Yosemite's highest viewpoint accessible by trail — a ridge walk to a granite summit with the single best panorama in the park, including a direct view down onto Half Dome.

Stops on This Tour (8)

1. 1
   Tenaya Creek Crossing The trail crosses Tenaya Creek on logs and rocks — a straightforward crossing in late summer, potentially challenging in early season snowmelt. The forest is lodgepole pine and red fir, open and fragrant.
2. 2
   Sunrise Lakes Junction A spur trail leads to the Sunrise Lakes — beautiful alpine tarns worth a visit on a separate trip. The main trail continues southwest, climbing gradually through granite-studded forest.
3. 3
   Forest to Granite Transition The forest thins and bare granite domes appear. The trail becomes a route across open slabs, marked by cairns and the scuff marks of thousands of boots. The High Sierra landscape opens up — a world of white granite and blue sky.
4. 4
   Clouds Rest Ridge Base The ridge becomes visible ahead — a narrow granite spine rising to the summit. The final two kilometres follow this ridge with increasing exposure. In windy conditions, the ridge demands caution.
5. 5
   Ridge Traverse The ridge narrows to just a few metres wide with steep drop-offs on both sides. The granite provides excellent friction in dry conditions. The exposure is similar to Angels Landing — thrilling rather than dangerous for those comfortable with heights.
6. 6
   Clouds Rest False Summit A rounded granite dome that appears to be the summit but is not. The true summit lies ahead, slightly higher. The view from here already surpasses most other Yosemite viewpoints — Tenaya Canyon drops away thousands of metres to the east.
7. 7
   Clouds Rest Summit At 3,027 metres, Clouds Rest delivers the finest panorama in Yosemite. Half Dome sits below you — you look down on its famous face. Yosemite Valley, Tenaya Canyon, the Clark Range, and the entire High Sierra spread in every direction. On clear days, the view extends over 150 kilometres.
8. 8
   Summit South Viewpoint From the southern edge of the summit, the Clark Range and the Merced River drainage stretch into blue distance. John Muir spent a night on this summit in 1869 and wrote that the view was the most sublime he had ever witnessed in the Sierra.

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