Glacier Point Yosemite

Glacier Point, an overlook with a commanding view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Yosemite’s high country. This is also a good starting or finishing point for some of Yosemite’s most popular trails, including the Four Mile Trail and the Panorama Trail.

Activities at Glacier Point include birdwatching, hiking, stargazing, and (in the winter months) skiing and snowboarding at Badger Pass Ski Area. Be sure to check out Washburn Point just south of Glacier Point.

In the winter months, the Glacier Point Road closes beyond the Badger Pass Ski Area and becomes a groomed cross country ski and snowshoe trail that becomes the core of a system of winter routes.

How to Get to Glacier Point

Car: Visitors can access Glacier Point by car starting in late May and lasting through October or November. Drive to the overlook via State Highway 41 and continue onto Wawona Road. Turn onto Glacier Point Road at the Chinquapin intersection. Total travel time is about an hour from Wawona and Yosemite Valley.  Visitors may be required to hitch a ride with the free shuttle from Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area (formerly Badger Pass Ski Area) to Glacier Point when Glacier Point parking lot fills.

Free Shuttle: Starting at 10 am, a free shuttle leaves from Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area every 20 minutes. Stops include: Sentinel Dome/Taft Point trailhead, Washburn Point and Glacier Point. The final shuttle from Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area leaves at 4:30 pm and service ends at 5:30 p.m.

Bus Tour: Another travel option is by the Glacier Point Tour. This tour departs twice daily from the Yosemite Valley Lodge and returns after a four hour guided tour to Glacier Point. One-way tickets are available for hikers interested in trekking back to Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point via the Four Mile or Panorama Trail.

Winter Access to Glacier Point by ski or snowshoe only

From mid-December through March, cross-country skiers can experience this view after skiing 10.5 miles one-way from Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area. While the fastest racers at the Nordic Holiday Race will complete the round-trip to Glacier Point and back on skate skis in around 2 hours, depending on the snow conditions , this 21 mile (32 km) is certainly not for everyone.

Take a Virtual Tour

Check out Instagram photos from Glacier Point