Look Down On El Capitan From The Dramatic Taft Point Overlook

Every visitor to Yosemite Valley thrills at the massive sheer granite face of El Capitan, which glowers down from the north upon the Merced River. One of the planet’s most impressive monoliths, El Capitan—the top of which is 3,000 feet above the valley floor—is an international legend among rock-climbers, always eager to test their mettle on its vast cliff. As marvelous as it is to crane your neck and stare up at the mighty El Capitan, it’s a whole other experience to look down upon it—which is just what you can do from the dramatic Taft Point overlook. Sunset marks a particularly stirring time of day to take in the panorama. Taft Point Taft Point is accessible off Glacier Point Road, a short drive from your Scenic Wonders cabin. The view is equal to Glacier Point’s, but, unlike it, is reachable only by foot. Hit the trail at the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point trailhead; it’s a 2.2-mile hike round-trip. The vista of the western Yosemite Valley and its encompassing peaks is remarkable, but so is the nearer splendor of the Fissures, titanic gouges striking down the mountainside at your feet. El Capitan at Dusk Even via the sky-high perspective at Taft Point, El Capitan is unmistakable; you get a wonderful sense of its context in the massive, rugged, glacier-scraped walls of Yosemite Valley. At dusk, Taft Point provides quite a visual spectacle: You can watch the night shadows creep up El Capitan’s face from the valley even as the monolith’s crown remains bathed in evening light. That ethereal pale crimson cast on the high rock—the alpenglow—smoldering above the darkening drainage is truly breathtaking. Such a miraculous sight is emblematic of the must-see natural beauty of Yosemite National Park. Reserve your Scenic Wonders lodgings today and experience that beauty firsthand!

Make Your Yosemite Reservations Today

If you’re looking to explore Yosemite, start planning your trip with Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders. We offer Yosemite reservations within the gates of the park. With one of our cozy cabins, condominiums, or homes, your Yosemite accommodations will be just minutes from all the wonderful spots in Yosemite. Give us a call at 1-888-YOSEMITE (1-888-967-3648) to learn about our rentals and to make your Yosemite reservations today.

Yosemite National Park Blog

Scenic Wonders’ Yosemite blog provides the latest news related to Yosemite National Park. By reading our blog, you’ll stay up to date on activities, accommodations, and more.   Photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik