Olmsted Point

The view west from Olmsted Point, down Tenaya Canyon toward Yosemite Valley, provides a unique and striking perspective of Half Dome. I like this perspective not only for its distant view, but also for the foreground opportunities that include glacial erratics (boulders deposited by retreating glaciers), round indentations that fill with water after a rain, linear grooves, interesting trees, and even a few wildflowers if you're lucky. Climb to the top of the dome and look east to see Tenaya Lake, Mt. Conness, and many other High Sierra peaks. To the west is Cloud's Rest, just left of Half Dome; across Tenaya Canyon, facing Half Dome, is Mt. Watkins.

I've had good luck photographing both sunrise and sunset from Olmsted Point. Sunset is particularly nice because it's one of the rare locations in Yosemite where the sun isn't at your back, allowing you to shoot toward the sunset sky. In July and August you might find the granite sprinkled with wildflowers--not a spectacular display, but a nice accent nevertheless. There are both wide and telephoto shots at Olmsted Point, so pack accordingly.

How to get there

To get to Olmsted Point, drive east (away from Yosemite Valley) on Highway 120, toward Tuolumne Meadows. Olmsted Point is a wide, well marked, paved parking area on the right about an hour's drive east of Yosemite Valley. If you reach Tenaya Lake, you've gone too far. You can photograph from the parking area, or take the five minute walk down the stairs and along the trail to the nearby granite dome that hosts Olmsted Point itself. Note that 120 east of Tuolumne Grove isn't plowed in winter, so Olmsted Point is only accessible from June through October (give or take a few weeks).