Turtleback Dome

Overview: An easy, short hike up an access road to a nice viewpoint of Yosemite Valley below in the distance.

From the top of Turtleback Dome you are treated to views of Half Dome and the Valley below. It’s a similar perspective as Tunnel View but you won’t be fighting for space to get a photo. Look to the north for a view across to Big Oak Flat road and the waterfalls tumbling down Tamarack Creek.

Tips: You can park along Hwy 41 where the access road meets Wawona Road or at the paved shoulder pullout just west of the tunnel (Rostrum parking, if you’re a climber). Either walk up the access road about 3/4 of a mile until you reach the top, or head straight up through the brush and up the steep granite from the Rostrum Parking. Aim for the large boulder you see at the top.