Taft Point is a viewpoint in

Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...

west of

Glacier Point Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley in the U.S. state of California. It is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley at an elevation of , above Curry Village. The point offers a superb view of several of Yosemite National Park' ...

. It offers wide views of

Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley ( ; ''Yosemite'', Miwok for "killer") is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. The valley is about long and deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Hal ...

Yosemite Falls Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, dropping a total of from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. Located in the Sierra Nevada of California, it is a major attraction in the park, especially in ...

and

El Capitan El Capitan ( es, El Capitán; "the Captain" or "the Chief") is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about from base to summit along its talles ...

. The main attraction of Taft Point is the giant fissures in the mile-high granite rock. The fissures are breaks and cracks in the mountain that drop directly down to the valley floor at some points. The point is named after 27th

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

, who, according to newspaper accounts, came across the point when he visited Yosemite for three days hosted by John Muir in October 1909. The two hiked from nearby Glacier Point down to the valley floor. President Taft planned the trip by horseback, but the horses brought for his use were all too small for his 300 plus pounds. His staff set luncheon for the president's party during the hike, including fried chicken. The lunch spot may have been near the flat ledge that has since become known as Taft Point. Taft wrote of his hike, "While I am tired from the open air exercise, I feel greatly the better for it." He was sweat-drenched when he returned to the Sentinel Hotel in El Portal following the hike.

Hiking trail

The Taft Point trailhead is located about five minutes before the end of

Road. The trail itself is a one-mile (1.6 km) hike from the trailhead. The second half is downhill. Taft Point is fairly remote and unpopulated. The trail begins somewhat unguarded from the sun, but transitions into a shaded flat walkway through a green meadow. The final approach of the hike is slightly downhill on a rocky surface. The trip from the trailhead takes 20-30 minutes.

Destinations nearby

Sentinel Dome Sentinel Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, United States. It lies on the south wall of Yosemite Valley, southwest of Glacier Point and northeast of Profile Cliff. Sentinel Dome is known for a Jeffrey Pine that grew from its pea ...

* Ostrander Lake, Trailhead *

Bridalveil Creek Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...

, Campground *

Notable incidents

On May 16, 2015

Dean Potter Dean Spaulding Potter (April 14, 1972 – May 16, 2015) was an American free climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, and highliner. He completed many hard first ascents, free solo ascents, speed ascents, and enchainments in Yosemite National Park and ...

and Graham Hunt died while BASE jumping from Taft Point. They were attempting a proximity wingsuit flight through a notch in a neighboring cliff known as "Lost Brother". Hunt struck a wall on the far side of the notch, while Potter cleared the notch and struck rocks immediately beyond. Both were killed on impact.

References

{{coord, 37.7130, -119.6046, type:landmark, display=title, format=dms Landforms of Mariposa County, California Landforms of Yosemite National Park Tourist attractions in Mariposa County, California