Sentinel Dome

Granite dome in Yosemite National Park, California, US

Sentinel Dome

Location in California

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Sentinel Dome

Sentinel Dome (the United States)

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LocationYosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California, U.S.Parent rangeSierra NevadaTopo mapUSGS Half DomeGeologyAge of rockCretaceousMountain typeGranite domeClimbingEasiest routeHike up northeast slope.

Sentinel Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, United States. It lies on the south wall of Yosemite Valley, 0.8 miles (1.3 km) southwest of Glacier Point and 1.4 miles (2.3 km) northeast of Profile Cliff.

The view from the top offers a 360 degree view of Yosemite Valley and surroundings. One can see Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, North Dome, Basket Dome, and much more. Sentinel Dome provides a 360 degree view of the night sky and it and nearby Glacier Point are popular places for stargazing.^[4]

History

The original Native American name of Sentinel Dome, in the Southern Sierra Miwok language, was "Sakkaduch". The Bunnell survey named it "South Dome", but the Whitney survey renamed it Sentinel Dome (from its likeness to a watch-tower).^[5]

Hiking trail

The trail to the base of Sentinel Dome is a relatively easy 1.1-mile (1.8 km) hike. The trailhead, the same as the Taft Point trailhead, is located 6 miles (9.7 km) from Bridalveil Creek on the Glacier Point road. Once at the base, hikers traverse the less imposing northeast granite slope to the summit.^[6] In winter, Sentinel Dome can be reached from Badger Pass by a 10-miles ski tour.

Panoramic view from the top of Sentinel Dome. The Jeffrey Pine is visible at the center, collapsed.

Jeffrey Pine

Sentinel Dome is known for a Jeffrey Pine that grew from its peak. The pine was photographed as early as 1867 by Carleton Watkins, and was the subject of a well-known photograph by Ansel Adams. The tree died during the drought of 1976,^[7] but remained standing until August 2003.^[7]

The iconic Jeffrey Pine photographed August 7, 1968
The dead Jeffery Pine in 2001
The Jeffrey Pine shortly after it fell in 2003

References

^ ^a ^b "Sentinel Dome". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
^ "Sentinel Dome, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
^ "Sentinel Dome". ListsOfJohn.com.
^ "Yosemite Park Stargazing". scenicwonders.com. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^ Farquhar, Francis P. (1926). Place Names of the High Sierra. San Francisco: Sierra Club. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
^ "Day Hikes along the Glacier Point Road". National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
^ ^a ^b "Famous Jeffrey Pine Falls on Sentinel Dome-Yosemite National Park". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2008-11-19. Retrieved 2011-05-07.

External links

Media related to Sentinel Dome at Wikimedia Commons
"Sentinel Dome". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

Yosemite National Park

Attractions

Valley attractions	Half Dome Yosemite Falls El Capitan Films: El Capitan, The Dawn Wall, Free Solo, To the Limit Bridalveil Fall Happy Isles Mirror Lake North Dome Vernal Fall Nevada Fall Little Yosemite Valley LeConte Lodge Bracebridge Dinner Yosemite Firefall Yosemite Valley Chapel
Hiking trails	John Muir Trail Mist Trail Panorama Trail McGurk Meadow Ostrander Lake Taft Point Sentinel Dome Alder Creek Mariposa Grove Wapama Falls Lembert Dome
Rock climbs	Fairview Dome, North Face Half Dome, Northwest Face Lost Arrow Spire Chimney Lost Arrow Spire Tip Midnight Lightning Royal Arches Route Salathé Wall (El Capitan) Steck-Salathé Route (Sentinel Rock) Separate Reality The Nose (El Capitan)