Don’t get excited when reading Glacier Point, thinking that there is a glacier in Yosemite National Park. There used to be one, but that was millions of years ago.
Today, the name Glacier Point refers to the point where you’ll be standing and the glacier-carved valley below it.
Why visit Glacier Point
To get a better view of Yosemite Valley than Glacier Point, you would have to learn how to fly or how to hover.
Standing 3,214 feet above the valley floor (and 7,214 feet above sea level), you truly have the opportunity to immerse yourself in all that the valley has to offer – the panoramic view from Glacier Point encompasses Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and three waterfalls. If you go at night (or stay until dark), you can see the Milky Way stretched across the sky like a diamond necklace.
What to expect
It’s worth going as long as Glacier Point is open, both for the scenic views and the chance to see what the valley looks like from above.
You will probably spend half an hour or so looking around and taking pictures. And you are not alone in wanting to have your photo taken here. People have been doing that since President Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir posed for a portrait at Glacier Point in 1903, a few years before Yosemite became one of the first National Parks in the country.
Since you’ll be spending a lot of time enjoying the views and taking photos, bring an extra layer of clothing. It is always colder in Glacier Point than in the Valley. If you are hungry, you will find a refreshment area next to the gift shop, where you can eat something while enjoying the beauty of nature.
If you’re concerned about moving around to see the views, the short paved trail to the lookout is wheelchair accessible.
Hike to the glacier point
You can also hike from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point, but it’s an extreme challenge hike few choose to tackle. To do so, take the Four Mile Trail, which gains over 3,000 feet (and starts at nearly 4,000 feet), enough to take most people out of breath.
Most hikers hike the four miles from Glacier Point to the valley downhill. To do that, you will need to have two cars, one parked at each end of the road. An easier option is to purchase a one-way ticket for the Glacier Point bus tour and walk back to the Valley.
A longer six-hour hike from Glacier Point to the valley follows the Panorama Trail to Nevada Falls and then takes the Mist Trail to Happy Isles in the valley.
Get to Glacier Point
In Yosemite Valley, you will be just below Glacier Point. They are only a few miles apart as the proverbial crow flies, but the path between them is 32 miles long. You can see where it is on this map of Yosemite. You take a paid bus tour to Glacier Point, but most visitors drive.
To get there from the valley, wait about an hour to get to the point. Drive out of the valley on Northside Drive, turn left across the Pohono Bridge to Southside Drive, then take Wawona Road to Bridalveil Fall and turn onto Glacier Point Road.
Along the way, you may want to stop at Washburn Point, which has similar views, but with a more direct look at Vernal and Nevada Falls.
You probably wouldn’t travel to Yosemite just to see Glacier Point. If you’re planning a trip to the national park, know what to expect, what to pack, and how to get there. You can then decide if this is a trip that you would also qualify as one for the bucket list. Use this guide to Yosemite Valley for tips and to find out what else is in Yosemite.
Glacier Point hours and closings
Glacier Point is open from late spring to early fall, and the exact dates depend on when the snow begins and ends.
From mid-December through March, you can reach Glacier Point on cross-country skis, a 10.5-mile trip each way from the Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area (formerly Badger Pass Ski Area).
Ranger programs are held at Glacier Point in the summer. On select dates, you can take a stargazing tour to Glacier Point from Yosemite Valley.
