Glacier Point

Glacier Point is a viewpoint at 7200 feet elevation on the southern rim of Yosemite Valley in the California Sierra Nevada. From the platform you see directly across to Half Dome, the cascades of Vernal and Nevada Falls, and the walls of the entire valley.

The spot became known in 1872 when pioneers built a road up here and tourists began visiting the place. For decades park workers pushed glowing coals off the edge every evening until the practice ended in 1968.

The name comes from a glacier that once flowed over this cliff and shaped the valley below. Today visitors stand where ice carved the landscape over thousands of years, looking at the same granite walls the glacier left behind.

A paved road of 32 miles leads up from the valley, or you can hike the Four Mile Trail with steep elevation gain. In winter the road stays closed, so only skiers or snowshoe hikers reach the spot.

On clear days you see over 60 miles across the Sierra range to Mount Conness near the high country border. Light in late afternoon turns the granite walls pink and orange while the valleys already lie in shadow.

Location: Mariposa County

Elevation above the sea: 2,220 m

Part of: Yosemite Valley

GPS coordinates: 37.73067,-119.57367

Latest update: December 20, 2025 01:27