Stately Pleasure Dome

Stately Pleasure Dome is the climbers' name for the south face of Polly Dome, a glaciated granite wall that rises roughly 900 feet above the northeast shore of Tenaya Lake, just off Tioga Road in Tuolumne Meadows. There's no maintained trail here — this is a rock-climbing destination, not a general day hike, though a short approach and easy lower-angle routes make it one of the more approachable technical crags in Yosemite's high country.

What's on the rock

The dome holds more than twenty multi-pitch slab climbs, most rated easy to moderate fifth class and running four to five pitches. Most parties finish a route in two to four hours. The technical crux typically shows up low on the climb; higher up, the angle eases into friction-friendly third-class slabs. Reaching the base from the highway takes only a few minutes of scrambling.

Descent and views

Routes top out about 100 feet below the true summit, where climbers either rappel from an anchor tree or downclimb a short fourth-class step to the third-class slabs below. From the top, views open up across Half Dome, Tenaya Peak, and Cathedral Peak.

Who this is for

This is climbers' terrain, not a stroll for casual visitors — come with rock shoes, a rack, and slab-climbing experience. No permit is required for day climbing; Yosemite only requires a wilderness permit for parties climbing overnight on a route.