Appreciate the grandeur of nature at Tunnel View, one of Yosemite National Park’s most famous sights. This scenic lookout has a post-card perfect panorama of Yosemite Valley, attracting as many as 6,000 visitors each day in summer.
Tunnel View has enjoyed popularity with tourists since it was opened in 1933, during an era of massive national park development in the United States. Bring your camera to capture the astounding beauty that has inspired landscape artists throughout the 20th century.
Approach the lookout through the rock-blasted Wawona Tunnel. The enclosed space amplifies the experience of viewing the valley on the other side. The viewpoint is located just east of the Wawona Tunnel exit.
Enjoy the vast valley landscape, which features dense forests along the bottom banked by sheer granite cliffs on either side. Spot the 3,000-foot (900-meter) southern face of El Capitan on the left side and the tumbling waters of Bridalveil Falls to the right. Miles beyond the pass, the hefty Half Dome cliff strikes an imposing figure. Come in the afternoon for the best photographs of the scene, when sunlight from the west casts the most defining shadows.
To see the view without crowds, take the winding trail to Inspiration Point, which starts nearby. This overgrown, relatively easy walkway has gone mostly unused since it was made obsolete by the construction of Wawona Tunnel. From the top, enjoy sweeping vistas of Yosemite from several unobstructed viewpoints.
After experiencing Tunnel View, see the park from different perspectives from other viewpoints. Head to Yosemite Valley to feel dwarfed by the sheer size of the Cathedral Rocks. Inspect exquisite landscapes of high-country waterfalls from Glacier Point.
Find Tunnel View just off the highway in Yosemite Valley. Drive here and use parking lots provided near the eastern portal of Wawona tunnel. Bus tours of Yosemite National Park almost always include Tunnel View in their itinerary. The vista offers wheelchair access to great views.
