Taft Point

Mariposa County, CA

4.9

19 Reviews

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Details

Distance

2.14 miles

Elevation Gain

276 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Features

Forest

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Scenic

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About this place

Added by Joel Bear

Taft Point offers one of the most majestic views in all of Yosemite Valley. If you can time it right, make it to the summit in time for the sunset.

Taft Point is such an amazing and different view of the Yosemite Valley. If you're lucky and you time it right, you'll also experience complete solitude.

While driving Glacier Point Road, just a few minutes before arriving at Glacier Point, you'll see a parking lot for the Taft Point Trailhead. The hike is an intermediate level hike for a little over a mile one way. The hike itself is amazing, showing the diversity of Yosemite with features like ferns, forest, and incredible boulders.

Taft Point is best experienced at sunset, overlooking the beauty of El Capitan. Be sure to start the hike an hour before sunset to experience the sun rays. Remember to bring a flashlight or headlamp just in case you stay a little after dark.

Once the sun sets you'll experience a symphony of stars. Honestly such a gem in Yosemite.

If you're heading there in early spring or late fall, call 209/372-0200 (press 1, then 1 again) for current road info.

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Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and be sure to follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly.

Community

Reviews

Photos

Check-ins

Alex D

5/16/2025

The Glacier Point road just reopened for the season. The trail still had snow and a lot of puddles. We used hiking poles. We ...

Not Crowded

Amazing Views

Easy To Park

Bathrooms

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Clarice Henry

5/11/2025

Taft point is a wonderful, short hike with epic views of Yosemite Valley below. Get there early to get parking as it can fill ...

Amazing Views

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Sami Smith

10/8/2020

Must see

I hiked the loop from glacier point. And the views all along the way were incredible. Taft point is a must see no matter ...

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Peter Jacob

9/4/2017

One of The Best Places I Have Ever Been To

Got to the trailhead with 30 minutes left of sun. We sprinted the trail to get to Taft Point right when the sun was ...

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Kim Baker

8/13/2017

The solitude at sunrise is the best!

We arrived early and hiked out just before sunrise. There was no one around until after the sunlight had flooded the valley floor below. ...

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Andrew Upchurch

7/3/2017

Such an incredible place....

There are few places in Yosemite more beloved by the Instagram community, and a visit here will show you why. Endless incredible sunsets can ...

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Alex Trudeau Viriato

5/21/2017

Photographed By So Many For A Reason

You just have to go. The pictures do it a good justice but still. When you're up there looking at the valley, it really ...

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Breanne McNitt

2/4/2017

Unique view into the Valley

Love the view from Taft point, and the exposure as you look down the thousands of feet of granite to the Valley floor! Still ...

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Skyler Hardy

12/11/2016

A place in my Heart

I did some trail work on this trail back in 2012 and 2013 with the Youth Conservation Corps. I great hike and amazing view form the point!

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Jonathon Reed

10/30/2016

Look west, at least once

I think a lot of the iconography of Yosemite faces east in Yosemite Valley towards Half Dome and Cloud's Rest, and for good reason. ...

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Will Hughes

9/23/2016

Sunrise & Sunset Are No Joke

Seriously, I cannot overstate how incredible the views are here. Wake up early or hang out till dark, it will always be worth it.

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C.C. Blackshear

9/5/2016

Great Short Hike, Big Views

We did this hike in July in the late afternoon and it was amazing! The trail was nice and there is lots of shade ...

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Grant

8/10/2016

What a View

Not for the faint of heart once you get to Taft Point, it's a sheer wall straight down. But the views are amazing and ...

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Susan Marks

6/29/2016

Perfect dinner hike!

One of our favorite hikes in Yosemite--perfect for a dinner hike and sunset watching!

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Christin Healey

3/6/2016

Epic Views!

Oh man, this was probably my favorite part of Yosemite. We went in the wintertime, and since this was my first time, it was ...

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Joy Schmidt

2/23/2016

Afraid Of Heights

The trail was really nice. We actually saw a few bears on our way back up the trail. I'm rather afraid of heights, which ...

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Gaby Colletta

10/6/2015

Beautiful views - not too strenuous - sunrise solitude.

Hiked this last weekend. It was so serene. Decided to head up for sunrise. Since it's a short hike, it is very doable early ...

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Tyler Drake

4/12/2015

Possibly the coolest place I've watched the sunset. It's a pretty easy 1 mile hike to the point - there is a small creek ...

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Kyle Frost

4/9/2015

This is one of the lowest effort/highest reward views in Yosemite. A short hike, suitable for all levels brings you to a spectacular photo ...

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