Yosemite National Park is a dream come true for landscape photography lovers. We were utterly blown away by its majestic granite domes, giant Sequoia groves, lush meadows, awe inspiring sunrises and sunsets, powerful waterfalls and mesmerizing viewpoints. It’s the perfect place to learn and improve your photography skills, take home stunning images and bulk out your social media profiles.
In this guide we show you the photo spots you can’t miss in Yosemite National Park, based on our experiences.
Our Experience
We visited Yosemite at the end of October 2019 when the meadows had turned a golden yellow, tree leaves had hints of fall foliage colors, and the light was silky soft at dawn and dusk. We’d heard it was a picturesque place, but we didn’t expect it to be so dramatic and strikingly beautiful. For 3 full days we braved the cold from dawn to dusk so we could take home a bunch of fantastic photos of Yosemite.
Back then we had our first ever camera (the old trusty Sony a6000), and we were still learning about photography and improving our skills. Yosemite instantly became one our favorite landscapes because it was unbelievably photogenic. One major downside to our late fall visit was dry waterfalls, but otherwise we hit all the major photo spots in the park. Read more about us.
READ: 40 stunning photo spots in the US
1. Glacier Point
Glacier Point has Yosemite’s best view of Half Dome that’s accessible by car. It was a pain in the neck to reach because we had to drive 16 miles up a narrow, twisting and steep two-lane road to the parking area. But trust us when we tell you it’s well worth the effort to enjoy one of the most iconic viewpoints in Yosemite. The Half Dome view was a side profile, so we could see how it looked as though the granite rock was cleanly sliced in half by a gigantic sharp blade.
From Glacier Point we were looking east-northeast at Half Dome. Depending on the time of year you visit, the sun will rise from behind or next to Half Dome at dawn. But after sunrise until later in the afternoon the front-face of Half Dome will be completely covered in shadow. We visited Glacier Point around an hour or two before sunset, which meant Half Dome was glowing but a huge portion of the valley closer to us was shrouded in a deep and dark shadow. Oh, and Taft Point is another great nearby photo spot you should consider.
- Glacier Point: Map location
2. Tunnel View
If you want to see the most iconic photo spot in Yosemite, head straight to Tunnel View. It’s located on the eastern side of Wawona Tunnel just a few minutes drive from Bridalveil Falls and the Yosemite Valley Loop, so it’s really easy to access. We saw this location on pretty much every book inside the Ansel Adams Gallery next to the visitor center, so we decided to do it for sunset so the light would be soft.
And what a view it turned out to be. The intimidating El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Falls on the right and Half Dome in the distance. But we also loved how the thousands of evergreen trees curved through the valley like a half-pipe. We only had our 24mm lens at the time, but this is the place to take your telephoto lens so you can compress the three major landmarks (on a phone you should use your zoom camera).
- Tunnel View: Map location
3. Valley View
We had no idea Valley View existed until we stumbled across it right after hiking to the base of El Capitan. And guess what? It turned out to be our favorite photo spot in Yosemite. The view was extraordinarily beautiful because we could use the mirror-like Merced River in our foreground, trees in the middle-ground and the towering granite formations including El Cap in the background.
This viewpoint is east facing, so the best time to take photos is at sunset because the sun is behind you and it’s lighting up El Capitan. We revisited this spot during the day and it was nowhere near as attractive because the granite rocks were too bright and the sky was blown out. Our top tip is to do Valley View as the sun is setting, then go to the nearby Tunnel View right around sunset.
- Valley View: Map location
Need help planning your trip to Yosemite?
Our popular Yosemite travel guidebook helps you with planning every aspect of your visit, including what to see, the best hikes, where to eat and stay, itinerary ideas and map!
View Yosemite Guidebook4. Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is where you’ll find most of the park’s top hikes, waterfalls, tourist centers and accommodation. But what you might not know is that the entire valley is basically one great big photography location. We encourage you to park at every pullover and turn into every picnic area on the loop road. Trust us, you won’t be able to stop taking photos.
