Old Inspiration Point

Old Inspiration Point is the elevated alternative to the famous Tunnel View viewpoint where Ansel Adams photographed Yosemite Valley in 1942 — the trail climbs 1,000 feet from the Tunnel View parking lot up to a clearing 700 feet higher with the same panoramic view minus the tour-bus crowds. The Tunnel View lot itself accepts rigs up to 40 ft (one of the few oversize-friendly lots inside Yosemite Valley) and serves as both the trailhead and a primary tour-bus turnaround, so morning timing matters. The trail follows the old wagon road segment that predates Wawona Tunnel construction (1933), grading steadily but never steeper than a horse-drawn carriage could climb — meaning every 200 yards a switchback flattens just enough to recover. From the upper viewpoint, you can see both Bridalveil Fall and the entire valley floor without the tour-bus voiceover. Wawona Campground (35-ft cap, dry only) is the rig basecamp 26 miles south on CA 41.