Tunnel View - The Whole Valley at Once

A stop on Yosemite Valley, a free self-guided tour.

Step out of the car and take it in: this is the view that made Yosemite famous around the world. On your left rises El Capitan, a sheer wall of granite. Far up the valley, straight ahead, is the rounded face of Half Dome, and on your right Bridalveil Fall pours from a notch in the cliffs.

Notice the shape of the valley: wide and flat-bottomed with steep sides, like a giant U. Rivers carve narrow V-shaped canyons. This one was deepened and widened by glaciers that ground through it during a series of ice ages.

Long before this view was famous, the valley was home to the Ahwahneechee people, who called it Ahwahnee. The overlook itself opened in 1933, along with the Wawona Tunnel behind you.

Stay behind the stone wall, where the slope drops away steeply, and watch for cars in the busy parking area. Before heading down, check nps.gov for current road conditions, reservations and closures.

Getting here: Start at the Tunnel View parking area on Wawona Road (Highway 41), right at the east end of the Wawona Tunnel. There is parking on both sides of the road.

Did you know?: The name Yosemite comes from a Miwok word usually translated as those who kill, which neighboring groups used for the people of the valley. The valley's own residents called their home Ahwahnee.

Photo op: Stand at the stone wall and frame El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the center and Bridalveil Fall on the right. Late afternoon light is the classic time.

Nearby: No food or water here, and restrooms may not be available. Reliable restrooms are at the Bridalveil Fall parking area, a few minutes down the road.

More on Wikipedia: Tunnel View · El Capitan · Half Dome · Ahwahnechee

Tunnel View - The Whole Valley at Once

Stops on this tour