The Gunsight

The Gunsight is the deep, shadowed notch splitting Middle and Lower Cathedral Rocks, most easily picked out from El Capitan Meadow as a steep gully cutting up the south wall of the valley. It has no trailhead, no maintained tread, and no signage — it's climbing infrastructure, used almost exclusively by parties descending from the summits of Middle and Lower Cathedral Rock, and occasionally by climbers coming down from Leaning Tower when Bridalveil Creek is low enough to cross safely.

What It's Actually Used For

Climbers rope down or scramble the gully after finishing a route atop either Cathedral formation — it's the standard way off the top, gaining roughly 1,300 feet of elevation from the valley floor along the way. The same gully doubles as access to a set of swimming holes on Bridalveil Creek just below the notch, and to a small sport-climbing wall (the Gunsight Wall) on its Middle Cathedral side.

Not a Casual Hike

• Loose rock, exposed scrambling, and no marked route — this is not a maintained park trail.
• Best attempted only by climbers already familiar with descending off the Cathedral Rocks or Leaning Tower.
• Creek crossings at the base can be hazardous when Bridalveil Creek is running high; only safe to ford when flows are low.