# Taft Point > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Taft_Point > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Taft_Point.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft_Point > Source revision: 1293470409 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Scenic viewpoint in Yosemite National Park, California, US Profile Rock or Taft Point, a promontory on the south side of Yosemite Valley, is on the left. The first fissure at Taft Point. The drop is 1,000 feet (300 m) from the edge at this point. **Taft Point** is a viewpoint in [Yosemite National Park](/source/Yosemite_National_Park) west of [Glacier Point](/source/Glacier_Point). It offers wide views of [Yosemite Valley](/source/Yosemite_Valley), [Yosemite Falls](/source/Yosemite_Falls) and [El Capitan](/source/El_Capitan). The main attraction of Taft Point is the giant fissures in the mile-high granite rock. The fissures are breaks and cracks in the mountain that drop directly down to the valley floor at some points. The point is named after 27th [president of the United States](/source/President_of_the_United_States) [William Howard Taft](/source/William_Howard_Taft), who, according to newspaper accounts, came across the point when he visited Yosemite for three days hosted by John Muir in October 1909. The two hiked from nearby Glacier Point down to the valley floor. President Taft planned the trip by horseback, but the horses brought for his use were all too small for his 300 plus pounds. His staff set luncheon for the president's party during the hike, including fried chicken. The lunch spot may have been near the flat ledge that has since become known as Taft Point. Taft wrote of his hike, "While I am tired from the open air exercise, I feel greatly the better for it." He was sweat-drenched when he returned to the Sentinel Hotel in El Portal following the hike. ## Hiking trail The Taft Point trailhead is located about five minutes before the end of [Glacier Point](/source/Glacier_Point) Road. The trail itself is a one-mile (1.6 km) hike from the trailhead. The second half is downhill. Taft Point is fairly remote and unpopulated. The trail begins somewhat unguarded from the sun, but transitions into a shaded flat walkway through a green meadow. The final approach of the hike is slightly downhill on a rocky surface. The trip from the trailhead takes 20-30 minutes.[1] ## Destinations nearby - [Sentinel Dome](/source/Sentinel_Dome) - [Glacier Point](/source/Glacier_Point) - [Ostrander Lake](/source/Ostrander_Lake), Trailhead - [Bridalveil Creek](/source/Bridalveil_Creek), Campground - [Yosemite Valley](/source/Yosemite_Valley) ## Notable incidents On May 16, 2015 [Dean Potter](/source/Dean_Potter) and Graham Hunt died while [BASE jumping](/source/BASE_jumping) from Taft Point. They were attempting a [proximity wingsuit flight](/source/Wingsuit_flying#Wingsuit_BASE) through a notch in a neighboring cliff known as "Lost Brother". Hunt struck a wall on the far side of the notch, while Potter cleared the notch and struck rocks immediately beyond. Both were killed on impact.[2] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Day Hikes along the Glacier Point Road"](https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/glacierhikes.htm). National Park Service. Retrieved July 10, 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["The Last Flight of Dean Potter"](https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/the-last-flight-of-dean-potter-20150522/). May 22, 2015. v t e Yosemite National Park Attractions Yosemite Valley Yosemite Village Hetch Hetchy Glacier Point Badger Pass Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Tuolumne Meadows Tioga Pass Wawona Tree Chilnualna Falls Valley attractions Half Dome Yosemite Falls El Capitan Films: El Capitan, The Dawn Wall, Free Solo, To the Limit Bridalveil Fall Happy Isles Mirror Lake North Dome Vernal Fall Nevada Fall Little Yosemite Valley LeConte Lodge Bracebridge Dinner Yosemite Firefall Yosemite Valley Chapel Hiking trails John Muir Trail Mist Trail Panorama Trail McGurk Meadow Ostrander Lake Taft Point Sentinel Dome Alder Creek Mariposa Grove Wapama Falls Lembert Dome Rock climbs Fairview Dome, North Face Half Dome, Northwest Face Lost Arrow Spire Midnight Lightning Royal Arches Route Salathé Wall (El Capitan) Steck-Salathé Route (Sentinel Rock) Separate Reality The Nose (El Capitan) People John Muir Stephen T. Mather Galen Clark Shelton Johnson Buffalo Soldiers Chief Tenaya Ahwahnechee people Lodging and camping Yosemite Lodge at the Falls The Ahwahnee Curry Village Wawona Hotel Housekeeping Camp High Sierra Camps Camp 4 Natural disasters 1938 Yosemite TWA crash 1996 Yosemite Valley landslide 1997 Merced River flood 2013 Rim Wildfire 2022 Washburn Wildfire Transportation Nearby airports FAT RMY MMH YARTS Route 140 Route 41 Route 120 Nearby municipalities Foresta El Portal & Arch Rock Entrance Yosemite West & Chinquapin Wawona Bootjack Mariposa Briceburg Oakhurst Midpines Lee Vining Additional information History of the Yosemite area Geology of the Yosemite area List of historic places List of waterfalls Yosemite Category California Portal [37°42′47″N 119°36′17″W / 37.7130°N 119.6046°W / 37.7130; -119.6046](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Taft_Point¶ms=37.713_N_119.6046_W_type:landmark) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Taft Point](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft_Point) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft_Point?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.