Forget Half Dome — Hike Yosemite National Park's Underrated Trail With Fewer Crowds And Panoramic Views

One savvy Redditor in r/Yosemite described the view from atop Yosemite's Half Dome as suffering from "the Empire State Building problem." That is, when you're standing on top of the Empire State Building taking in the view of the Manhattan skyline, you miss seeing its most iconic feature — the Empire State Building itself. The same can be said for standing on top of Half Dome. The view is great, but something is definitely missing: Half Dome.

That's where Clouds Rest comes in. The granite summit on the opposite side of Yosemite Valley offers sweeping views of the valley below and a picture-perfect look at Half Dome itself. Better yet, it can be reached via a less crowded and less strenuous hike than Yosemite's most famous trek.

The hike up Half Dome is grueling, with about 5,300 feet of elevation gain over the roughly 17-mile round trip. It's also a hike where you'll rarely leave the crowds behind. Even near the summit, you may find yourself marching up the hike's famous final push, the cable route, in a line with other hikers stepping on your heels. As such, it's not exactly a pristine wilderness experience. By comparison, Clouds Rest is reached by an easier, less crowded 12.6-mile hike that gains just over 3,000 feet. From the summit, you can see not only the valley but also Half Dome itself rising above the landscape. It's an iconic vista you won't soon forget.

There is more than one way to hike to Clouds Rest, and hikers who don't realize that can end up on a much tougher trek than expected. The one we're highlighting here begins not in Yosemite Valley but on Yosemite's less-traveled Tioga Road. You'll start at the Sunrise Lakes trailhead for a 12-mile round-trip hike gaining just over 3,100 feet. It's still an all-day excursion, and the altitude may slow you down if you've recently come from sea level.

Starting at the trailhead, you'll cross a stream, then head into some switchbacks that get the first 1,000 feet of elevation gain out of the way. After this, the terrain is highly varied, passing over smooth granite rock and open meadows, and through cool forests. The last 0.3-mile push to the summit of Clouds Rest may test your comfort with heights as you follow a rocky ridgeline with steep drop-offs to either side, looking a bit like Zion National Park's famously dangerous Angels Landing. It may appear knife-edge narrow, but it's wider than it looks. "Best view I've ever seen," writes one Tripadvisor visitor. "If you can handle a nerve wracking waltz across the ridge that leads out to the final viewpoint, you will thank yourself! It feels insane, but it's actually relatively wide and flat." 

Standing atop Clouds Rest, with a summit that measures just under 10,000 feet, you're actually looking slightly down at 8,800-foot Half Dome. "There is nothing quite like standing on top of Cloud's Rest. We live in a beautiful world," writes another hiker on Tripadvisor. "Do yourself a favor and plan this hike sometime in your lifetime."

Clouds Rest can also be reached from Yosemite Valley. That route climbs roughly 6,000 feet over about 18 miles round trip. You'll get the same sweeping views and relative solitude, but you'll earn them with a much more strenuous workout. "This was worth every gasping breath," notes one reviewer on yosemitehikes.com. "The only others at the top except for the [two] of us were a marmot, a raven, and a chipmunk."

If you want to tackle both Clouds Rest and Half Dome, you can combine them into a multi-day backpacking trip. Starting from the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead, continue past Clouds Rest and camp in designated wilderness areas. If you have obtained the appropriate permits (for both overnight camping and climbing Half Dome), you can wake up early and tackle the hike up Half Dome, then hike down the wildly popular Mist Trail to the valley floor, all before the crowds arrive. Note that this route requires a car shuttle.

Another Tioga Road hike that yields views of Half Dome and the valley floor similar to those from Clouds Rest is North Dome. The hike covers 9.6 miles with a little over 2,000 feet in total elevation gain. "I have hiked Half Dome and it is amazing to stand on top and look across and down to the valley. It may be more impressive (and a whole lot less effort) to get the view of Half Dome that North Dome offers," writes one Yosemite hiker on Tripadvisor, who also recommends catching the golden hour before sunset, then hiking back in the twilight with a headlamp.