Every Trail Tells a Story
Yosemite Valley To Glacier Point
Conquer Yosemite’s greatest climb.
Enjoy ever-changing views with every switchback.
Earn your place at Glacier Point the old-fashioned way.
If Panorama is the great descent, Four-Mile Trail is the great climb. Starting from the valley floor and ending at Glacier Point, this historic route earns every foot of its 3,200-foot gain. Built in the 1870s (back when it really was four miles long – it’s closer to five today), it’s still the most direct way to march from meadows to mountaintop. Back then, hikers had to pay a $1 toll to hike the trail!
Along the way, switchbacks deliver one stunning view after another. Sentinel Rock looms close at hand, Half Dome gradually rises to dominate the skyline, and Yosemite Falls tumbles in a silver ribbon across the valley. From Four-Mile Trail Yosemite Falls is revealed in all its glory. Elsewhere in Yosemite Valley, the view of the falls is just a bit impeded by trees or rocks, but from the path you’ll enjoy a direct view of the cascade. Every rest stop seems designed for postcard photography – or for catching your breath while pretending you’re just “taking in the view.”
Glacier Point itself feels doubly sweet after the climb: a panorama over Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and the high country stretching beyond. On a clear day, you’ll want to linger, but don’t forget you still have to get down. Return via the same trail or arrange a shuttle so you can descend the Panorama instead.
This trail is a test piece – a challenge of legs and lungs – but also a rite of passage. Hike it once and you’ll never forget the rhythm of those switchbacks, the scent of sun-warmed pine, or the first full view of Yosemite Valley opening below.
From Yosemite Valley, park near the Swinging Bridge area or along Southside Drive near Sentinel Beach Picnic Area. The signed trailhead is across from the Leidig Meadow shuttle stop.
As if to disguise its charms, the first 25 percent of Four-Mile Trail is a mellow meander across the valley floor followed by a moderate ascent among oaks and manzanita. About 1.5 miles out, the real climb begins – first through more oak woodland then among incense cedar and white fir. Your very steep ascent is rewarded by ever-more expansive vista of Yosemite Valley and ever-more lofty views of Yosemite Falls until you reach a point where you’re actually looking down at the famed falls.
Trail Gate, a bit more than three miles from the trailhead is just that: a gate across the trail that’s closed in winter to stop hikers from hiking to Glacier Point. Even sans gate, it would not be sensible to trek these snow-slippery slopes in winter!
The trail passes under Sentinel Rock. Nearby is Sentinel Dome, a 8,122-foot promontory that some hikers claim provides far better views than those from Glacier Point. 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. The view from here – Half Dome, the High Sierra, Vernal and Nevada Falls – is your well-earned reward.