Car: Visitors can access Glacier Point by car starting in late May and lasting through October or November. Drive to the overlook via State Highway 41 and continue onto Wawona Road. Turn onto Glacier Point Road at the Chinquapin intersection. Total travel time is about an hour from Wawona and Yosemite Valley.
Parking at any trailhead at Glacier Point can be difficult at times. The main Glacier Point parking lot has roughly 200 parking spaces, while the Taft Point/Sentinel Dome and McGurk Meadows/Dewey Point lots have much less parking availability.
General fee: Yosemite National Park charges a fee to enter. The fee varies depending on the vehicle used to enter the park (car, motorcycle, bike, on foot, or on horseback).
While the park may seem like a place you want to spend all day – and we totally get it if you do – the crowds clear out in the afternoon. So much, in fact, that after 3 p.m., no vehicle reservation is needed for anywhere in the park.
The one-way hike is about 4.8 miles. If you were to drive between the valley and Glacier Point, it's more like 30 miles and usually takes at least an hour. The easiest way to do the hike is to start at the bottom in Yosemite Valley, hike to Glacier Point, and then hike back down.
The Ledge Trail...the secret route to Glacier Point "Dangerous"
How do I drive up to Glacier Point?
Car: Visitors can access Glacier Point by car starting in late May and lasting through October or November. Drive to the overlook via State Highway 41 and continue onto Wawona Road. Turn onto Glacier Point Road at the Chinquapin intersection. Total travel time is about an hour from Wawona and Yosemite Valley.
Glacier Point is considered one of the best views accessible by car in Yosemite. From Glacier's high country vantage point, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the Yosemite Valley, including landmarks like Yosemite Falls and Half Dome.
Drawing visitors from far and wide, a drive on the Going-to-the-Sun Road is a must-do in Glacier National Park. The spectacular 50-mile road winds over passes, crosses the Continental Divide and travels through incredibly varied terrain, including glacial lakes and jagged cliffs.
Current Status: The road is closed for the winter of 2025-2026. It opens in the spring once plowing is complete, typically in May (see the road's historical opening and closing dates), and closes after the first big winter storm, which generally arrives sometime in November.
What is the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park?
The park reminds visitors that drowning is the number one cause of death in Glacier National Park. Visitors are reminded to watch their surroundings near water. Swift, cold glacial streams and rivers, slick rocks or slippery logs all present dangers.
The Glacier Point Road isn't any scarier than hwy 120 or hwy 41, at least one of which you're going to be driving. They are windy roads, but the elevation gain isn't particularly steep (like Tioga Pass), and the roads aren't particularly narrow.
The Glacier Point overlook is wheelchair accessible via a 300-yard paved, switchback trail from the main parking lot. The restrooms, snack bar, and gift shop are all accessible. A bronze tactile relief model which idenitfies geologic features is located on the terrace below the gift shop.
parallel parking. In fact, two of the top three most difficult tasks to master involved parking: Parallel Parking (72%) Driving near pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists (42%)
Can I drive my own vehicle into the park? You can drive your own vehicle into and around Yosemite (shuttle buses are not mandatory, but are recommended).
Who was the girl who vanished in Yosemite National Park?
A teenage girl disappears while on a horseback riding trip in Yosemite National Park during the summer of 1981. Park rangers are left mystified and baffled when only the lens to her camera surfaces as a clue to what happened to her. The fate of Stacy Arras remains a haunting mystery after more than four decades.
An entrance fee is required to enter the park. Pass holders must provide their Interagency Annual or Lifetime pass for validation or will be required to pay the entrance fee. Be prepared to show photo ID. Recreation.gov does not accept payment from foreign bank accounts or travelers' checks.
What month are bears most active in Glacier National Park?
Bears in Glacier are most active from April through November, with peak sightings from July to September during berry season. Grizzlies and black bears follow ripening berries up the mountains and are often spotted along trails and meadows.
What is the best 3 things to do in Glacier National Park?
But don't let the planning process discourage you; this trip is absolutely WORTH IT! Our TOP 3 FAVORITE HIKES at Glacier National Park are: Grinell Glacier Trail, Avalanche Lake Trail, and Upper Two Medicine Lake Hike. A close third is Hidden Lake Overlook.
Driving a loop through Yosemite Valley typically takes about 30 minutes, so you could accomplish this road trip in a day and see the sights from the car (travelers should expect longer driving times during the summer months).
