Activity Type: Hiking Nearby City: Lower Yosemite Fall Length: 8.8 total miles Elevation Gain: Minimal Trail Type: Out-and-back Skill Level: Moderate Duration: 6 to 9 hours Season: Summer and fall Local Contacts: Yosemite National Park North Dome is one of the most photographed features of the park, especially from the Happy Isles Bridge with the Merced River in the foreground. It is smooth and rounded, more symmetrical than Half Dome, crowning the exfoliating Royal Arches. This is probably the best full-day outing on the north rim, and it is a popular one. The views are everything you would expect from such a vantage point, and as a bonus, you get to see the famous granite arch atop Indian Ridge, accessible only to foot (or horse) travelers. read more

See all

I love North Dome. So much so that even though it was an integral part of my Yosemite experience the first time, I gladly came back to Yosemite and North Dome'd it up again with another group of people. If you're in OK shape, I encourage you to skip some of the trails near Yosemite Village and do some North Dome trekking. Parking is at the Porcupine Trailhead for a good start to the trail. The beginning is wooded and you don't run into a lot of people and 3 miles later or so later, you get up into the beautiful views of the valley. Don't stop here. Continue on to to the actual base of North Dome. You'll have to go down quite a bit, but it's worth it. The trek back up will be challenging, but the final part of the hike is definitely the best. Nothing beats eating your picnic lunch right at the base of North Dome under a tree. You'll see backpackers sometimes setting up a tent at some of the bases with some excellent views, so if you're a backpacker this is definitely a possible clandestine hiking spot ;). Bottom line: - Not usually crowded - Somewhat strenuous; about a 10 mile round trip if you go to the bottom base. - Starts out a bit slow, but the views at the end of are incredible. - Can usually catch cell phone service at the end of the hike read more

Wow, what a view! If you're too scared to do Half Dome like me (I pooped out partway up the cables), but you want amazing views, North Dome is the hike for you. I started from El Capitan the day before on a 4 day backpacking trip so I can't comment on the hike from Tioga Road to North Dome. But if you are in decent shape, you should give this hike a try. We scored an amazing campsite just up from North Dome with an incredible view of Yosemite Valley, Cloud's Rest, Glacier Point, & Half Dome. What a gorgeous sight watching the sun set on Half Dome. The 0.5 mile hike out to the dome from the trail marker is steep & gravelly, so I was glad we decided not to hike down there with our packs (we were also told there is no camping on North Dome, but we did see a few campsites tucked away in the trees). We hiked out to the dome before heading out that morning & had the whole place to ourselves. Amazing! Add this hike to your list of Yosemite Domes. read more

See all

What better day to write a review of a National Park trail than on the National Park Service's 100th birthday?! In researching Yosemite and the various trails/hikes, I did not see anything about North Dome, just a heck of a lot about Half Dome. In fact, I learned about North Dome from the friend whom I ended up hiking it with and I'm glad I did! This hike gives you a perfect view of Half Dome at the end coupled with beauty the whole 4.4 miles (It's about 8.8-10 miles to go there and back). We started mid-morning from the Porcupine Creek trail head (plenty of parking, decent bathroom, and food storage lockers) and made it to what we thought was the end of North Dome in about 1.5-2 hours. After admiring people further down the base we decided we had to explore further. With that being said, keep going! My only advice: "stay to the left of the log" and you'll be on the strenuous path to the base in no time. Speaking of, this is a perfect spot to sit and have lunch while admiring the views of Yosemite Valley and Half Dome. You could probably set up a campsite here but I would recommend setting up camp back before descending down to the base. The hike back up is a tough one but completely worth it. Take your time and make sure you have however much water you think your body needs (and some extra). Don't make the same mistake I did: be sure to stop off and do the detour/side hike to Indian Arch which is on your left hiking from the Porcupine Trailhead to North Dome. If you miss it or decide it's too difficult, the hike to North Dome is beautiful and completely worth it. I can't wait to visit Yosemite again - Happy 100th Birthday to the National Park Service! read more

Half Dome is often considered the ultimate hike in Yosemite (for non-rock climbers like me) but the trail never passes its iconic sheer cliff. Directly across from Half Dome, I feel that this North Dome hike delivers the best and most mind-blowing view of Half Dome's world-renowned face. North Dome is accessible from Yosemite Valley, but easiest to reach via Tioga Road (Hwy 120). Although the Yelp address is Mariposa outside of Yosemite's western entrance, the closest town to the Porcupine Creek trailhead is Lee Vining near the eastern entrance. On the last Sunday of October, the Porcupine trailhead had ample parking but the atypical freezing temps likely dissuaded more hikers. A toilet and bear lockers were available but water was not. Our hike tallied 9.7 miles total - longer than the 8.8 on the trailhead sign (likely due to the side trip to Indian Arch) and distinctly longer than Google Maps. The elevation oscillates by going down the creek then back up to Indian Rock, then down Indian Ridge, then a bit up to North Dome. The result was more uphill hiking than the 950' difference between the highest and lowest levels. Shockingly, the first half-mile of the trail is on a slowly eroding paved road. The trail crosses miles of boring forest before reaching the spectacular Indian Ridge which is another granite dome. Skipping the final mile to North Dome still means fantastic views from Indian Ridge but when you are that close, it's nearly impossible to turn back - unless the weather doesn't allow. A Red Flag warning meant fierce winds that caused other hikers to stop (some were getting blown over and losing their balance). They still had an awesome visit as Indian Ridge delivers incredible views - particularly staring straight into Half Dome's face while North Dome has an off-angle sightline. We continued on to North Dome. Even while getting pelted by pebbles from freezing winds slicing through Yosemite Valley and the possibility of getting hit by a nearby snow storm over triangle-tipped Mt. Starr King, North Dome was still an epic experience. The jaw-dropping expanse with a wrap-around panorama of Cloud's Rest, Half Dome, Illilouette Falls below Mt. Starr King, Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, and Yosemite Valley is about as good as it gets. On the return, I diverted on a steep spur trail to Indian Rock to see the granite arch. It's cute, but not destination worthy. read more

