Trip Report.

Our fourth day in the park was spent exploring off the Glacier Point road. We decided to do the hike from McGurk Meadows to Dewey Point in an attempt to avoid the crowds. This ended up being a great option as we arrived to an empty trailhead and only saw a handful of people on trail (most were on our way back to the car). It also offered lovely views through forest and meadows before opening up to the valley below. We spent a long lunch enjoying the view and even spotted one of the helicopters in action responding to a fire before hiking out (more than likely deployed from Crane Flat). Strava calculated this at 8.82 miles RT with 1,461′ of elevation gain. We still made the drive out to the end of the road afterwards to see the classic view points, but were quickly driven away by the crowds.

Our last stop of the day was Henness Ridge given its proximity to the Glacier Point road. Once we returned to Wawona Road we turned south instead of heading back the way we came from camp. The Henness Ridge road is the next turn off to the right after the Glacier Point road. This is a residential area now so be respectful of those that are here. Once on the Henness Ridge road you will follow it to the first fork where you will turn left onto Henness Ridge Circle. We made the mistake of bearing right at first and ended up deep in a neighborhood with no lookout in sight. Eventually we realized our mistake and back tracked to the correct road. From Henness Circle keep left at the T-junction and take another left until you reach the dead end of Azalea Lane. There is a gate at the end where the road turns to dirt. This is also a residential road, so make sure to park where you are not blocking a drive way or access to someones house. It felt like an after thought and that we should not be there, but the area behind the gate is technically a part of the park and the Henness Ridge lookout is technically a standing exhibit for those to visit.

We started our hike from behind the gate and took the first dirt road leading right. It was not clear which road at the four way junction was correct, but when in doubt head for the road leading up. This road passed two large water tanks and skirted the edge behind the properties to climb the last bit of the ridge. It’s a fairly short walk and the summit opens up once you come around the last corner. The road continues farther to provide access to a communication tower. The ridge itself is wide and flat with limited views, but the lookout structure is interesting. You don’t typically see 3-story fire lookouts in National Parks. This pocket of the park felt very tucked away and forgotten. We didn’t stay long due to limited daylight and the additional drive time back to camp. Strava calculated this at 1.76 miles RT with 174′ of elevation gain.

History.

Henness Ridge was the second fire lookout built in Yosemite National Park by the CCC in 1934. It is a 3-story rustic National Park style lookout with a 13’x13′ cab and catwalk on top. The first level was used for garage and storage while the second level was the living quarters. The site was actively staffed into the 1980s. Some note it for possible emergency use by the park, but I believe it stands more as an exhibit to what once was here.