Clouds Rest

Clouds Rest is one of Yosemite's highest viewpoints, topping out at 9,926 feet — over 1,000 feet higher than the summit of Half Dome, which sits just across the valley. The standard route starts from the Sunrise Lakes trailhead near Tenaya Lake, at an elevation of about 8,150 feet, making for a round trip in the range of 12.5 to 14.5 miles depending on the exact path taken.

The hike starts out easy, following a mostly flat trail through forest for the first mile or so, before climbing a long stretch of switchbacks that gain close to a thousand feet in under two miles. After that, the trail eases into a mix of gentle ups and downs before the final push to the summit — a stretch of exposed granite scrambling that narrows to a ridge only about 15 feet wide, with steep drop-offs on both sides.

No permit is required to hike Clouds Rest, unlike the cables route up Half Dome, which makes it one of the more accessible high-elevation summits in the park.

The views from the top take in Half Dome, the full length of Yosemite Valley, and the surrounding peaks of the Sierra Nevada in every direction.