RATING |
|
 |
DISTANCE |
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7.8 miles round-trip |
HIKING TIME |
|
3.5 hours |
ELEVATION GAIN |
|
500 feet |
HIGH POINT |
|
7,200 feet |
EFFORT |
|
Moderate Workout |
BEST SEASON |
|
June to October |
PERMITS/CONTACT |
|
Yosemite National Park fee required |
|
|
($20 per vehicle, valid for seven days), |
|
|
(209) 372-0200, www.nps.gov/yose |
MAPS |
|
Yosemite National Park (download at www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/brochures.htm) |
NOTES |
|
Dogs and bikes prohibited |
Slightly off the beaten path, McGurk Meadow and Dewey Point are two spectacular destinations along Yosemite’s Glacier Point Road. The panorama of Yosemite Valley from the promontory at Dewey Point is one you will long remember.
From Highway 41 in Yosemite National Park, turn east on Glacier Point Road and drive 7.5 miles to the signed McGurk Meadow trailhead on the left. Park in the pullout about 50 yards farther up the road, then walk back to the trailhead.
The McGurk Meadow Trail leads through a fir and pine forest to a pristine, mile-long meadow with a stream meandering through its center. The trail travels right past an old pioneer cabin still standing in halfdecent repair, a remnant of bygone days when sheep and cattle ranchers grazed their stock in Yosemite. Less than 3.0 miles beyond the meadow lies Dewey Point, one of the most spectacular overlooks in all of Yosemite.
After parking at the pullout, walk west along the road for about 50 yards to the McGurk Meadow trailhead sign. Fifteen minutes of gentle descent on the forested trail will bring you to the cabin of rancher John McGurk, only 0.8 mile from the trailhead. Built with logs and nails, the cabin was obviously used only in the summer. Its front door is so low that it would be snow-covered in winter.
Beyond the old cabin, a few more footsteps take you to the edge of verdant McGurk Meadow, where a trail sign directs you to Dewey Point in 3.0 miles and Glacier Point in 7.0 miles. A footbridge carries you over a small stream, which cuts long, narrow “S” marks through the tall grass. For a too-brief period, usually in July, McGurk Meadow abounds with wildflowers. If your timing is good, you may catch a stunning display of purple alpine shooting stars with tiny rings of white and yellow, their stigma tips pointing to the ground like bowed heads. Corn lilies may also be in bloom, along with patches of penstemon, Indian paintbrush, gentian, lupine, and yampah.
The trail crosses the meadow and skirts its southern edge before entering a dense lodgepole pine forest, punctuated by a handful of much tinier meadows. After hiking north for about 2.0 miles, you’ll merge with the Pohono Trail. Turn left to go to Dewey Point. The path meanders gently through the trees before popping out at the southern rim of Yosemite Valley. It’s a breathtaking moment when you emerge from the trees and see so much granite laid out before you. If you dare, climb out to the highest rock and take in all you survey, from the tiny cars traveling along the Valley floor 4,000 feet below to the imposing granite monolith of Half Dome, guarding the east end of the Valley.
Rancher John McGurk built this ramshackle cabin on the edge of Yosemite’s McGurk Meadow.
To see more, from Dewey Point continue hiking west on the Pohono Trail along Yosemite Valley’s southern rim. You’ll have more (and different) views from Crocker Point, 0.75 mile farther.
