2 min
Overview
Before Taft Point became the Instagram sensation it is today, it attained notoriety for being a fried chicken stop for a U.S. President. President Howard Taft was not famed for his svelte physique or spectacular hiking prowess, but Taft, accompanied by John Muir himself, visited the point in 1909 as part of a 3-day hiking trip from Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley that may have followed something approximating today’s Pohono Trail. Taft initially planned to take the route by horseback, but none of the horses were strong enough to sustain his size. Taft powered through, and in his honor, the flat shelf upon which Taft’s party lunched became known as Taft Point. Of the experience, Taft stated, “While I am tired from the open air exercise, I feel greatly the better for it.” Mt. Hoffman Nowadays, you can visit Taft Point via a short hike from Glacier Point Road that won’t leave you tired from open air exercise. From the shared trailhead with the equally accessible and spectacular Sentinel Dome Trail, you can follow a short connecting trail that merges with the Pohono Trail to the airy outcrop that has now become the site of many a selfie – occasionally with tragic consequences, so please be careful near the edge. The ease of the route coupled with the scenic rewards does make this a very popular hike, and while you probably won’t have the point to yourself, the experience belongs on most top ten lists for Yosemite day hikes. After snagging a parking spot (no easy feat during the summer), find one of a handful of trails leading downhill through open forest to a junction where the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Trails split. The right branch leads to Sentinel Dome, which you can add on to your hike for an additional 2 miles of hiking. Turn left to head due west toward Taft Point. Initially, the open forest allows some glimpses of the forested highlands above the north rim of Yosemite Valley, but those views quickly disappear as you plunge into a dense forest of lodgepole pines, Jeffrey pines, and white fir. Just befo
Trail Stats
3.8 km
121 m
2358 m
2269 m
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Photos
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