Yosemite Village, California

This approximately 5-mile out-and-back trail is a great hike in Yosemite National Park. This trail starts off of Dewey Point's Meadow Trail, but you can also start from the Dewey Point Ridge trail, which you'll pass first when coming up Glacier Point Road. This trail is not dog friendly, but is a...

Turtleback Dome will provide you with views of southern Yosemite and the Valley in a less crowded area. This hike on a service road is relatively easy with a slight elevation gain over the entire 0.7 miles. To get to the Trailhead, take Wawona Road north towards the valley. Use the referenced poi...

Tenaya Lake is located alongside Tioga Road in the park's Tuolumne Meadows region. There is a family-friendly trail that surrounds the lake. Though some spots along the trail on the western shore may require fording the waters, the 2.5-mile trip is an easy hike for all to enjoy. Many others pre...

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...

Start and end this loop from the Sunrise Lakes TH along the Tioga Road, and in between you'll travel over 26 miles through Yosemite's backcountry gaining and losing over 7,000 feet in elevation. Unlike typical mountain summit hikes where it's climb climb climb to the top and then descend, this w...

The "younger" brother of the world famous Half Dome, Clouds Rest is in fact a solid 1,000 feet taller despite receiving significantly less attention. If you know about this hidden gem however, you're in luck. Starting out from the Tenaya Lake trailhead will save you crowds on the trail and the ...

Because this is not a loop, you will need to figure out a shuttle situation.  There are two options for this: 1. Drive your car to the Tenaya Lake Trail Head, and leave it parked there.  Once you reach the Valley you will be car-less, but then the next day you can take one of the free shuttles u...

This is a rugged overnight backpack into the North country of Yosemite dropping in from Tuolumne Meadows into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The trail 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 Val...

The goal for our weekend was to do some winter camping in the Yosemite backcountry; we decided on Sentinel Dome as our destination. The trail is a cakewalk during the summer, but winter turns it into a 10 mile uphill grind from the car. Most people opt to head for the ski hut at Glacier Point, bu...

Take the one-hour shuttle ride from the Yosemite Lodge to the Yosemite Ski Area, so that you don't have to worry about driving in the snowy conditions, or finding parking. If you don’t own snowshoes, you can easily rent a pair from the rental shop for the day. Current rates are $24.00 for a full ...

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...

Old Big Oak Flat Road used to be one of the main entries into Yosemite Valley, before HWY 120, 140 and 41. It was a dangerous road which had to be realigned, reconstructed and maintained continuously and was eventually closed in the 1940’s after a giant rockslide made it completely irreparable. T...

Crane Flat Campground is located on the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120) just west of Crane Flat, about 30 minutes northwest of Yosemite Valley. Sites are open July-October at $26/night. More info at https://www.nps.gov/yose/plany...

The Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias is one of three sequoia groves in Yosemite National Park. This particular grove has gorgeous forest scenery and provides great solitude compared to the crowded Yosemite Valley. The trail used to be an old road offering a wide path with a gradual descent, makin...

Getting There From the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, head west on Tioga Road/ Hwy 120 towards Tenaya Lake. You'll only travel about 1 mile down the road until you see Tuolumne Meadows open up again on your right, and there will be a very large gravel pull out where you can park. Pothole Dome ...

Yosemite is an iconic park, and if you are looking for isolation with spectacular views of the backcountry this trip is for you. The trail itself is approximately 33 miles and can be done in 3-4 days, but I recommend a 6 day hike to enjoy the scenery and to have the opportunity to soak in each lo...