Witness One Of The Most Magnificent Views In All Of Yosemite On This Often Overlooked Hike

Yosemite National Park, one of the most internationally recognized parks in the world, sees millions of parkgoers per year and is a bucket-list destination for a good reason. Nestled within the stunning Sierra Nevada, these almost 1,200 square miles of parkland are characterized by dramatic valleys, ancient sequoia trees, the Merced River, and more. There are plenty of must-do activities in Yosemite, and nature lovers could spend eternity discovering all the park has to offer –– so a guided tour can be a good place to start for those feeling overwhelmed by the options. Reservations to enter Yosemite are required on certain days (including some holidays and weekends), so planning ahead is recommended.

Yosemite is surprisingly beginner-friendly for hikers. Many will have heard of the legendary Half Dome, a summit that offers views of the majestic Yosemite Valley. However, not many have heard of Sentinel Dome, another viewpoint reached by a hiking trail that allows perfect views of Yosemite Falls, the Sierra Nevada, and El Capitan Mountain, one of the park's most memorable landmarks. Of course, the hike is considered moderately challenging, so Viator can give you a helping hand with its guided tour that leads to Sentinel Dome –– offering a less-crowded but equally scenic alternative to the Half Dome viewpoint.

Though still moderately unknown, Sentinel Dome deserves more recognition for the awe-striking view from the top that gives you 360-degree vistas of some of Yosemite's most important ecological landmarks. Some of history's most iconic nature photographs, taken by the great American photographer, Ansel Adams, were captured from this incredible viewpoint. With the Viator Private Hike to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point from Glacier Point tour, you can experience Yosemite in the way explorers from a bygone era did. This hiking tour begins at Glacier Point, one of the most beautiful places in Yosemite National Park. The area around Yosemite was once inhabited by different Native American peoples such as the Sierra Mono, the Miwok, the Chukchansi, the Yokut, and the Ahwaneechee tribes. It's not difficult to see why this area was revered by so many cultures when overlooking the valleys from atop this vantage point.

To join this Viator experience, you will have to make your way to Glacier Point first. The easiest way to do so by car is via Wawona Road (an extension of Highway 41), veering off about 13 miles down, onto Glacier Point Road. It is also accessible via the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail, and buses are also in operation from Yosemite Valley. There is a conveniently located parking lot at Glacier Point for those traveling by car, which is also the meeting point of the tour. From Glacier Point, you will get a commanding and impressive view of Yosemite Valley.

From Glacier Point, you will embark on a 6.8-mile trek towards Sentinel Dome. This route is similar to the one that 19th-century explorers such as James McCauley, who discovered the Four Mile Trail to Sentinel Dome, took. A similar route was also famously taken by John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt in 1903, which led to Roosevelt's historic decision to put Yosemite under federal protection.

The trail will lead you to Taft Point, where you can get one of the park's best views of El Capitan Mountain towering over this viewpoint. Yosemite is also home to some unique geological features, which are easily surveyed from Taft Point. From here you will head to the final point of the tour, Sentinel Dome itself, where you can observe some other iconic parts of the park including North Dome, Clouds Rest, and Nevada Falls. Sentinel Dome is an incredible place for a picnic too. After all that hiking, you'll probably be hungry, so don't forget to pack sandwiches. A giant compass at the top of Sentinel Dome will direct your gaze across the park, an awe-striking view shared by centuries of explorers and Native Americans which will leave you reveling in nature –– just as they did.