Our top tips in Yosemite Valley are to use the Merced River for reflection photos of granite formations and to walk around Cook’s Meadow Loop. When we visited in October, Cook’s Meadow Loop was a gorgeous ocean of long golden-yellow grass. But the best part is the view you’ll have of Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America. Just know the waterfall will be dry in summer and fall.
- Yosemite Valley: Map location
5. El Capitan Meadow
You probably know about El Capitan from rock climbing documentaries like The Dawn Wall and Free Solo, but did you know it’s also one of the most photographed formations in the park? Both Tunnel View and Valley View are great places to take photos of El Capitan, but our favorite spot was El Capitan Meadow.
After hiking to the base of El Capitan in late afternoon to look up at the immense climbing route, we took a walk around El Capitan Meadow to watch the iconic granite cliffs illuminate under soft yellow light at dusk. It was getting cold but the awesome sunset view was more than worth putting up with bone-chill. We think sunrise would also be fantastic here so you can see the Dawn Wall light up.
- El Capitan Meadow: Map location
6. Vernal + Nevada Falls
If you only do one hike in Yosemite, make it the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail Loop. It’s a fantastic hike that follows half of the Half Dome Trail, but it also leads to two picturesque waterfalls called Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. You’ll reach the 317-ft tall Vernal Fall first, which is a single drop waterfall that plummets over a right-angled rock formation. Then much higher up you’ll see the 594-ft tall Nevada Fall sliding down a giant rock-face.
If you visit Yosemite in winter or spring when there’s more water in the falls, you definitely shouldn’t miss these two famous photo spots. But if you visit later in summer or fall like we did, it’s less important because the waterfalls are almost dry. The difference in quality of image when the water is in full flow is noticeable!
- Vernal + Nevada Falls: Map location
7. Lower Yosemite Fall
Carrying on the waterfall theme, another place you should absolutely prioritize if you visit Yosemite in winter or spring is Lower Yosemite Fall. It’s a piece of cake to access and it’s one of the best viewpoints in the park. When the water is fully flowing, you’ll find a small wooden bridge crossing Yosemite Creek to be packed full of people with smartphones and cameras.
During our visit in late October there wasn’t a single drop of water in the creek. And it was at the exact moment we stood on the wooden bridge looking up at the dry waterfall that we felt the most disappointment on our trip. We did see a cougar cub on the trail, but we quickly left the area in case the momma cougar was around!
- Lower Yosemite Fall: Map location
8. Tuolumne Meadows
If you have time, we highly recommend you visit the north portion of Yosemite along Tioga Road. And Tuolumne Meadows is one of the more popular places to stop. It’s a large subalpine area at 8,600 ft above sea level and it encompasses hikes, a visitor center, granite domes and of course lush meadows.
We hiked to Dog Lake and Lembert Dome summit which was a spectacular photo spot in its own right, but you can also hike to Cathedral Lakes for more excellent views. This whole area is attractive and it’s much quieter than Yosemite Valley, so you have more opportunity to find isolation with your camera.
- Tuolumne Meadows: Map location
9. Olmsted Point
Olmsted Point is another top Yosemite photo spot you can’t miss if you plan to drive up Tioga Road because it has sensational (and completely unexpected!) views over Half Dome. From here you’ll be looking at Half Dome from almost the opposite side that you would be from Glacier Point. Olmsted Point is much further away but you can see more of Half Dome’s front face.
We stopped at Olmsted Point a little after lunch time on a clear day and the sun was directly ahead of us as we looked at Half Dome, so it was very hard to take a decent photo. But the view is much better early in the morning or late in the afternoon. We walked out on the cracked rocky surface as far as we could to get as close as we could to Half Dome. Oh, and don’t forget to stop at nearby Tenaya Lake for another quick photo.
