Glacier Point Hotel, hotel in Yosemite National Park, United States
Glacier Point Hotel was a large mountain lodge built in 1917 in Yosemite National Park at an elevation above 7,200 feet, overlooking famous rock formations like Half Dome and the valley below. The three-story building with around 80 rooms was constructed in rustic style and featured a large stone fireplace made from a nearby boulder.
The site began as the Mountain House in 1873, a small inn built by Charles Peregoy to serve hikers using McCauley's Four Mile Trail that led to the overlook. The larger hotel was added in 1917 and became the highest lodging in the western part of the country at that time.
The name "Glacier Point" comes from the glacier that once shaped this area, and the location became a gathering place for visitors seeking views. The Firefall tradition, where glowing embers were pushed over the cliff edge at sunset, created a unique spectacle that drew both overnight guests and day visitors, making the site a special cultural event.
Access to the hotel required travel by horseback, on foot, or by stagecoach depending on the season and snow conditions. The site faced heavy winter snowfall that required regular clearing and limited access to only certain months of the year.
The hotel was the highest in the western part of the country and relied on over 100 mules and trucks hauling supplies across rugged terrain. This impressive logistical feat shows how much visitors valued this remote mountain location in the early 1900s.
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