Yosemite sunsets are some of the best we have seen anywhere in the world, and the twilight period seemed to go on forever. The majority are high above the valley and felt like you were watching the sun go down from the top of the world. The sunsets we watched here were some of our most memorable moments of our whole American road trip. Yosemite is photogenic at any time of day but the sunset light was absolutely captivating.
There aren’t so many places where you can directly watch the sunset in Yosemite so we’ve included our favourite reverse sunset spots too which still provided incredible light.
We tried not to miss a single one on our trip and have put together the unmissable sunset spots for your Yosemite itinerary.
The Best Yosemite Sunset Spots
These are the five best sunset spots in Yosemite:
1 - Sentinel Dome
Sentinel Dome is top of our list for Yosemite sunset spots. If you only have time for one sunset make it this one. For reasons unknown, Sentinel Dome is nowhere near as popular as many other spots around the park for sunset, and that makes a trip there even more special.
You can see both Yosemite’s major icons - Half Dome and El Capitan - from the top of the dome, and the valley views are incredible. The summit of Sentinel Dome is also a really large area, so there is plenty of space for everyone, and when I say everyone it was just us and six others up there on our visit!
It was easy to find your own secluded spot for taking in the views and taking photos.
The quickest way to get to the top of the dome is taking the 1.1 mile Sentinel Dome trail. There is a bit of elevation (455ft) but it’s not a difficult walk. The final section to the top is walking on rock, but it’s nice and grippy and would only be a problem if you suffer from major vertigo or if it’s wet. It doesn’t really feel like there is a drop and the rock slopes gently so it’s generally easy.
Walking down in the dark was also fairly straightforward. Parts of the trail are a little rocky, so we’d definitely advise carrying a torch, but it doesn’t take long to get back to the car park.
Don’t forget to look up at the stars, they were truly mind blowing from here.
Getting to Sentinel Dome
The trailhead for Sentinel Dome is along the Glacier Point Road, which is an hour’s drive from the Yosemite Valley floor. Park at the Taft Point trailhead and then start your walk from there.
2 - Taft Point
Taft Point is incredible, but unfortunately everyone knows about it and you’ll have a much more crowded experience than at Sentinel Dome. You should absolutely not let this put you off though, because it is worth putting up with the crowds for. The view makes it one of the top photography spots in Yosemite.
The view of El Capitan from Taft Point was one of our favourites in Yosemite. The area to watch sunset is really large, so you can move away from the popular photography areas to escape the crowds a little if your interest is more in the sunset than photography.
Most of the area around Taft Point is unfenced. You don’t have to go anywhere near the edge, but if unfenced cliffs with sheer drops unnerve you, there is also a lookout area with railings.
The hike to Taft Point is just over a mile and is predominantly downhill on the way. After you pass through the forested section you need to take a little care with the rocky trail and then the area leading to the cliff edge.
There are actually some huge cracks in the ground which you could fall into if you weren’t paying attention (nothing to worry about as long as you keep an eye out for them). Getting back is obviously majority uphill but it’s still fairly easy.
Getting to Taft Point
The trailhead for Taft Point is on Glacier Point Road and is an hour’s drive from the floor of the Yosemite Valley.
3 - Artist/Inspiration Point
Our third favourite Yosemite sunset spot is Inspiration Point. We’ve mentioned Artist Point too because this is actually where we were intending to go, but took a wrong turn and ended up at Inspiration Point.
The walk to Artist Point is shorter and less steep than to Inspiration Point but is unmarked and therefore easy to miss.
Luckily we made it to Inspiration Point just in time for sunset and it was a beautiful spot. There was absolutely no one else there at all on our visit, making it the quietest Yosemite sunset spot we visited.
The view is essentially the same as from the much more famous Tunnel View, but it’s higher up and has far less people visiting.
You get a wonderful view of the valley including both Half Dome and El Capitan from here and it’s one of those truly iconic Yosemite vistas.
Inspiration Point is the most strenuous spot to get to on our list, at just over two and a half miles and 1000ft elevation gain. It’s pretty much uphill all the way through forest with the occasional view out to the valley.
