Distance: 2.2 miles (3.5 km) round trip
Trailhead Elevation: 7,700 feet (2,345 meters)
Sentinel Dome Elevation: 8,100 feet (2,470 meters)
Street View Panoramas:
main trailhead
·
service road trailhead
Map Notes: The red line marks the trail to Sentinel Dome. The yellow line shows the way to Taft Point, a trek that hikers often combine with Sentinel Dome into a single hike. The purple line shows the section of the Pohono Trail that connects the two trails so you don't have to return to the trailhead in between. The cyan line marks the Sentinel Dome service road, which has a one-way distance of about two thirds of a mile.
The Sentinel Dome trail has only mild elevation gain until the very end, when you have to climb the dome itself. This last stretch is steep, but not long - a few hundred meters at most - and shouldn't be dangerous if you're attentive.
Though all that most hikers see of the Pohono Trail is the stretch between Sentinel Dome and Taft Point, it's a long, scenic trail that's worth checking out in full. It's about a mile from Sentinel Dome to Glacier Point via this trail, and from Taft Point you can continue past Dewey, Stanford, Crocker, and Inspiration Points all the way to the Tunnel View.