Olmsted Point

The view west, down Tenaya Canyon toward Yosemite Valley, offers a unique and striking perspective of Half Dome. The easiest place to photograph this view is Olmsted Point. I like this view not only for its distant view, but also for the foreground opportunities that include glacial erratics (boulders deposited by retreating glaciers), round indentations and linear grooves, interesting trees, and even wildflowers if you're lucky. To get to Olmsted Point, drive east, away from Yosemite Valley on Highway 120, toward Tuolumne Meadows. Olmsted Point is a wide parking area on the right about an hour from Yosemite Valley, just before Tenaya Lake. You can photograph from the parking area, or take the short walk down the stairs and along the trail to the nearby granite dome. From the top of the dome look east to see Tenaya Lake, Mt. Conness, and many other High Sierra peaks. Cloud's Rest is just east of Half Dome, and across Tenaya Canyon from Half Dome is Mt. Watkins.

©Gary Hart