Cook's Meadow

The key feature of Cook's Meadow is the stately elm tree (often mislabled an oak), which makes a great foreground for images of Half Dome from the north side of the meadow, and Yosemite Falls from the meadow's south side.

Cook's Meadow gets its best light in the morning, when the sun's first rays skim the valley floor. Setup on the northwest side of the meadow to be treated to a glorious show as the backlit elm explodes with this first light. Catching the backlit elm on autumn mornings, when its yellow leaves are aflame with the meadow's first light, is a particular treat. When Yosemite Falls is flowing, hang around until the sun sidelights the upper fall, or take the short walk to lower Yosemite Fall for a possible rainbow in the mist at the base of the fall.

On calm and chilly fall, winter, or spring mornings, the meadow can be smothered in an etherial, low-hanging mist that glows gold when struck by the early morning sun. In spring a small pond forms on the meadow's northwest side, and ideal foreground for Half Dome sunset shots. Winter snowstorms etch the elm's bare branches in white (but act fast, because the snow won't last).

How to get there

Eastbound on Southside Drive, take the first left onto Sentinel Drive, just past the chapel. The Sentinel Bridge (classic Half Dome reflections) parking area is on your left; park here for views of Yosemite Falls with Cook's Meadow in the foreground. From here you have easy access to a paved trail skirts the meadow's south side. Easiest access to Cook's Meadow's north side is found along Northside Drive, where there's lots of parallel parking on both sides of the road.