Disclaimer: I haven't been everywhere or seen everything. This is my top ten list of the best views in Yosemite National Park, which is almost certainly incomplete and debatable. Please leave a comment at the bottom if you agree, disagree, or have other suggestions!
Map tips: click a marker to learn more about the spot, and click the star in the map header to save the entire map under Your Places in Google Maps.
One more thing before we get to the list - please follow the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace when in nature: plan ahead and prepare; travel and camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you find; minimize campfire impacts; respect wildlife; and be considerate of other visitors.
10: Olmsted Point
- Ease of access: 5-minute relatively easy uphill jaunt from parking lot
Starting off the list of best views in Yosemite National Park is Olmsted Point. You’ll only get to see this if you’re taking Tioga Road through Tuolumne Meadows. From the parking area, head uphill for about 0.25 miles and take in the views of Tenaya Lake and Half Dome in opposite directions. A telephoto lens is handy here. Since you’re so close, might as well also stop at the Tenaya Lake shore.
9: 3 Brothers Viewpoint
- Ease of access: 5-minute walk from the parking lot
Park at the Cathedral Beach Picnic Area, walk to the water, and turn right. Follow the water’s edge until the 3 Brothers come into view, just around a bend in the river. A bonus is a beautiful view of El Capitan, too. This one is not well-known and there are no signs so you may have it to yourself.
8: Yosemite Valley View
- Ease of access: steps from the parking lot
This is the easiest one to access. As you’re circling the valley along the one-way roads, just before Northside meets Southside at the very end of the loop is a parking lot called “Yosemite Valley View” on Google Maps. It could be very packed in prime times as there aren’t many spots. However, it is less than 20 feet from the lot to the view on the water so cars might be cycling through quickly. Make sure you don’t pass up the lot, as you’ll have to loop back around.
7: Sentinel Dome
- Ease of access: 2.25 mile RT easy/moderate hike
This relatively easy hike that starts along the road to Glacier Point provides stunning views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and more. There is a designated parking lot but you’ll probably see cars parked along the road, too. Note that getting up the dome along the sloped rock could be intimidating for some, but it looks more daunting from afar.
6: Yosemite Falls
- Ease of access: many viewpoints ranging between steps from parking to 6+ mile RT hikes
Ok. This is arguably THE symbol of Yosemite, yet I have it at number 6? That’s because I’ve never seen it in all its glory. I’ve only visited Yosemite in September (2024) and October (2017) and haven’t gotten to experience the magic of the park when the waterfalls are booming. I think this would be higher if so, but since I’ve only seen it as a trickle, it “falls” here. You can see it from many places, including your car, but the 1-mile Cook’s Meadow Loop is an enjoyable stroll with a great view.
5: Vernal Fall
- Ease of access: just over 2 miles RT moderate hike for a view of the falls, but can continue to the top of them
Kicking off the top 5 best views in Yosemite is Vernal Fall. The Mist Trail might be the most crowded trail in the park and there are people everywhere near Vernal Fall, almost all the time. I highly recommend getting to the park before 5 am so you can park at “Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking” and take the short walk to the Happy Isles Trailhead. Otherwise, you’ll have to fight the crowds for a spot on the shuttle and may be waiting awhile.
From the trailhead to the first view of the falls is about a mile with 800 feet of elevation gain on a mostly-paved path. There are stone stairs that will take you even higher as you wind around and up to the top of the falls. You can continue on to do a fantastic 7-mile loop, combining this with Nevada Fall and the John Muir Trail. Read my full-detail Hike Guide on that here.
4: Half Dome
- Ease of access: 14 mile RT hike with almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain
Half Dome is mentioned a lot in this list of best views in Yosemite because it can be seen from many places in the park. This represents the views when summiting it, however. The last mile starting with the ascent up Sub Dome yields beautiful scenery in every direction. Make sure you have a permit, the physical ability, and comfortability with very steep inclines before attempting this one.
3: Artist Point
- Ease of access: 2-mile RT relatively easy hike
Everyone knows about Tunnel View, which is a park-and-look spot that is always crowded. Escape the masses and traffic for a similar, but higher, view by hiking to Artist Point. Try to make it for sunrise – that was one of my favorite moments in the whole park. You can get there from the Bridalveil Fall parking lot (which is a worthy stop of its own) or the Pohono Trailhead. Inspiration Point is also nearby, but I’ve been told Artist Point is better and has a clearer opening through the trees.
2: Nevada Fall from John Muir Trail
- Ease of access: along a ~7 mile RT hike with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain
This picture speaks for itself. The view of Nevada Fall tumbling down with Liberty Cap stretching up behind it looks like something out of a fairytale. You can make a loop by taking the Mist Trail up and John Muir Trail down for one of the park’s best day hikes. You’ll get to enjoy this view for some time while the John Muir Trail works its way down to Clark Point. Get all the details in my Hike Guide here.
Note: Nevada, Vernal, and Bridalveil are all labeled as a “Fall” because they are singular cascades of water. Yosemite is “Falls” because there are 3 separate sections that make up the Falls. I don’t make the rules.
1: Glacier Point
- Ease of access: Less than 5-minute fully accessible walk from parking lot
The best of the best views in Yosemite National Park is Glacier Point. I remember seeing it for the first time online and thinking, “I have to have that view in real life.” Half Dome looks incredibly intimidating. The perspective it gives of Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, especially after hiking that loop, left me truly in awe. You don’t need more than 30 minutes here, but you could spend hours taking it in. The nearby Washburn Point is also worth a stop for a different angle of Half Dome. It’s another park-and-look spot and you’re going to pass it on the way to and from Glacier Point, so might as well check it out.
One downside is that it’s a bit of a drive. Glacier Point Road dead-ends at, you guessed it, Glacier Point and takes 30 minutes once you turn off Wawona Road. If coming from the heart of the valley, plan on an hour’s drive. Parking can be closed off so try to go early or late. Better yet, hike up the Four Mile Trail from the valley floor and you don’t have to worry about the drive or parking!
Other views I haven’t seen but think could make the list of best views in Yosemite:
- Illilouette Falls – awesome, less-crowded waterfall along the Panorama Trail
- Upper Yosemite Fall – would love to take the trail to the top
- Lower Yosemite Fall – you can get up close for a great view
- Sentinel Bridge – a scenic stone bridge in the woods with Half Dome in the background
- Cathedral Peak – a very distinct, sharp peak out towards Tuolumne Meadows
- Taft Point – a sheer drop-off that can be combined with a hike to Sentinel Dome
- Cloud’s Rest – hard, long hike that I’m told is the best alternative to Half Dome if you don’t get a permit
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