Yosemite National Park is known for its epic rocky landscapes sought out by adventure seekers and professional climbers, who risk their lives summiting gorgeous but seemingly impassible structures. However, you don’t have to be the love child of Elastigirl and Jason Bourne to bag peaks around here. In fact, Yosemite is considered one of the best beginner-friendly national parks in the U.S., with some easy summit hikes that deliver epic views and adrenaline surges. One of these is Sentinel Dome, an 8,100-foot-tall granite mountain located south of Yosemite Valley on Glacier Point Road, which is open from May through November.

The 2.2-mile round-trip hike to the top of Sentinel Dome only involves 400 feet of elevation gain and is “by far Yosemite’s easiest way to experience miles and miles of views in whatever direction you care to turn,” per the trail experts at Yosemite Hikes. Redditors who’ve been there tend to agree with this assessment, with one saying, “It’s one of my favorite places in the world. It’s like cheating. You get an amazing 360 view with only a very short hike.” For a small taste of these panoramic views, check out Virtual Yosemite. Ready for the main course? Forge on. 

The first portion of the Sentinel Dome trail meanders over a footbridge and through a lightly pine-forested area. If your timing is right, you may get to see bursts of color from alpine wildflowers along the way, including deep purple lupine and columbine, along with great red paintbrush. The last portion of the route is steeper as it ascends the granite apex of the dome. At the summit, the views burst wide open to reveal some of the most revered spots in the park. These include majestic Yosemite Falls, the instantly recognizable granite monoliths of Half Dome and El Capitan, and a jumble of jagged peaks in the High Sierras. Also at the summit, you can pay homage to the world-famous but now fallen Jeffrey pine from Ansel Adams’ iconic 1940 photograph.

For your Sentinel Dome adventure — as with any other hike on uneven, rocky surfaces — you’ll need supportive shoes with good traction. Trekking poles may be useful on the steeper portions of the trail for those with weak knees or other stability issues. And even though it’s a short trail, bring ample water and sun protection, as there’s not much shade around here. Another reason to drink enough water on this trail is to counter any ill effects from the high altitude, as 8,000 feet above sea level is no joke for flatlanders. 

To reach this trail, take Wawona Road to Glacier Point Road and go 13.6 miles to the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Trailhead. As stated earlier, this road is only open from late spring through fall due to the potential for heavy snowfall at other times of the year. If you do the hike in spring, shortly after the road opens, you may still encounter snow on the trail, underscoring the importance of closed-toed, sturdy footwear. 

But wait, you’re not done yet. For even more spectacular views — some say even the best views in all of Yosemite National Park — continue hiking to Taft Point after conquering Sentinel Dome. The views from the cliff’s edge at this point are totally unobstructed, making them feel even more dramatic, though some may call them terrifying. Yosemite Hikes describes this hair-raising edge: “Guaranteed to help you answer the question: Am I afraid of heights or not?” Gulp. 

Conveniently, the trail to Taft Point splits off from the Sentinel Dome trail about 100 feet from the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Trailhead parking lot. This is another 2.2-mile round-trip hike but with less elevation change (only around 200 feet). And it has some notable geological features that you won’t find on Sentinel Dome: The Fissures. These are giant crevasse-like cracks in the granite, some around 2,000 feet deep. Be very careful to sidestep those fissures, or you’ll never get to those breathtaking views waiting down the trail.

If you regain your appetite for adventure, be sure to check out other hikes and viewpoints along Glacier Point Road. For example, the McGurk Meadow Trail is another short hike leading through a wildflower-speckled meadow to a historic cabin. For those who want a longer option, here are the five best day hikes in Yosemite according to experts.