Panorama Trail

At 7,214 feet, Panorama Trail is a summit in California. The Panorama Trail (Glacier Point to Valley) covers 8.5 miles round trip (out-and-back) with about 200 feet of elevation gain — a gradual walk with modest climbing.

The Route

Along the way the route passes a viewpoint (Glacier Point) near mile 0.02, a viewpoint (Sierra Point) near mile 1.04, a boulder (Lady Franklin Rock) near mile 1.48, a waterfall (Vernal Fall) near mile 1.67 — useful checkpoints for judging your pace.

Getting There

The trailhead is at 37.72872, -119.57337 (tap for driving directions). It's roughly 125 miles south of Reno, Nevada. Parking: Glacier Point. Fee: $35 park entrance.

When to Go

Late May through October is the main season. Snow and ice linger into spring and return early in fall at this latitude and elevation; in winter this becomes a different, more serious undertaking requiring traction devices and warm layers.

Know Before You Go

The Moderate rating comes from the National Park Service difficulty formula, which weighs total distance against elevation gain. Most hikers should budget about 5 hours of moving time; add margin for breaks, photos and the descent. Download the GPX track from this page before you go — cell coverage is unreliable in the mountains and a saved route works offline in any GPS app. Conditions change: verify current access, closures and weather with the official land manager before you go. Trail data is sourced from National Park Service - Yosemite.

Looking to link objectives or plan a weekend? Nearby summits include Sentinel Dome & Taft Point, Mirror Lake and Vernal Fall — each has its own guide on this site.