After a full year of being closed to vehicle traffic for road rehabilitation and improvements, the popular Glacier Point Road will fully reopen in California’s Yosemite Mariposa County on 15 July 2023, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
The advancement of the project means that visitors are now able to reach popular viewpoints such as Glacier Point, Washburn Point and McGurk Meadow as well as popular trailheads such as Taft Point, Sentinel Dome and Panorama Trail from Glacier Point down to the Valley Floor.
Glacier Point delivers one of the most spectacular vistas of any national park. Situated at the end of the 16-mile-long Glacier Point Road, it overlooks Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and numerous, majestic waterfalls.
Recreational opportunities abound as well, with hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country ski trails spurring off into the beautiful surrounding wilderness.
Half Dome from Glacier Point, Yosemite
Top Things To See & Do:
Follow Glacier Point Road off Highway 41 to reach the Glacier Point visitor area. The stone overlook is expansive and includes a number of interpretive maps and displays, as well as a visitor centre, restrooms and bear-proof metal lockers. It’s also a good starting or finishing point for some of Yosemite’s most popular trails, including the Four Mile Trail and the Panorama Trail.
Badger Pass Ski Area, located just off Glacier Point Road with peak elevation of 8,000 feet, is the oldest ski resort in California. Touted as one of the Sierra’s most family-friendly slopes, Badger Pass Ski Area, which opens during the winter months, offers downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowboard terrain park, tubing and more. It’s intimate with just five lifts providing access to mostly beginner and intermediate runs, making this a great place to learn to ski.
Trailheads along Glacier Point Road lead to a number of expansive Yosemite Valley vista points, including Sentinel Dome and Taft Point, McGurk Meadow and Dewey Point, popular for hiking and snowshoeing.
Prior to arriving at Glacier Point, Washburn Point is a smaller stop and parking area that will reward you with fantastic views of the southern stretching Sierra Nevada and valley below. This area is often mistaken for Glacier Point, so enjoy this epic pull-out and then continue on.
