Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne is a 46.7 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Long Barn, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and camping and is accessible from May until October. This is a rugged overnight backpack into the North country of Yosemite dropping in from Tuolumne Meadows into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Done at the beginning of Spring is best due to the high volume of water but be ready for some river fording through some very icy temperatures. It begins at an elevation just under 9,000' and drops to a low elevation of 4,500' almost 19 miles later at Pate Valley. Coming up out of Pate Valley heading towards Harden Lake is an elevation gain of almost 4,550' in just under 8 or so miles, be prepared for some thigh quivering demands. During the hike you'll pass a series of waterfalls starting with White Cascade Falls followed by Tuolumne Falls, California Falls, Le Conte Falls and finally the geological wonder, Waterwhell Falls, where the water flows down over a series of grooves in the rocks that can propel the water close to 20' into the air in a counter clock wise wheel, really spectacular.

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne from White Wolf < class="field field-name-field-related-pages field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden view-mode-full">TrailsThe Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne is aptly named. The Canyon follows the Tuolumne river as it drops from the Meadows down to Hetch Hetchy, where the river empties into the reservoir. As the river descends down the canyon the walls get relatively higher and higher, and the resulting scenery is kind of a mix between the Grand Canyon and Yosemite Valley. We spent the 4th of July weekend backpacking through this incredible scenery. The route we took started at the Lembert Dome parking area and took us into the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp backpacker’s camp for the first night. It was a simple and easy day, nice for acclimating and enjoying the beautiful Tuolumne River. The camp was crowded, being July 4, but here’s a hint for anyone going into Glen Aulin: go past the first cluster of backpacker sites and walk up the hill to the last set of sites.

They are much bigger, less buggy, more spread apart, and less crowded. When we arrived, the lower sites were packed. I walked up the hill to the far sites and they were empty with the exception of one quiet couple. After a bear-less night in Glen Aulin, day two took us fourteen miles down the Canyon to Pate Valley. With a 5000 foot descent, the day got progressively hotter and hotter. But this was no problem – the stunning turquoise Tuolumne river provided plenty of foot soaking and swimming opportunities, many of them presenting themselves at just the perfect time. We encountered a serendipitous waterfall with a swimming hole just after a hot climb that took us over Muir Gorge. Just before reaching Pate Valley we saw a bear foraging, so as we selected a campsite this was in the back of my mind. I ended up finding us a site on the far side of the Pate Valley footbridge, hoping that Mr Bear didn’t like crossing bridges. Since the bear was foraging, I hoped he was wild enough that he would leave us alone.

I don’t know how many backpackers Pate Valley sees, but considering that it is a minimum of a 4000 ft descent into and climb out of the Valley, I don’t think it sees too many. Paige strolled into camp with a bag of trout she’d caught over the last few miles of trail, and Dave cleaned and cooked them for us. It was a nice treat to share after the long day’s hike! Even with the fishbreath, no bears bothered us overnight, though there was some barking from a fox or coyote near camp at one point.opbergsysteem backpack Day 3 took us up and out of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, climbing 4000 feet back to White Wolf, where we had left cars. backpack hoeveel liter nodigDepending on the map or signs that you believe, the hike is anywhere from 8.4 to 10.4 miles. eberlestock destroyer v69 backpack

I think it was closer to the 8.4, but I didn’t really care about distance – it was all about knocking off those 4000 feet. We left camp early to get the climb out of the way before the forecasted 90 degree midday heat, and it ended up being a rather pleasant shaded climb along cobblestone trails. I was glad to be going up and not down – those cobblestone trails always make me nervous about an ankle twist when going down. As I climbed I got some nice views down into Hetch Hetchy, though the pervasive smoke dampened the distant views. backpack bp100Doing the hike this direction ends rather undramatically – the high point at the end of the climb is an unremarkable hill along mosquito-ey meadows. ns7 backpackIt meanders into White Wolf where a cold coke and bag of chips awaited me.ogio soho women's laptop backpack black

