Basket Dome

Basket Dome rises to about 7,612 feet on the north rim of Yosemite Valley, sitting between North Dome and Half Dome directly across Tenaya Canyon. Most visitors know it only by sight, from the Valley floor or the Mirror Lake area — unlike its neighbors, Basket Dome has no maintained trail leading to its summit.

Getting close on the Snow Creek Trail

The best way to see Basket Dome up close without leaving a trail is the Snow Creek Trail out of Mirror Lake, a strenuous route of roughly 9.4 to 9.5 miles round trip with about 2,700 to 3,000 feet of elevation gain, climbing steep switchbacks out of Tenaya Canyon toward Tioga Road. Plan on 6 to 6.5 hours. The trail passes near the dome's base without requiring you to top out on it.

Topping out is a different undertaking

Reaching the actual summit means leaving the trail: an unmarked, cross-country push over open granite, with real route-finding and exposure beyond anything on the maintained path. This isn't a casual add-on — it's for experienced, well-equipped hikers only. The National Park Service has documented a hiker stranded overnight on the dome's ledges, a reminder that there's no easy way down once you're up there.

Where the name comes from

Basket Dome takes its name from the Ahwahneechee legend of Tis-sa-ack: a woman who, in anger, was turned to stone and became Half Dome across the canyon — the basket torn from her back as she fell became Basket Dome. It's one of several origin stories tied to the granite domes ringing Tenaya Canyon.