Mount Starr King

South of Yosemite Valley, a trio of granite domes rises from the forest along Glacier Point Road: Mount Starr King, named for Thomas Starr King, the Unitarian preacher and orator whose writing and speeches on the Sierra helped build early public support for protecting Yosemite. Most visitors see it only as a shape on the horizon from Glacier Point or the Mono Meadow Trail — reaching its actual summit, at 9,096 feet, is a technical rock climb, not a hike.

The Easy Way to See It

The Mono Meadow Trailhead, on the south side of Glacier Point Road about 10 miles past the Wawona Road junction, puts a real view of Starr King within reach of ordinary hikers. The maintained trail drops roughly 300 feet in the first half mile down to Mono Meadow, then continues to a granite overlook with views of Mount Starr King and the back of Half Dome. Round trip to the overlook runs about 3.5 miles, rated easy apart from the climb back out on the return. Glacier Point Road itself is buried in snow much of the year and typically open only June through October.

The Climb, If You Want the Summit

Starr King is really three domes running north to south, with the northernmost as the true high point. The two southern domes are a class 2 scramble — steep, exposed granite, but no rope needed for experienced off-trail hikers. The actual summit is class 5 from every side, with the Southeast Saddle the standard route: a class 3+ friction approach to a saddle, then a short technical pitch in the low 5th class. There are no cables anywhere on Starr King — this is climbing terrain, not a scramble for casual visitors.