Almost 50 reviews for Half Dome and no mention of North Dome?? I have to admit, I haven't hiked Half Dome yet..YET. My friends have done it, my brother has done it..it's on my to-do list, just not this year. This year, we hiked North Dome..a teaser for the Half Dome hike. According to localhikes.com (the best site ever for hikers =), it's a 9 mile hike,up 1790 feet of elevation that ends up with an "in your face view of Half Dome." Seriously, the view is AWESOME. You can look out to see Clouds Rest, you can see across the Valley, you can even see the hikers on Half Dome. Well you have to bring your binoculars for that last one, but it's really cool! I know that Half Dome is the ultimate hike in Yosemite, but if you don't have the time, or the health to make it, check out North Dome. The first 2.5 miles is easy - just a walk in the woods w/ a couple of creek jumps. The second part is steep, but if you keep yourself hydrated, you should have no problem clearing it even in the middle of summer. There's also a one mile detour to Indian Rock, close to the Dome, def. worth checking out. * Check the website link for directions and more tips. read more

This review is for the hike more than the view(s). So, I am not a hiker by nature. I have been trying to commune with my inner crunchie self with some progress, but I still think any normal person considers a 10 mile walk, a 10 mile walk whether it's flat or not. This hike is not flat. There are some pretty good descriptions here except that I think the last 0.75 miles are pretty much straight down. Since my husband called this an 'easy' hike and we stopped for lunch at the highest point (not North Dome) and thought maybe we were done, I was none too happy to continue downward. Had we turned around at this point, I would have considered it a good stretch of the legs, a little long, but not bad at all. However, the additional hike pretty much turned it into a very challenging, hot, sweaty hike. The views: well, at our lunch spot, I thought we had some pretty amazing 360 views, but we weren't actually at North Dome. With an additional 40 mins or so we did have some amazing views of Half Dome plus Yosemite Valley and Ililouette Falls (although all a little hazy). Would I say it was worth it? I guess so if you are prepared for a moderately difficult hike between the difficulty and the length. We had climbed Yosemite Falls this past spring, my first major hike and I was probably in better shape, and I think it might not be that different in difficulty (only slightly easier). The fault might lie with my husband though because I think if I had read these descriptions I probably would have been better mentally prepared for the hike. read more

See all

North Dome is a great hike and the trails have almost no traffic. The drive up Tioga road is a little cumbersome but its well worth it. Its a casual/moderate 10 mile round-trip adventure. The trail loses elevation for the first mile and flattens out until you get to an opening where you can see Half Dome. The view is amazing and you start getting out of the woods at the Indian Arch fork. By the way, I HIGHLY recommend taking the 0.5 miles to the Indian Arch. The rock formation looks like an indian smoking a pipe. It took a few minutes but then it was obvious. Watch out for the africanized mosquitoes, those things are brutal around the few creeks you have to cross. read more

See all

Bf and I (www.instagram.com/gregandozzy) went backpacking and camped our first night at North Dome. We started the trek in late afternoon at Porcupine Trailhead (equipped with trash cans and bathrooms), and although it was a holiday weekend, we got lucky with parking as hikers returned from their day hikes. The 4.4 miles from trailhead to North Dome were mostly woodsy and shaded with little incline - moderate and doable even for the non-hiker. Arriving at North Dome was the highlight. The expansive views of the valley and the mountains on the other side coupled with the sound of the waterfall were breathtaking. We arrived around sunset and set up camp, feeling "on top of the world" atop the plateau. Tioga Pass had just reopened for the summer two days prior to our trip, so we had the outlook almost all to ourselves, but expect it to be packed. Highly recommended. read more

North Dome - View from North Dome hike and "home" for the evening camping under the stars (instagram.com/gregandozzy - Hiking Near Me - Mariposa, California

