View from Inspiration Point, Yosemite, originally uploaded by Harold Davis.

There are some names that crop up again and again in Wilder Land – “Horse Heaven,” “Mirror Lake,” and “Inspiration Point” among them.

Yosemite’s Inspiration Point is not as well known as it once was. Today, photographers, tour buses, and the Winnebago crowd mostly stop at the Wawona Tunnel vista point, which has roughly the same view about 1,000 feet lower.

You can get to Inspiration Point up a mile and a half long hike, which is moderate to heavily up for the duration. I took this photo along the trail with Bridal Veil Falls in the background.

There used to be a road to Inspiration Point (off the Glacier Point road) but the Park Service is letting the road (and terminal parking lot) revert to the wilderness from whence it came.

If you’re ever passing through Yosemite, and stop at the Wawona vista parking lot, if you have an extra couple of hours, I highly recommend the walk up to Inspiration Point.