If I did this hike again I would still choose to go in this direction – I think I might not have enjoyed the second day’s hike through the Canyon as much if I had to climb that 5000 feet. The climb out of Pate Valley back to White Wolf has nice scenery, but it’s mostly about getting that climb done, so you’re not missing too much as you haul yourself up that hill. Also, that first easy day into Glen Aulin allows for that first day adjustment and time pad after the long drive to the mountains, the shuttle setup, and the permit pick-up. Wildlife sightings: mountain quail, bear, rattlesnakes, king snake, garter snake, gopher snake, marmots, lots of fish, chipmunks, deer. Pictures are here: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne BackpackThis is a list of trailhead names for wilderness permit purposes. (A map showing each trailhead is also available [1.5 MB PDF].) The total quota for each trailhead is the sum of the reservable and first-come, first-served quotas. (The quota refers to number of people, not number of permits.)

Many restrooms do not have potable water. All trailheads have food lockers available, except when noted otherwise. Limited public transportation is available to some trailheads, especially during summer. Please note that Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road trailheads have no vehicle access when these roads are closed, typically from around November to May or early June. Additionally, overnight parking is not allowed on the Tioga and Glacier Point Roads beginning October 15; this includes parking lots accessible from these roads. Tioga Road (west of May Lake) (Big Oak Flat Information Station) View trail descriptions and mileages for this area [121 kb PDF] May Lake to Snow Creek Luken to Lukens Lake Lukens Lake to Yosemite Creek White Wolf to Aspen Valley White Wolf to Smith Meadow White Wolf to Pate Valley South Fork Tuolumne River Tuolumne Meadows (Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center) View trail descriptions and mileages for this area [124 kb PDF]

Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang Park at wilderness center or Dog Lake parking Young Lakes via Dog Lake Young Lakes via Glen Aulin Trail Park at Lembert Dome parking Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel Yosemite Valley (Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center) View trail descriptions and mileages for this area [99 kb PDF] Happy Isles to Illilouette Park at trailhead parking lot* Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley (LYV) Happy Isles to Sunrise/Merced Lake (pass-through) Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley (LYV) Mirror Lake to Snow Creek Pohono Trail (Wawona Tunnel/ Bridalveil Fall parking) Yes (at Bridalveil Fall Old Big Oak Flat Road *Trailhead parking lot is just beyond Half Dome Village (formerly Curry Village) (and about a half-mile from Happy Isles). Use the free Yosemite Valley shuttle bus to get to trailheads. Parking is not available at Happy Isles, Mirror Lake, or Yosemite Falls trailheads. Wawona and Glacier Point Road (Wawona Visitor Center)

View trail descriptions and mileages for this area [216 kb PDF] Ostrander (Lost Bear Meadow) Pohono Trail (Glacier Point) Pohono Trail (Taft Point) Glacier Point to Illilouette Hetch Hetchy (Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station) View trail descriptions and mileages for this area [157 kb PDF] Base Line Camp Road First, look on a map of where you are planning to go and go over the list again. If you still haven't found your trailhead name, the following information should help you. What trail do I use to camp overnight while hiking Half Dome? The following trailheads allow (and require) you to stay at the Little Yosemite Valley Campground on the first night of your trip: From Yosemite Valley: Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley From Glacier Point: Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley If you have a permit for one of these two trailheads, you must spend your first night at Little Yosemite Valley Campground (no additional reservation or permit required).

A number of trails from Tuolumne Meadows also provide indirect access to Little Yosemite Valley (20- to 40-mile hike). If you have a permit for one of these trailheads, you can spend the second night of your backpacking trip at Little Yosemite Valley Campground (no additional reservation or permit required). What is the difference between the three Happy Isles trailheads? As that starting point is the most popular in the park, the quota is divided into three categories according to where you want to camp. Why isn't the John Muir Trail listed? The John Muir Trail can only be directly accessed via these trailheads: Why isn't the Panorama Trail listed? Camping is not allowed on the Panorama Trail or near Illilouette Fall. You may hike along the trail and camp at another destination beyond. Why isn't the Tenaya Lake trailhead listed? There are two trails that leave from Tenaya Lake, one that leads to the north and one to the south. What is the difference between the two Glen Aulin trailheads?