Church Tower

Church Tower is a granite spire in Yosemite Valley's Cathedral Rocks area, tucked between Middle and Higher Cathedral Rocks on the valley's south side, across from El Capitan. It's easy to miss — most hikers on the Cathedral Spires use trail walk right past it without realizing it's there. This isn't a hiking destination: reaching the summit means roping up for a genuine rock climb, and this listing is written for climbers, not casual visitors.

The Approach and Route

Access starts from the Spires Gulley parking area. Climbers follow the use trail toward Lower Cathedral Spire, branch off toward the Cathedral Boulders, then continue up through forest into a boulder-strewn gully where Church Tower comes into view. There's no signage or maintained tread — expect route-finding and loose rock. The established line to the summit is East Arete, a 5-pitch 5.5 — Church Tower's standard route.

Know Before You Climb

• Church Tower sits at roughly 5,480 feet elevation, on the valley's south wall.
• Climbers occasionally summit it by mistake, thinking they've climbed the neighboring Lower Cathedral Spire — the two formations sit close enough together that the mix-up is a known running joke among Valley regulars.
• Yosemite enforces seasonal peregrine falcon closures, typically March 1 through July 15, on select formations park-wide. Check the current closures map at nps.gov before planning a climb here.