit as spring may still have snow lingering on the trails.
The last thing to consider when planning your visit is that the high elevation roads through the park close for snow. Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Road both close from winter to whenever the snow melts (usually May or June but it varies). Spring will limit where you can go in the park, so if you really want to explore the high country, wait at least until late June!
Links For Further Reading:
Yosemite Point | Map, Guide – California | AllTrails
Hiking to Upper Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point – United States – Earth Trekkers
Upper Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point – Modern Hiker
Yosemite Falls Trail: Hiking to Upper Falls & Yosemite Point – California Through My Lens
