Diving Board

Overview

The Diving Board is located in Yosemite, rising 3,500 ft from the floor of Yosemite Valley. It is the prominent rock on the west side of Half Dome that projects out in front of the face of Half Dome. The Diving Board cantilevers out about 30 feet over a sheer cliff that is a 1400 foot vertical face. This is the location where Ansel Adams took the famous photo of Half Dome "The Monolith" in April, 1927.

Getting There

The hike starts at Happy Isles at the valley floor at about 4,000 ft elevation. Start up the John Muir trail and take the mist trail to the top of Vernal Falls. Cross the Merced River on the trail footbridge. At this point leave the trail behind and follow the drainage between Liberty Cap and Mount Broderick to about 6,100 feet. This is mostly hiking with a few short sections of class 3 scrambling.

Traverse about 1/2 mile to the North-West between Lost Lake and Mount Broderick until you get to the top of the saddle between Mount Broderick and Half Dome. At this point go West over the granite slabs beyond the saddle and drop about 100 to 200 feet. The slope to the North from this point is approximately a 1,500-foot vertical scramble to the Diving Board which is just to the left of Half Dome as you look up. As you work your way up the slope, stay to the left to avoid the class 4 slabs that are closer to Half Dome. Allow for 6 hours up and 4 hours down. The going can be a bit slow with all of the bush-whacking, route finding, and boulder scrambling.

Red Tape

Just the standard red tape for a day hike in Yosemite National Park, such as a $20 fee to enter Yosemite National Park(good for seven days), parking, and crowds for the first mile and a half while you are on the trail.

Camping

You can camp in Yosemite Valley or backpack into Little Yosemite Valley and make the day hike much easier. Wilderness permits are required for overnight camping at Little Yosemite Valley. These can be obtained at any Ranger Station in Yosemite.

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