Watkins Pinnacles

Watkins Pinnacles are the granite towers along the south ridge of Mount Watkins, the 8,497-foot dome that forms the north wall of Tenaya Canyon directly across from Half Dome. Most visitors never get close to them on foot — they know the pinnacles from a distance, reflected in the still water of Mirror Lake on the Valley floor below.

The easy way to see them: Mirror Lake

The Mirror Lake Trail starts near Yosemite Village and reaches the lake in about a mile on a flat, mostly paved path. Look east up the lake toward Tenaya Canyon and Mount Watkins fills the far end of the view, pinnacles included. The reflection is best on calm mornings in spring and early summer, when snowmelt keeps the lake full; by late summer it often shrinks to a dry meadow.

Reaching the pinnacles themselves

There's no maintained trail to Watkins Pinnacles. The closest documented route is the off-trail hike from Olmsted Point on Tioga Road to the Mount Watkins summit — about 8.6 miles round trip, holding elevation roughly between 7,996 and 8,497 feet, rated easy to moderate. The pinnacles themselves sit further along the exposed south ridge beyond the main summit, a spot climbers sometimes use as a camp before descending into the wall below — this is off-trail terrain for experienced, well-prepared hikers, not a casual add-on.

Good to know

• No permit is required to view the pinnacles from Mirror Lake Trail, an easy, family-friendly walk.
• The Olmsted Point approach and the ridge beyond it are unmarked and off-trail — carry a map or GPS track and solid navigation skills.
• Mount Watkins' south face is a serious big-wall climb, with an early ascent by Chuck Pratt, Warren Harding, and Yvon Chouinard.