One Of Yosemite National Park's Most Scenic Drives Offers Lovely Views Of Waterfalls And Yosemite Valley

Yellowstone may officially be the first national park in the U.S., but California's Yosemite National Park is home to the first ever federally protected land — Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act in 1864, which designated Yosemite Valley and the nearby Mariposa Grove and its giant sequoias as public places for outdoor recreation. Yosemite Valley — with its towering granite rock formations, like Half Dome and El Capitan, and its multitude of waterfalls — is still a stunning sight all these years later. For a bird's eye view of Yosemite Valley, you'll need to leave the valley floor and head up into the mountains. While there are any number of trails that can do this, you can also drive the scenic Glacier Point Road to enjoy a view out over Yosemite Valley that's like no other — all without having to pull on your hiking boots if you don't want to.

Glacier Point Road is just 16 miles long. It starts in the west at the Chinquapin intersection with Wawona Road / State Highway 41 in the midst of the forest. From there, it twists and turns its way farther up into the mountains and the views really start to open up as it climbs. At the end, you reach Glacier Point.

From Glacier Point, you get panoramic views out over Yosemite Valley. In one direction, you can see Half Dome and out to Clouds Rest beyond it. In another direction, you can see Yosemite Falls, one of the tallest in the world — the best time of year to see it (and all the waterfalls in the area) at full flow is in spring with the winter melt. It's often dry by late summer.

Glacier Point isn't the only pretty view along Glacier Point Road. Another popular stop along the way is Washburn Point. It's about a few minutes drive from Glacier Point. From the viewing platform near the parking lot, you can see Half Dome and Liberty Cap as well as Nevada, Vernal, and Illilouette Falls. If you hike the full 7-mile Mist Trail — one of Yosemite's best day hikes — it takes you from the valley up to both Nevada and Vernal Falls. It's fun to then get the top-down perspective on them.

Between Washburn and Glacier Points, you'll come to Glacier Point Curve Vista, where you don't even have to leave the car to see Half Dome rising majestically before you. The road also takes you by Badger Pass Ski Area, the oldest ski resort in the state. Along Glacier Point Road, you'll find the trailhead for a number of fun hikes. The trail to Sentinel Dome, one of the easiest peaks to summit in Yosemite, is just over 2 miles. Hiking to Taft Point, which also has an incredible view out over the valley, is also a little over 2 miles. Near the halfway point of Glacier Point Road, you'll find the trailhead for McGurk Meadow; it's an easy 1.8 mile trail through the woods to an expansive mountain meadow, which is particularly pretty in spring with the wildflowers in bloom. Illilouette Fall may not be one of the big-name waterfalls at Yosemite, but the 370-foot-tall waterfall can still be impressive. It's a 4-mile out and back hike from Glacier Point along the Panorama Trail with 1,400 feet of elevation change.

Glacier Point Road is a two-lane, paved road without guard rails. It's open seasonally; it's typically open by around mid-May and closes by mid- to late-November, sometimes even into early December, depending on the snowfall. You can get up to Badger Pass Ski Area in winter in a car, but not beyond that. The road past the ski area is open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter; you can make it all the way to the point, depending on the weather. 

In summer, the road can get busy and the parking lot at Glacier Point can fill up. The earlier you can get there in the morning, the better. Any vehicle with a trailer or that is over 30 feet in length can't go past the Sentinel Dome / Taft Point parking lot along Glacier Point Road, which is about 2.5 miles from Glacier Point and before the tight, curvy section of road.

You can bike on Glacier Point Road, but with the amount of traffic the road gets during summer, it's better to leave it to the off-season. Sometimes the road opens to cyclists a day or two before cars are allowed, but not every year; keep an eye on the National Park Service website for updates. You don't get much advanced warning, but if you're a cyclist in the area, it can be a great experience. As one Redditor said, "the views are worth the climb." For another iconic and easy roadside view in Yosemite, stop at Tunnel View along State Highway 41. From here, you get a postcard-worthy perspective on Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan, and Half Dome.