It’s quite rocky with a little bit of a slippery section near the very beginning of the trail, but nothing that is too difficult. You’ll definitely want a torch to get down because the forest makes it much darker than it really is, and you’ll want to keep an eye on the rocks and tree roots.
As you head down, near the end of the trail you can see El Cap, look out for all the little lights of the climbers on their porter ledges, it was pretty cool to see!
Getting to Inspiration or Artist Point
The trail to Inspiration or Artist Point starts from Tunnel View. There are two parking lots here and the trail starts from the one that is nearest the cliff (ie not the one where the viewpoint for Tunnel View is!).
4 - Tunnel View
We checked out Tunnel View before heading up to InspiratIon Point, which is why the light is slightly bright still. Tunnel View is without question the most iconic viewpoint in Yosemite, and one that pretty much everyone visits.
It’s an outstanding view of the valley and you can drive right up to it, so there is no hiking whatsoever required. If you’re looking for an easy Yosemite sunset spot, this is the one for you.
You will of course be sharing it with many others, but that’s the trade-off for being able to park right beside it.
Getting to Tunnel View
Tunnel View is a 15 minute drive from the valley floor and has two reasonably sized parking lots.
5 - Cook’s Meadows
We arrived in Yosemite late afternoon and after a long drive we wanted to go for a bit of a leg stretcher. We chose to walk around the Cook’s Meadows and found that they actually offered a nice light around sunset. This is one to go for if you have plenty of time in Yosemite and have done all the other spots on our list.
We really liked the soft light in the meadows and the chance to photograph Half Dome from a different perspective (the other spots on this list offer a view from high up whereas the meadow is from valley floor level).
There are loads of deer in the meadows and we thought they added a really nice touch to the photographs. The hike is also a lovely introduction to Yosemite Valley and made a great and easy first walk before we took on some of the classics.
You don’t have to actually do much of the walk at all to get some photos of Half Dome from the valley, you can actually walk for just a few minutes through the meadow if you prefer.
Getting to Cook’s Meadows
Cook’s Meadow is in the heart of the Yosemite Valley and is right next to the start of the trail for the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail and the parking lot for Sentinel Bridge.
Packing suggestions for Yosemite
Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Sunscreen: A lot of the trails in Yosemite have very little shade and the sun is brutal most of the year! Check for sunscreen on Amazon or REI
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon, REI or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on REI or Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check out REI or Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check then out on REI or Amazon
Icebreaker Base Layer: What we always wear in the winter and makes a huge difference for keeping warm. Check out on REI or Amazon
Essential info about Yosemite
Parking at Yosemite sunset spots
We didn’t have any trouble parking at any of these spots during our visit in fall, however in summer it would be much more difficult. Everywhere except the final spot in the valley itself have very small car parks and little in the way of roadside parking.
If visiting in peak season we’d advise parking quite a long time before sunset in order to secure a parking spot.
Food options after visiting Yosemite sunset spots
Depending on what time of year you visit you may run into some issues getting food in the valley after you’ve been out for sunset.
When we visited in fall all restaurants except the pizza place at Curry Village were closing at 9pm, and sometimes even earlier if they ran out of food! Sentinel Dome and Taft Point are roughly an hour’s drive from the valley, which meant that watching the whole sunset, hiking back and then driving meant that we missed everything being open except the pizza place!
Not a biggie, but just something to be aware of. We did quite a few other spots than those mentioned on this list so we got a bit sick of pizza!!
Yosemite National Park entrance fee
You can use the America the Beautiful Annual National Parks Pass to get into Yosemite (US80 per annum). Otherwise it will cost $35 for entry with a car, $30 for a motorbike or $20 per person on foot or bike for 7 days.
As the National Parks Pass is $80 for the year, it is well worth it if you plan on visiting more than three national parks in a year.
Where to stay at Yosemite
If you possibly can staying inside the park itself is the best option. If you’re thinking about camping we’ve got everything you need to know about it in this post.
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What’s your favourite Yosemite sunset spot? Which would you pick from this list? Let us know in the comments below!
