Turtleback dome Yosemite

<p>Anyone know where to park and hike out to get a good angle from turtleback dome in Yosemite</p>

<p>Glacier Point Road I would think.</p>

<p>You have to park on Wawona Road (Hwy 41). Turtleback dome is just west of the west end of Wawona tunnel and about 400 feet above the road. You need to park about 1/2 to 1 mile from the west end of the tunnel. According to my map there is a restricted road (probably closed) that leaves the road about 1 mile east of the tunnel that leads to the top of the dome. </p>

<p>There is also a trail that passes about 800 feet above the dome. The trail is mostly in forest so I don't know if there are any good views from it. A more distant view would be from Big Oak Flat road (Hwy 120) At a view called the Cascades. This is where a large stream runs under a bridge. There are parking areas on both sides of the bridge. </p>

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<p>There is parking along the road at "The Rostrum." I seem to recall the area south of the road's much like the top of the Rostrum, a fairly gentle sloping area of exfoliating layers of granite (at least until you reach the almost sheer cliff). You may be able to essentially just scramble up. Otherwise, there are the trail and the road. If you use Google, you can find the area by going to "Yosemite" then Maps, then you can check the road map, topo map and satellite imagery. It's at the point the Wawona Road makes a turn to the east towards the valley/tunnel after going more generally north. I'd think about checking out the scramble possibilities first as they are in the open granite dome area, it would look like walking the road or trail may, as noted already, take you up in the forested area and you may end up climbing down from the top to get clear. The Rostrum has some very good views down the Merced Valley and to the Cascades and as I recall, you can see up the valley some as well, don't recall how much though.</p>

On Steven F's map there is parking wth great views of the canyon down to the Merced river at the curve where the map has

BM 4873. Scramble up the slope south from there. Or you can park by the access road at the 4921 on the map and follow the

road up. There are a couple of erratics for some bouldering at the top. <br>

 

<img src="http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/79522.JPG"><br>

 

Great Views from there.<br>

<img src="http://www.summitpost.org/images/original/79518.JPG"><br>

 

Have fun and enjoy.