Wow! North Dome is an amazing and not to be missed hike off the Tioga Road. It starts off the Porcupine Creek parking lot. The first .7 miles are down hill along an old washed out road. (Remember you have to walk back up this on your return!) The next 1.5 miles are an easy high Sierra hike. At about 2.5 miles you come to a .3 mile detour to Indian Arch. It's a pretty steep hike up but cool views to give a preview of what's to come. When you come down from the detour you quickly come across what you think might be north dome - the views here are awesome. But then you look out and see that North Dome is actually about .75 miles down a head of you. You can take a less steep trail down and around the side of the mountain or you can just climb down the steep face. We did the longer loop down and came back up the front. Much faster on the return. The views off North Dome of Half Dome, Cloud's Rest and the Valley Floor are unbelievable. Million dollar +. It's about 9 miles in total and took us 5 hours flat, including the detour and 15-20 minutes for pictures and lunch. Hiking poles would be welcome on the descent and ascent out to North Dome. read more

This is the best hike I've done in Yosemite so far: it's challenging but doable, has awesome views of half dome, and wasn't too crowded when I went in early September. There is also an offshoot to a cool rock structure called Indian rock, which is climbable and good for photo ops. Walk out to the top of north dome, have lunch with views of the famous half dome, and head back through some hilly woods back to the parking spot. It's the best view of half dome I've ever experienced. Definitely recomme read more

North Dome - Cairn with a view of half dome - Hiking Near Me - Mariposa, California

I lived in Yosemite for 5 summers and did this almost every summer. For me it's as classic as doing Half Dome. I just adore this hike. It's flat and easy in the beginning and then suddenly BAM! There's Half Dome right there. You could practically kiss it. And you will be all alone on this hike. I promise. It has great views of the valley and is easy to access from the high country. Don't miss this one! read more

Great hike if you hate the crowds. Four hour hike round trip and I saw 5 people max. epic views and plenty of shady trees at the top to picnic under. I was very tired at the end but I would not consider this hard for a regular hiker. Great for a trail runner. Yosemite Village was swarming with people so this was a nice escape. Went on 10/1/18 read more

North Dome offer a spectacular up close view of Half Dome. It is a 9 mile round trip hike from the parking lot - add another mile if you want to visit Indian Rock, the only natural arch in Yosemite National Park. The first half of the hike is a walk in the woods, but second half is full of amazing vista of Half Dome. If you are not in shape, it can be tough - initial is is a fairly flat, but towards the end it can get steep. If you use, Max OS X yosemite, the default picture on the OS, was likely taken from this hike. Highly recommended. read more

Here is the secret to North Dome...Ready? Take the Hikers Bus from the Yosemite Lodge in the morning. Obtain your tickets at least the day before, as it can be dicey waiting till the day you wish to hike. Take the bus to Porcupine Creek and exit to a great day hike. On your way to the Valley be sure to take the side trip to Arch Rock. Continue on to North Dome for an aye popping view of the Valley and all it has to offer. When done soaking up the scenery, hike over to Yosemite Falls via Yosemite Point and down the trail to the Valley floor via the Falls trail. you've had a great day. read more

Here is the skinny on this amazing hike. 8.8 miles roundtrip. If you do the Indian Rock arch add another .6 miles for a total of 9.4 miles. We started at the Porcupine creek trail head off Tioga Rd. at 8:30am and got back to the car at 3:30pm. BUT we went to the arch took a ton of pics and also stopped for lunch at the first clearing looking down at the dome. Those two things added probably 60-90 min to our hike. Plus, when we got to North Dome, we hung out there for another hour taking TONS of pics! I am 50 years old, about 20 lbs overweight and I do Zumba 3-4 times a week. That's it. Honestly, if you are really fit and young you will have no problem with this hike. Its fun, rewarding and the views...WOW!!! My husband has done Half Dome 5 times and absolutely adored this hike. If you are like me, you will love this hike but it will challenge you in a few places but it is worth it. The walk STRAIGHT UP to the arch is hard but a neat place for pictures. Honestly, if you don't do the arch on the way in, you probably won't do it. You'll be too tired. The last .07 miles is uphill but you are at the end is near so its not too bad. The views are incredible, stunning, pictures don't do it justice. Its windy up there so hold on to your hat! I would do this hike again but I would skip the arch. It will be easier once I get this last 20 lbs off!! read more

This is not an easy or moderate hike by any means. I just did it for the first time last week from the Porcupine Creek trailhead on Tioga Road. To the non-expert or infrequent hiker, this trail has very strenuous parts, but I guess averaged out it would be high moderate. Remember that you are in the high country. It's not Yosemite Falls strenuous, but do not be deceived, it is more than a walk in the woods. The first mile or so of the trail is easy, but it is downhill, so remember that on your way back. After that it is a pretty good uphill trek until you get to the clearing with the killer views of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, and the Sierra. (About the arch, you can view it from the trail, so there is no absolute need to check it out, but it could be cool to be closer to it.) The views are good enough there at the clearing, but it is still a LONG WAY DOWN to the actual North Dome. I would recommend staying at that clearing especially when Yosemite Falls is running pretty dry, or go half way down to the next vista. However, if you want to go all the way down to the dome, it is a pretty steep trail on granite, and you will not believe how steep or how far it was until you turn around. Take lots of breaks and bring lots of food and water. It took me about 5 hours there and back with lots of breaks in the shade. read more