Virtual Tour Directory

Click a link below to jump to that location in the virtual tour.  The locations are organized by park region.

Yosemite Valley

The Ahwhanee Hotel

©2017 Photography by Scott Highton.

The most popular region of Yosemite National Park is Yosemite Valley – an approximately 7-1/2 mile long section of the park comprising about 3,800 acres. While this is only about a half of one percent of the total area of the park, Yosemite Valley attracts by far the most visitors each year.

Most are drawn here by the stunning scenery, imposing cliffs, and spectacular waterfalls.  The vast majority of Yosemite’s in-park lodging is found in Yosemite Valley, as well as its campgrounds, and food & dining facilities.

Among the Valley’s highlights are El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, and Half Dome. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a designated historic structure.  The world-renowned Ansel Adams Gallery, featuring the photography of Ansel Adams and other Yosemite artists, is located amid the central hub of Yosemite Valley’s operations.

Yosemite Falls reflection – winter

© 2017 Photography by Scott Highton

Half Dome Corridor

The iconic face of Half Dome, as viewed at sunset from the Diving Board.

©2013 Photography by Scott Highton

Half Dome is perhaps the most iconic formation in Yosemite.  Located at the east end of Yosemite Valley, it is a massive granite dome that appears to have had one side cut away, leaving an exposed 4,700-foot vertical rock face.

The area around Half Dome is popular with hikers and climbers, and the hike to its summit is a 16-1/2 mile round trip endurance test – particularly for those attempting to do it in a single day.  This hike culminates at Half Dome’s summit with a 400-foot steep ascent on the rock between two steel cables.  Permits are required to climb to the summit during much of the year (when the cables are in place), as well as for backcountry camping.

Three of the most popular trails in Yosemite are found around the base of Half Dome.  They include the Mist Trail, leading hikers from Happy Isles up along side both Vernal and Nevada Falls, and the start of the 211-mile long John Muir Trail, which ends at the summit of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental U.S.  The third trail is the Mirror Lake Loop – a relatively flat 5-mile loop below the face of Half Dome.  The lake itself can be reached by both foot and bicycle (most of the way), and is only about a two-mile round trip.  The free Yosemite Valley Shuttle Buses run regularly throughout the year, and stop at each of these trailheads.

Tioga Road & High Country

The long view – Half Dome near sunset, from Olmsted Point on the Tioga Road.

©2017 Photography by Scott Highton

Tioga Road is a 39-mile section of Highway 120, passing through beautiful parts of Yosemite’s high country.  It connects Yosemite to the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the Mono Basin. This area is far less crowded than Yosemite Valley, and many visitors plan their Yosemite travels with a focus on Tioga Road destinations in an effort to enjoy the relative peace and solitude unavailable in Yosemite Valley from June through September.

Highlights of the road include numerous high country trailheads, numerous spectacular views, the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias, Olmsted Point, Tenaya Lake, Cathedral Peak, Tuolumne Meadows, and Tioga Pass – the highest mountain highway pass (at 9,943’ elev.) in California and the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Tioga Road is closed – usually from the end of October through the end of May – due to heavy snow and avalanche conditions.  Plowing operations usually begin in April. Two backcountry rangers remain in the high country along the road over the winter, and die-hard cross country skiers take advantage of the snow-covered road for extended winter adventures.

Glacier Point Road

Half Dome at sunset from Glacier Point.

©2013 Photography by Scott Highton

Spectacular views of Half Dome and the Grand Staircase of waterfalls can be found from both Glacier Point and Washburn Point at the end of the Glacier Point Road.

For a unique experience in Yosemite, consider attending one of the Stars Over Yosemite programs offered (free telescope viewing) at the Glacier Point Amphitheater most summer weekend nights.

Glacier and Washburn Points overlook much of the east end of Yosemite Valley, but the 32-mile drive from the valley floor generally takes an hour or more. There are numerous trail heads along the Glacier Point Road, with trails leading to spectacular overlooks along the south rim, including Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, Roosevelt Point, and McGurk Meadow.  Most of the Glacier Point road is closed for the winter – usually between November and May, although winter access is provided up to the Badger Pass Ski and Snowboard Area.

