Artist Point Trail

The views along this trail are amazing. Instead of spending time at tunnel view which is crowded and loud take a bit more time and hike up this trail. It only takes a few minutes for the sounds to fade away and the sweeping views to take their place. It's a bit steep at the very beginning but gets less so after a little bit.

If you want to avoid the crowds of the tunnel view, take the artist trail. It is somewhat better than Inspiration Point as it gives more of a view into a valley. Definitely worth the small effort. We've met 3 people during 2 hours.

Artist Point in Yosemite National Park is a little tricky because it’s not one of the more popular or well-marked trails in the park, yet it has some of the most stunning views of Yosemite Valley. The trailhead started with little fanfare at the left side of the Tunnel View parking lot. The trail itself is 2.6 miles up&down, and around 800 ft of elevation gain. There is no actual signage for Artist Point on the trail, so it was a little bit confusing to get to. The trail was a little steep, with a lot of inclines at the beginning, some basic switchbacks, rocks to scramble on, and more than a few fallen trees to go over or around... Overall it was an easy to manage crossing. After hiking 0.7 miles up, the trail continued on the left at the intersection, and it flowed downhill for about 0.6 miles. The trail leading to a rock on the left that looked like a little bench …And yeah that is Artist Point! As mentioned above, it has the most amazing views (without the crowds). It has a similar vista/viewpoint of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls. It is an breathtaking photo ops spot. Overall…. It’s a great hike for all levels and a great leg stretcher if you are going to Yosemite Valley. So for your next trip to Yosemite, this trail should be on your ToDo list. I know, I would love to do it all over again for an easy hike and incredible views!!!

Almost no one was on the trail which made it peaceful. The views of the entrance to The Valley are amazing. The hike is moderate intensity with around 800 ft of elevation gained and a total of 2 miles round trip

Awesome hike with amazing views. Super easy to follow. It's a short hike, but takes a bit because it's steep with a lot of switchbacks. Did this mid December. A couple icy spots but yaktraks made it easier.

Easy short sunrise hike. Perfect and not crowded. Parking becomes more difficult the closer to sunrise so get there before first light. Wonderful experience.

There are three places to enjoy the great view that Ansel Adams made famous: 1. From the parking lot just outside the Wawona Tunnel on the highway 41. This is the easiest and does not require any hiking. 2. From Artist Point on the old Wawona Road, which requires you to hike 2miles with an elevation of 500 feet. 3. From Inspiration Point on pohono trail, it is a 2.6 mile hike with an elevation of 950 feet. Form all three places, you have the similar vista of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall. The reason people take the hike to artist point and inspiration point is there are far fewer people at these vista points. The Artist Point trail started from the Tunnel View parking lot, the first half mile is the Pohono Trail (same for Inspiration Point Trail). It is a very steep incline and switchback. You will gain 500 feet very quickly, Then you will meet the cross road of pohono and the old stagecoach road (i.e the old wawona road). There are signs at cross road, just make a left turn at the intersection and you will be fine. Continue 0.5 mile you will reach the Artist Point (one more mile will send you to the bridalveil fall parking area where old wanowa road meets the new wawona road). The final 0.25 mile is all downhill with about 200 feet elveation. There is no sign of the point, but you can not miss it. If you are lucky, most likely you will be the only one at the spot. It is a great place to take some serious photos. If you visit the place in April or May, do continue another 50 yards, you will see a small waterfall run cross the trail.

Perfect if you want to escape the crowd. If you are not used to hiking, consider a couple of hours and bring a lot of water as the trail is steep and warm. The first good vista point is not indicated by signs and one has to do some work to find it. When you arrive at a bifurcation with two signs with many destinations each, stay on the right and look for a place a bit lower with a big fallen tree