Olmsted Point: An Epic View of Half Dome

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

Yosemite National Park has many amazing viewpoints throughout the park. Household names such as Glacier Point, Washburn Point and Tunnel View typically get the lion’s share of the attention. There’s another viewpoint that isn’t as well known, but features one of the best views of the park’s iconic Half Dome…Olmsted Point.

Olmsted Point is located on the park’s beautiful east side, just down the road from Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows. There’s no hiking involved. Simply park your car near the lookout and enjoy yourself. There’s a short interpretive trail you can use, or explore around the granite rock for even closer views of Half Dome.

Keep in mind that since Olmsted Point is in Yosemite’s backcountry, this area of the park closes in the winter due to heavy snowfall. Highway 120, the road which cuts through the east side, is typically accessible between late May or early June and the first major snowfall (which typically happens around mid October to early November).

In this post, I’ll discuss topics such as how to get there, the parking situation, who Olmsted Point is named for, other things to see and do nearby, and more. Let’s get into it.

How to Get to Olmsted Point and Parking

Getting to Olmsted Point

Getting to Olmsted Point is straightforward. As mentioned above, it’s located in Yosemite’s east side, just down the road from famed Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows. You can get there either from Lee Vining and entering through the east gate, or by traveling up Tioga road from the valley.

From Lee Vining, you’re looking at a roughly 45-minute drive. You’ll travel up the awe-inspiring Tioga Pass before passing through Yosemite’s east entrance. From the entrance, it’s about 17-miles before you’ll arrive at Olmsted on your left, shortly after passing Tenaya Lake.

From the valley, follow signage to Tioga road. Olmsted will be the first major visible attraction you’ll come across and it’ll be on your right side. It’s about 45-miles up a winding mountain road, so expect the drive to take a bit over an hour.

Parking at Olmsted Point

The parking lot for Olmsted Point is fairly large and paved. It’s large enough to hold dozens of vehicles but despite that, it does fill quickly. Especially during the busy summer months. So if you’re visiting during that time, I suggest arriving early. Particularly during sunrise. That’s what I did and as you can see in the photo above, I was the only one there.

If you’re not going to make it for sunrise, I suggest arriving prior to 10am. After that, the lot begins to fill as more people enter the park and additionally, that’s when the tour buses begin to arrive, causing a huge swell of crowds at Olmsted.

Olmsted Point Things to Do

When visiting Olmsted Point, many people just get out of their car, spend a few minutes taking in the view, and leave. While the view of Half Dome is indeed the main attraction, be sure to venture past the paved lookout and spend some time exploring.

At the lookout deck itself are a few informational signs detailing the glacier-carved history of Olmsted Point, facts about the man it was named for, and other tidbits of information. Just to left of those signs is a trailhead leading to the Olmsted Point Nature Trail.

The nature trail is short, clocking in at only a half-mile, out and back. It takes an average of 10-minutes to complete and offers a different perspective of Half Dome, Cloud’s Rest, and Tenaya Canyon. Be careful if you’re here in the morning during spring or early summer. The notorious Yosemite mosquitos will eat you alive.

To the right of the lookout deck are two rather large granite shelves you can walk out on and explore. The view of Half Dome doesn’t change very much, but there are granite boulders and a couple of trees up there you can utilize for creative photos (the first picture in this section, for example).

Additionally, behind the parking lot and across the street is another granite hill you can climb up to get a unique view of Half Dome from. Looking in the opposite direction from that vantage point is a equally fantastic view of Tenaya Lake.

Who is Olmsted Point Named After?

Olmsted Point is named after famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Best known for designing the grounds of Central Park in New York City, Olmsted played an instrumental role in the protection of Yosemite in the 1860’s.

While working with Senator John Conness, Olmsted helped to secure public land designation for Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Big Tree Grove, giving these areas protection of the state and ensuring they’ll be around for generations to come.

This historic effort resulted in the first acreage of land set aside for public use that would lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the National Parks system. I would say his contributions to Yosemite are deserving of this namesake dedication.