Sierra Point, Scenic viewpoint in Mariposa County, California
Sierra Point is a rocky outcropping at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley, below Grizzly Peak, reached by a 0.7-mile (1.1 km) trail that climbs about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the valley floor. A rock slide in the 1970s removed a mid-trail section, but the original railing still stands at the top.
The Sierra Point trail was popular until a rock slide in the 1970s closed it. A section about midway is missing, yet hikers still scramble over loose ground to reach the point, which retains its original railing at the top. The National Park Service does not recommend the route.
Sierra Point is valued because it is the only spot in Yosemite Valley from which four major waterfalls can be seen at once: Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, Yosemite Falls and Illilouette Fall. The original railing still stands at the top, and hikers still reach the point from the Vernal Fall trail at Happy Isles despite the Park Service's warning.
The trail to Sierra Point is only 0.7 miles (1.1 km) long and climbs about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the valley floor, but a rock slide in the 1970s removed a mid-trail section. Reaching the point now requires scrambling over loose ground; the National Park Service does not recommend the route and advises against attempting it, especially for beginning hikers. The trail begins near the Vernal Fall trail at Happy Isles.
Sierra Point is the only spot in Yosemite Valley from which four major waterfalls can be seen at once: Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, Yosemite Falls and Illilouette Fall. The original railing still stands at the top, though the trail below it has been closed since a 1970s rock slide.
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