For those who have the patience, getting up early for sunrise or staying out long enough for sunset are among the most rewarding ways to experience Glacier and  Washburn Points.

McGurk Meadow – summer blooms

©2017 Photography by Scott Highton

Hetch Hetchy

O'Shaughnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy

O’Shaughnessy Dam and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

©2018 Photography by Scott Highton

The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and its surrounding areas are probably the least visited section of Yosemite.  John Muir once described it as “a wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite (Valley).”  Its steep granite walls, immense waterfalls, crystal river, and the lush meadows of its valley floor were considered to be a smaller, but just as spectacular, version of Yosemite Valley.

Muir was one of the leading opponents of the effort by the city of San Francisco to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley in order to create a reliable supply of water for the city, which suffered significant loss from widespread fires following the 1906 earthquake.  Muir’s efforts at the time led to the formation of the Sierra Club.

Ultimately, the city of San Francisco won the battle, and construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam began in 1919.  Because the dam was to be located entirely within an existing U.S. national park, an act of Congress was required to circumvent protection of the Tuolumne River.

The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, created by the 312-foot high O’Shaughnessy Dam, stretches about eight miles up river.  But there are several trails, including the primary one crossing the top of the dam itself, that offer hiking access to the spectacular scenery and waterfalls above the flooded valley.

Southern Yosemite

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.

©2013 Photography by Scott Highton

The southern access road into Yosemite is Highway 41, which enters the park via the town of Oakhurst. For those seeking to avoid traffic and crowds of Yosemite Valley, this section of the park is a wonderful alternative.

Here, you will find the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, a grove of over 500 giant trees – one of which (the Grizzly Giant) is believed to be more than 2,000 years old and is listed as the 25th largest tree in the world.

Just inside the park is the village of Wawona and the historic Wawona Hotel.  There is a nine-hole golf course here – one of the few that exist inside a U.S. national park.

There are also hiking trails here, including several newly renovated ones through the Mariposa Grove, as well as the relatively flat Wawona Loop and the Chilnualna Falls Trail, which climbs 2,300 feet past a series of impressive waterfalls (at least in the spring and early summer when the river is flowing).

Sierra Foothills & West Entrances

Storm clouds over the Sierra Foothills.

©2018 Photography by Scott Highton

Two of the four highway entrances into Yosemite come in from the Sierra foothills to the west. One is via Highway 140 from the town of Mariposa (called the “year round” highway, as it is generally kept clear of snow throughout the winter), and the second is via Highway 120 and the town of Groveland.

The foothills leading into the park have numerous attractions of their own, and the towns and lakes surrounding the park offer lots of recreation opportunities.  Spectacular wildflower displays can often be found in April and May in the Merced River Canyon near El Portal along Highway 140, and clusters of brilliant fall color can be seen along Highway 120 near the park entrance.

California poppies – Hite Cove Trail

©2013 Photography by Scott Highton

Eastern Sierra

Sunrise, Mono Lake.

©2015 Photography by Scott Highton

Beyond the eastern borders of Yosemite and some of the highest peaks in the park, lies the town of Lee Vining and the Mono Basin – a high desert home to Mono Lake, one of the few saltwater lakes in the U.S.

Among Mono Lake’s unique features are its limestone tufa stacks, which are formed when mineral-laden fresh water from the surrounding mountains seeps upward into the highly saline lake.

To the north is the historic ghost town of Bodie, a mining town that was once home to 10,000 people, but which was mostly abandoned in the early 1940s.  Today, it is a California state park, maintained in a state of “arrested decay.”

Toward the south are the towns of Mammoth Lake and June Lake.  Mammoth is a thriving ski destination in the winter, and the June Lake Loop (along with much of the surrounding eastern Sierra) is known for its brilliant fall color displays.

Fall color, Eastern Sierra.

2015 Photography by Scott Highton