North Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
| Address: | Yosemite Valley, CA 95389, USA |
| GPS: |
37°45'24.4"N 119°33'35.8"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | California |
| Trail Length: | 10.40 miles |
| Trail Type: | Out & Back |
| Hike Difficulty: | Intermediate |
| Elevation Gain: | 580 feet |
| Trails/Routes: | 4.0 mi |
Trails Rocks National Park
Backpack and Hike
North Dome is a strenuous 10.4 mile hike that gives visitors a close up view straight at Half Dome from across the valley. It also has a unique view of Clouds Rest peak.
Because the hike itself is rather uneventful, there aren't too many people found on this trail. The majority of the uphill climb is walking through Yosemite forest. Hikers will have to cross Porcupine Creek, as well as a small, grassy meadow. Once the trail gets closer to North Dome, it starts to get interesting. In order to reach the summit, the trail descends down a rock trail to the base of North Dome, and then requires hikers to work their way back up to the summit.
North Dome is a long, strenuous hike, but the view at the destination is spectacular. North Dome offers the best view of Yosemite's most famous attraction, as well as a view of the valley from an elevation of 7,450 feet. There is also a .6 mile detour on the return trip for those wanting to see the Indian Rock Arch, a 15 foot natural granite arch.
The hike to North Dome is only available when Tioga Road is open, usually in the summer and fall.
More Information
Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read More
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
- Head northeast on Northside Dr toward Lower Yosemite Fall TrailToll road(0.8 mi)
- At the traffic circle, continue straight onto Village DrToll road(0.2 mi)
- Turn right onto Ahwahnee DriveToll road(0.6 mi)
Park at Porcupine Creek on Tioga Road.
Trails
Distance ?
4.0 milesElevation Gain ?
-604 feetReal Ascent ?
612 feetReal Descent ?
1,216 feetAvg Grade (-2°)
-3%Grade (-23° to 42°)
-42% to 89%Elevation differences are scaled for emphasis. While the numbers are accurate, the cut-away shown here is not to scale.
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