Indian Rock Arch is a granite arch. The only one in Yosemite National Park. Granite arches are rare. Arches are much more likely to form in sandstone and other easily eroded material. But arches can form in granite and Yosemite does have one. Surprisingly, few people seem to know about it. The map for the area only lists the feature as Indian Rock and doesn't include the word "arch" to let hikers know what a unique feature they can visit. The arch is just off the North Dome trail which starts at the Porcupine Flat parking area along Highway 120 that crosses over the Sierra in Yosemite National Park. It involves about three miles of hiking to visit. You can hike right up to the arch itself and we've even passed under the arch from one side to the other. Such a formation is believed to result from granite eroding through a process called exfoliation, where plates of granite break away from the main rock.
This particular view is from south of the arch looking northward to see the feature set off against the blue sky. We've hiked to the arch a number of times, including once when we carried an extension ladder, hoping to get a better view of it up a tree on the north side. Several people gave us funny looks along the trail that day, so we simply assured them that we were working on a photography project, and they seemed satisfied with that answer.
Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!
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