This trip in Yosemite National Park is a strenuous 37 mile one-way backpacking route from Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley, crossing Half Dome on the way.
This trip took 5 days and 4 nights to complete with 5000 feet of elevation gain and 9000 feet total of descent and starts on the Glen Aulin Trail and meets up with the Sunrise Trail which leads to Sunrise Lakes and Clouds Rest. After making it to Clouds Rest, hike back to the Half Dome Trail and then down to Yosemite Valley on the Mist Trail.
Red Tape: Overnight trips anywhere in Yosemite require a wilderness permit. The NPS website has plenty of helpful information on how to secure a permit.
It can be a bit of a lottery, so it’s good to be flexible and make
reservations well in advance. Additionally, hiking Half Dome now
requires a permit 7 days per week. There is a lottery system for day
hikers, but it’s also possible to secure a permit when reserving the backpacking permit.
Once all permits are secured, it’s a good idea to reserve bus tickets
from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows. There is only one shuttle per
day and it fills up! Information can be found on the DNC website. In the summer, it’s also possible to take YARTS.
We did not have this option (weekday service hadn’t begun in June) so I
didn’t really research it, but I do know YARTS is slightly cheaper than
the DNC tour bus.
For more trip details, check out this NorCal Hiker blog post.
Explore our Appalachian Trail (AT) section hikes
Mt. Katahdin, MaineExplore our Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) section hikes
JMT/PCT Duck Pass Trailhead to Vermillion Valley, CaliforniaMyHikes is an independently-owned platform aimed to make exploring public trails easier for everyone. MyHikes has no investors, no shareholders, and no goal to profit - we share trail data for the fun of it and put a ton of time tracking, writing about, and publishing new trails each month.
But it takes money and a lot of time and effort (including espresso shots) to run the site. Our content is and always will be free to use, including interactive trail maps and elevation charts, pictures from the trail, and dope points-of-interest like vistas, overlooks, waterfalls, backcountry campsites, abandoned structures, and more...
So we simply ask that if you find our content helpful or useful when planning your outdoor excursions that you consider making a small donation to help keep our lights on.
You can become a Supporter* (*MyHikes account required) when donating to unlock perks. Or you can Donate without an account.
Either way, thanks for checking out MyHikes and have a great hike!
- Dave
Founder /
Admin