Tunnel View
The whole valley at once.
Jasonseannn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joel Olives — CC BY 2.0 · S. Rae from Scotland, UK — CC BY 2.0 · Harushm — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lucas·G — CC BY-SA 4.0
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park, in the western Sierra Nevada of California. It is about 12 km long and 910 to 1,070 m deep, surrounded by high granite summits including Half Dome and El Capitan, and is the heart of the park and its best known scene. The Merced River drains the valley, and many streams and waterfalls flow into it, including Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America, at its strongest in spring. The name Yosemite is Miwok for «killer». Most visitors enter by roads from the west and are met by the famous Tunnel View at the mouth of the valley. Tunnel View shows the whole valley, with the wall of El Capitan to the left, Bridalveil Fall to the right and Half Dome behind. Below are green meadows, dense pines and a calm river, with mountains reflected in the water in spring. The valley turns white in winter and gold in autumn. The viewpoint is 8 km in a straight line from Yosemite Village. The valley gets very crowded in summer, so enter early and use the free shuttle rather than hunting for parking. Some falls can dry up in late summer, so spring shows them best. Follow the park's instructions on wildlife and food storage.
The whole valley at once.
North America's highest.
A huge granite wall.
Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, California
Since 2026, non-residents pay US$100 per person on top of the US$35 vehicle fee.
In spring. Some can dry up in late summer.