Day Tripping
Glacier
Point Day Trip - 1 hour one-way drive from The Redwoods
Click
here for a virtual tour of Glacier Point!
 As you wind along
the 16 miles of Glacier Point Road to the amazing promontory at Glacier
Point, you will enjoy the unfolding majesty of the High Sierra from roadside
pullouts and short hiking trails. The route is open to Glacier Point from
late spring until winter storms arrive.
- Start out midafternoon, and pack a picnic dinner and backpack supplies for a short hike.
- Drive to the Taft Point/Sentinel Dome trailhead parking area.
- Select either the Taft Point or Sentinel Dome trail. The Taft Point trail is mostly
flat and downhill, and will reward you with unusual rock formations, including
the Fissures (wide gaps in rocks hundreds of feet deep), as well as an
overhanging lookout point to the Valley floor below you. The Sentinel
Dome trail is an uphill climb to the top of Sentinel Dome, where you will
marvel at a 360-degree panoramic view of Yosemite's landscape. Either
trail is about 2 miles roundtrip. Allow 2 hours hiking time.
- Continue driving out Glacier Point Road, and stop at Washburn Point
to enjoy a sweeping panoramic view of the High Sierra, as well as views
of Vernal, Nevada, and Illilouette Falls.
- Drive to the end of Glacier Point Road. A walk of about 300 yards
from the parking area takes you to Glacier Point, where you will enjoy
one of the most magnificent views in the Park. The vista includes views
of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and down a 3,000
foot cliff into Yosemite Valley.
- Time your arrival at Glacier Point for early evening, and enjoy your picnic dinner at the amphitheater
with the High Sierra as your front seat view. A seasonal snack stand is
open until 6:00 pm. Check your Yosemite Guide for current schedule.
- Meet a ranger to enjoy an evening program presented at Glacier Point,
with the alpenglow on the High Sierra country as a backdrop. On some evenings,
rangers and volunteers from astronomical societies will host a star program,
and on nights with a full moon, there is a special "Full Moon Rising"
program. Check the Yosemite Guide for current schedule of activities.
 Badger
Pass Ski Resort- 45 minutes one-way drive from The Redwoods
In the winter, Glacier
Point Road is plowed in six miles to the Badger Pass Ski Resort, California's
original ski area. This family ski resort offers nine downhill ski runs.
Ninety miles of cross-country trails begin from Badger Pass. Tracks and
skating lanes are groomed to Glacier Point, 21miles round trip, no trail
fee. Weather permitting, Badger Pass is open daily from mid-December until
early April. Check with our reservation specialists for mid-week lift
ticket specials.
- Spend the day downhill or cross-country skiing, or even give snowboarding
a try. If a full day is too much, half-day tickets are sold after 12:45
pm. Seniors (65+) ski free Monday - Friday.
- Yosemite Ski School offers morning and afternoon group and private downhill and cross-country lessons. Lesson packages
include the lesson, equipment rental, and lift ticket.
- Badger Pups downhill ski program is a great first ski experience for children ages 4-6, and
hourly Badger Den babysitting is available for children ages 3-9.
- Equipment rental, food, and beverages are available at the Badger Pass Lodge.
- Join a Park Ranger for a 2-hour morning snowshoe walk into the winter
woods.
On any
day trip, always take along a pack with water, snacks, camera, binoculars,
insect repellant, and sunscreen. Most scheduled activities, such as ranger-led
programs, are offered primarily during the summer months.
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