- Olmsted Point: Map location
10. Mariposa Grove
Yosemite is home to three different Giant Sequoia Groves: Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Grove and Merced Grove. We walked around Tuolumne Grove, saw the Dead Giant Tunnel Tree along with 20 or so mature Giant Sequoias and the whole area was very photogenic. Now, Mariposa Grove is the best place to see Giant Sequoias in Yosemite, but it’s almost 2 hours south from Yosemite Valley.
Our advice is to do Mariposa Grove for Sequoia photos as long as you’ll be entering or leaving the park through the south. Otherwise, go to Tuolumne Grove because it’s easier to access from the valley and it’s located on the western entrance road from San Francisco. The trees are enormous, so you can create some really fun perspective photos.
- Mariposa Grove: Map location
Yosemite Photo Spots Map
Click or touch the map below to activate. Zoom in and out, move around the map and you’ll see the locations of each photography location mentioned in this guide. You can also click on the view larger map icon in the top right to expand the map, which is much easier to see.
Map key:
- Red – Photo spots
As you can see, our favorite photography locations are spread across the park but the majority are located within Yosemite Valley. Our top tip is to combine the viewpoints as efficiently as possible so your itinerary runs smoothly.
More Yosemite Photos
We took a bunch of photos during our trip to Yosemite! Here are more of our favorites (read the captions so you can see the locations):
The Morgan Conclusion
What we like: Yosemite’s staggering natural beauty truly blew us away. We’ve seen a lot of the world so it takes something special to really make us say wow, and Yosemite was one of those special places. We absolutely must go back again armed with better equipment, knowledge and skills. We’d love to add photos from Yosemite to our print store.
What we don’t like: From a photography perspective there’s not a whole lot to dislike. The most obvious issue is dry waterfalls in summer and fall, which does put a dampener on things. We visited the park in late October but we can imagine it would be pandemonium in the peak months of July and August, which would make it harder to get to the photography locations.
More From Yosemite
- The perfect 3 days in Yosemite itinerary
- 10 things to know about Yosemite in October
- Where to stay near Yosemite
- How to hike Yosemite Mist Trail
Want more California content? Head to our California Travel Guides to explore national parks, popular road trips and things to do in major cities of the Golden state.
We hope our guide to the most amazing Yosemite photo spots helps with planning your trip to California!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.
Went to Yosemite the 80’s. Hiked up the mist trail and the stet were icy,and slippery , Ended crawling on hands and knees or die! Took longer trail and safer trail back. Never made it to Nevada Falls, So close, yet So…..
Sounds like you had a close call, Jim. Glad you made it back down in one piece, Mist Trail can be hazardous in bad weather!
After arriving in California as a young bride, my native born Californian husband took me to Yosemite. We are began our visit – and my discovery of Yosemite – in Mariposa Grove. I was enchanted!
Fast forward a few years, I was alone raising a young son. A subsequent long term relationship took me again to Yosemite, to discover more, while seeing the beauty of this rarest of places through new eyes.
Years later, my fiancé and I went to Yosemite. Among other memories, I carry a vivid memory of a fall late afternoon, sipping hot buttered rum on the rear flagstone patio of the Ahwanee. The experience was magical! We later traveled from Washington, D.C. for our honeymoon in Yosemite.
Through 32 years of living in California, we returned many times to Yosemite, introducing a new generation of admirers to it’s magnificence. Forty years later, it remains my favorite place on earth.
Thank you for sharing such a lovely story with us, Andrea. We hope you are able to enjoy the park for many more years to come. Yosemite is a place we intend to visit again as soon as possible but next time we will spend a full week.
I’m so glad I found your blog! These info are incredibly helpful. I planned most of my itinerary based on the tips you give here. Very grateful for everything you shared!
That’s great to hear Sally and thanks for letting us know! If you have any more questions about your Yosemite itinerary please let us know, we’d be happy to help. Have a great trip!