Dewey Point, plus Crocker and Stanford Points thrown in for free

Dewey Point Trail Map / Satellite View

Distance: 7.8 miles (12.5 km) round trip to Dewey Point;
9.2 miles (14.7 km) for Dewey Point plus Crocker Point;
10.5 miles (16.8 km) for Dewey Point plus Crocker Point plus Stanford Point

Elevation at trailhead: 6,900 feet (2,100 meters)
Dewey Point Elevation: 7,200 feet (2,200 meters)
Crocker Point Elevation: 7,100 feet (2,160 meters)
Stanford Point Elevation: 6,659 feet (2,030 meters)

Hiking Time:  3.5 - 6 hours

Why Hike to Dewey, Crocker, and/or Stanford Points?  Dewey Point has fantastic views looking down onto Yosemite Valley, including El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls. Once you've reached Dewey Point, it's only half a mile or so farther to Crocker Point, and from there, it would be foolish not to proceed on to Stanford Point, another 0.7 miles (1.1 km) ahead. In fact, once you've adopted this attitude, you'll soon find yourself at the Tunnel View in Yosemite Valley, trying to hitch a ride back to your car. And you get McGurk Meadow for no additional cost.

Best Time to Visit: whenever the Glacier Point Road is open, which generally means June through October.

Crowd Factor: Light. This hike is long enough to weed out the flabby sort of tourists who'll hold up traffic at the grocery store just to get a parking spot thirty feet closer to the store entrance. (Not that we have strong opinions on that particular artery-hardening habit.) If there are secluded views over the rim of Yosemite Valley to be had on the day you're hiking, this is where you'll find them.

Difficulty: Medium. There's not a lot of climbing, but it's a long walk.

Parking: There's no lot, but you can park along the shoulder of Glacier Point Road a hundred meters or so past the trailhead.

Nearest Bathrooms: There's a lone outhouse at Summit Meadow, a mile west. You can find plumbing at the Glacier Point Road's origin, 7.5 miles (12km) to the west.

Nearest Snacks: at the Glacier Point road terminus, 8 miles (12.8 km) farther down the road.

Getting There: From the South entrance to Yosemite, turn left and travel 17.3 miles (28 km) to Glacier Point Road. From the valley, take road 41 nine miles (14.5 km) to the same road.

Once you're on Glacier Point Road, follow it to the trailhead 7.6 miles (12 km) later; look for a sign pointing to "McGurk Meadow". In the winter, the park service removes this sign to confuse the bears. Take the trail on the north side of the road; the southside trail goes to Westfall Meadow.