Yosemite National Park Hiking and Trail Guide
Where to hike, what you'll see, make the most of Hiking in Yosemite NP
NavigationeXploreApark home Discover the best
|
Hike Glacier PointFour-Mile TrailTo Glacier Point is 9.6 miles round trip with 3,200-foot elevation gain. Four-Mile Trail is a Yosemite classic, the original route to Glacier Point. When first constructed in the 1870s, it extended 4 miles but after an overhaul in the 1920s and the addition of some switchbacks it now measures 4.8 miles. No matter, the original trail name is still with us. 
In my very early (Boy Scout) days of hiking Yosemite, Four-Mile Trail seemed far longer than its name suggested. We scouts were more than a little surprised—to put it mildly—to struggle up the trail and find Glacier Point Hotel (then in its very last days; it burned in 1969) and hordes of tourists who had driven to the point. You mean we could’ve driven up to Glacier Point? Walking up to it means you’ll appreciate the view more, our scoutmaster assured us. Took me a long time—three decades in fact—before I really appreciated our scoutmaster’s wisdom. Indeed the Yosemite Valley panorama does seem more satisfying after a hike with a 3,200-foot elevation gain. Now I’m a strong advocate for hiking up to Glacier Point. OK, you can catch a ride up to Glacier Point and walk down, but at least experience Four-Mile Trail one way or another. These days Glacier Point offers restrooms, a snack bar, the old Geology Hut, a new amphitheater and a 0.25- mile paved pathway. And of course the same stunning view that has wowed generations of Yosemite visitors still remains. For the hiker ascending Four-Mile Trail, the views begin with the meandering Merced River, then all the postcard panoramas of Upper Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, Half Dome, Vernal Falls and much, much more. Get an early start; portions of the path travel through clusters of manzanita and chinquapin and can be quite hot on a summer afternoon. Directions to trailhead: From Southside Drive in Yosemite Valley, head 1.2 miles west of Yosemite Village to mile-marker V18 and the pullouts alongside the road. To reach Glacier Point, head out of the valley about 9 miles south on Highway 41, then follow Glacier Point Road 16 miles east to the parking lot and trailhead. A tour bus departs three times daily from Yosemite Lodge bound for Glacier Point. The hike: As if to disguise its charms, the first 25 percent of Four-Mile Trail is simply a mellow meander across the valley floor followed by a moderate ascent among oak and manzanita. For we impatient hikers, it seems to take a long time to leave traffic noises behind. About 1.5 miles out, the real climb begins—first through more oak woodland then among incense cedar and white fir. It’s about 2.3 miles of very steep ascent, rewarded by ever-more expansive vistas of Yosemite Valley and a bird’s eye view of Yosemite Falls. Finally, you finish all those switchbacks and the last mile is a cooler, calmer climb and contour amidst sugar pine and white fir to Glacier Point. Yosemite Hiking Trails >> |
|
about | advertising | contact | disclaimer | site map
see-yosemite.com is part of the exploreApark network, providing visitor information about the U.S National Parks
and their surrounding communities.
This site is not affiliated with the National Parks Service.