Tioga Pass, California

The most direct route begins at Murphy Creek trailhead, on the north side of Tioga Road near Tenaya Lake. Walk north on Murphy Creek trail for 2.5 miles with minimal elevation gain. Polly Dome Lakes are a great side trip via the social trail on the right side of the trail before the first junctio...

Start out at the Tenaya Lake Trailhead, where you can head directly onto the trail for Clouds Rest or you can branch off after 2.7 miles to Sunrise Lakes. This allows you to break up the hike, spend a night relaxing and help you have an early start back on the trail. Once re-connected to the Clo...

Day 1 Green Creek Trailhead to Green Lake When we went on this hike, it was primarily to explore the area and see if it would be a feasible entrance to Northern Yosemite for extended backpacking trips.   However, it also is a great two night trip to a lovely area of the Hoover Wilderness.  Best...

This is one of the most recogizable lakes on the John Muir Trail and is known for being one of Ansel Adams' favorite places to photograph. Banner and Ritter Peaks tower over the tree covered islands and make for incredible scenery. This is a good spot to spend the day eating lunch and swimming ou...

May Lake is a stunning, serene subalpine lake that rests at the base of Mt. Hoffmann. The May Lake turnoff is located four miles past Tenaya Lake. From the turnoff, it's 1.8 miles to the trailhead parking lot. During summer time, I will recommend getting to the parking area early to get a spot ...

The May Lake trailhead is at the end of a 2-mile unpaved road leading north from Tioga Road. The trailhead has pit toilets and bear lockers. (Please be sure to store any food, garbage, scented items, and empty coolers in these lockers while hiking!) After hiking an easy 1.3 miles, you'll arrive ...

NOTE: there are some camping closures in this area. Read here for more details. The Lake Ediza Junction has several great spots to camp. Try to find a spot that will have long afternoon sun as some spots will fall under the shadow of the ridge to the west. There are some sunny campsites along the...

Porcupine Creek Trail to Indian Ridge Natural Arch to North Dome is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Yosemite Valley, California.

To stay overnight in Yosemite without a reserved campsite requires a "Wilderness Permit" to camp, but you can camp anywhere. However, any fires need to be in pre-made fire pits (so rangers can know where to check for fires) Day 1 - Hike in from the Porcupine Trailhead off of Tioga Road in to vie...

Beginning at the Ten Lakes trailhead, the trail to the lakes is a moderately strenuous uphill grind to Ten Lakes pass, followed by a quick downhill into the lake basin. We met a woman at the top who made sure we didn’t miss the short side trail to a vista point on the pass that offered a sweeping...

The trail begins at the Ten Lakes trailhead (7600 ft) right beside Yosemite Creek. The first 4 miles start you on the ascent through the wooded forest, however there are portions of the trail that will take you through granite rock valleys marked with only cairns so keep your eyes peeled througho...

Ansel Adams Wilderness is located in Mammoth Lakes, California. The trail to Lake Ediza is frequently traveled and is usually completed as an out-and-back day hike. In the summer, from 7am-7pm the road to the trail head is inaccessible to cars. To reach the trailhead you must take the shuttle fro...

This trip can be done as a day trip or backpacking trip. It is around an 11 mile out-and-back trip.Park at Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, CA. There is a $10 fee and it can take a while on busy weekends. A permit is required to stay overnight in Hoover Wilderness. The trailhead can be hard to find; it ...

Start from Agnew Meadows about 7 miles away. You can take the High Trail out as part of the River Trail with a long detour passing by several other scenic lakes, including Shadow Lake, Garnet Lake, and Ruby Lake. You will arrive at Thousand Island Lake a few hours after lunch, just in time to set...

Start at the Agnew Meadows Trailhead. You will need to arrive before 7:30AM or take the Shuttle from Mammoth Mountain. Start out by heading north on the John Muir Trail. You will pass Shadow Lake; walk around the south side of the lake for mountain views. Then, follow the trail up Shadow Creek u...

Garnet Lake is one of the premier stops along the Pacific Crest Trail. However, even if you don't have time for an entire thru-hike (like most of us), this beautiful lake is still easily accessible as an overnight trip! While there are many possible routes for reaching Garnet Lake, the Agnew Me...