This one is pretty self explanatory. North America's tallest waterfall (Ribbon Falls), Yosemite's most iconic granite face (Half Dome), and a 4,000ft cliff drop all in one epic shot. What's not to like? Well, maybe getting there is the only thing you may not like. A lot of people stay overnight here, but it can be done in one day. Eagle Tower is basically 98% of the Eagle Peak hike, but about a quarter mile before the end, you cut a hard left until you reach the edge. Eagle Peak is already lightly traveled so it is almost certain that you'll get this view all to yourself....which is another reason why this is our favorite view.
This trail is an addition onto the more commonly know "Upper Yosemite Falls" trail. This trail is amazing in itself so if you reach the top and are too gassed to keep going, you're not completely out of luck. Once you reach the top of the falls, you'll think you'll be smooth sailing to Eagle Tower. You would be wrong. There is still a solid amount of additional elevation gain to reach the top. The trees begin to get more and more sparse at this elevation, so unless there’s snow on the ground, you should be able to find Eagle Tower with no issues. We were dumb and did this one in knee deep snow the first time which made it twice as hard to hike but still fairly easy to stay on track from here. There is no path or signage to tell you when to hang a hard left so you'll just have to wing it a bit once you're at the top. You should be able to see the edge from the trail so you can't get too lost. Everything should be within a quarter mile radius, and at this point, the hard work is done. You can find the viewpoint without GPS assistance from here. We dropped a pin here with the exact viewpoint location so you can see just how close it is to end of Eagle Peak trail.
There are a couple variables to consider when trying to find the ideal time to hike this trail. We can say from experience, if there is snow up at elevation, this hike is gonna suck. If you're trying to figure out if the snow has melted, as a general rule of thumb if glacier point road is open, you should be fine. The earlier in the year you hike this trail, the more powerful the waterfalls are. If you wait too long (late summer-fall) there may not even be a waterfall to see. The optimal timeframe changes every year depending on snowfall and weather, naturally. But, if you are planning super far in advance, you're likely good to go in June unless there is abnormally more snowfall the winter prior. This hike is a day killer for sure, so do not start this one any later than 9am. Otherwise you're walking back in the dark. Either way, always good to bring headlamps in case.
There are some really sick hidden views all along this trail. Particularly during the Upper Yosemite Falls stretch. You can get right underneath the falls (shown in the 1st image above) with a quick little climb down from this part of the trail here. There is also another great viewpoint of the falls and Half Dome (bad example, but 3rd pic above) just 50ft off the trail here.
We do not recommend hiking this one alone. There is very little foot traffic so if anything goes wrong up there you may be SOL.
Best view in Yosemite if you're willing to work for it. Hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls Trail and then follow the rest of Eagle Peak trail until about a quarter mile before the end....take a hard left and look for the cliff. If you need to get away from the crowds of Yosemite, you won't run into anyone up here. Be sure the snow at elevation has almost completely melted, otherwise this hike will suck.