Trip Description: This is one of my favorite Yosemite tours! Most people never step foot in this area of the park and you won't believe what they are missing out on! Basically, we hike the entire trip along the Tuolumne River and stop whenever we want to take a dip in the river. There are never-ending waterfalls and canyons galore!
This amazing tour of some of Yosemite's most spectacular unseen sites includes an unforgettable trek through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River along the Tuolume River past an awe inspiring string of waterfalls including the Waterwheel Falls, the Le Conte Falls, the California Falls, the White Cascade Falls, and the Tuolumne Falls.
Plus, enjoy secluded swims in high mountain lakes such as McGee Lake, the Poly Dome Lakes, Tenaya Lake, and Harden Lake. See the Yosemite that most never do! This is not a beginning backpack. We will hike on maintained but steep and rocky trails over challenging terrain with big elevation gains and losses on each day. Participants will carry 30-40 lbs of gear, including about 10 lbs of group gear (comprised mainly of food, tents, and cooking equipment) on their backs throughout the duration of the trip.
Accommodations: One night developed campsite, three nights backcountry camping.
Activity Level:
Class 4 - Intermediate Tour. Class 4 tours are meant for those that have done either a number of backpacking trips or is in excellent physical condition. Participants must be prepared to do heavy physical activity in extremely diverse environments and terrain. The trails, although well traveled, are not easy.
They involve extended descents and climbs (Almost all standard Grand Canyon tours are Class 3). We will hike between 8-12 miles a day with a backpacking pack weighing anywhere between 30-45 pounds (depending on how many personal items you bring). Class 4 tours tend to be a similar length (4-5 hiking days) to Class 2 tours, however, we may not utilize any base camps meaning we may be backpacking with packs every day. Age range tends to be 17-50. Please contact us if you are not in that age window, but still think you qualify.
Start Location: Hodgedon Meadows or Tuolumne Meadows Campgrounds, Yosemite National Park
Finish Location: Murphy Creek Trailhead at Tenaya Lake, Yosemite National Park
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Meet your guides and other group members at either the Hodgedon or Tuolumne Meadows Campgrounds by 6:00PM, inside Yosemite National Park. We have an evening trip orientation, a wonderful dinner, and a brief gear check before resting for an early start in the morning. Dinner included.
Day 2: After breakfast, we'll stage vehicles at the Murphy Creek Trailhead near Tenaya Lake then drive to the White Wolf Trailhead
where the hiking begins. Enter White Wolf Trailhead and hike 10.4 miles down to the Tuolumne River to our first backcounty campsite in the Pate Valley). Breakfast and Dinner provided.
Bring your own variety of quick foods to be eaten as lunch and grazed on constantly throughout the day each day. Energy bars and drinks as well as trail mix, bagels, salami, etc. are all good choices. Mileage: 10.4 miles Elevation Start: 7875ft Elevation End: 4380ft
Day 3: Continue hiking along the Tuolumne River in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne to the top of the Waterwheel Falls (11 miles) where our second backcountry campsite lies. Breakfast and Dinner provided. Mileage: ~11 miles Elevation Start: 4380ft Elevation End: 7200ft
Day 4: Continue hiking along the Tuolumne River in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne past the Le Conte Falls, California Falls, the White Cascade Falls , Glen Aulin and the Tuolumne Falls to our third backcountry campsite near the Polly Dome Lakes (~8.5 miles). Breakfast and Dinner provided. Mileage: ~8.5 miles Elevation Start: 7200ft Elevation End: 8714ft
Day 5: The final day of hiking is a short 3 miles to exit out of the Murphy Creek Trailhead to return to the vehicles. Upon exiting there
will be time to relax and enjoy the magnificent Tenaya Lake while vehicles are shuttled back from the White Wolf Trailhead. Breakfast provided. Mileage: ~3 miles Elevation Start: 8714ft Elevation End: 8160ft
Note on itinerary: Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for
numerous reasons beyond our control. This trip is operated rain or shine.
Trip Preparedness: This trip is Class 4. Participants will be carrying their own backpacks with weights of 30-40 lbs. over steep and rocky terrain with constant and dramatic elevation gain and/or loss. Please make sure your backpack is fitted to your body before the trip.
Trip members need to in superior physical condition. To maximize your enjoyment of the trip, we strongly encourage participants to be involved in a training regimen before the trip. Day hiking with 30-40 lbs in the pack you intend to hike with on the trip and making sure your hiking boots are broken in before your trip is key.
Price Includes:
- Professional instruction and guiding;
- all dinners on day one through day four, all breakfasts from day two through day five;
- drinks, group cooking gear;
- group first aid kit, water filters;
- campsite and our permit fees.
Price Excludes:
- Transportation from your hometown to group meeting point;
- Park entrance fees;
- Insurance of any kind;
- Lunches;
- Snacks and energy food;
- Energy drinks;
- Alcoholic beverages (please do not bring);
- Soft drinks;
- Guide gratuities and items of a personal nature.
Directions to meeting point: We will meet up on the starting day for most of our trips at either the Tuolumne Meadows Group Campsites located near the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center in Tuolumne Meadows or at the Hodgedon Meadows Group Campsites at the West Entrance to Yosemite National Park. Both campsites are located along the Tioga Pass, which is the main east-west highway running through Yosemite National Park. A select few trips will utilize the Yosemite Valley campsites but due to availability and trailhead access we try to limit our use of those campsites.
Tipping Guidelines: Tipping at the end of the trip is optional. If you feel your guide(s) did an outstanding job and would like to reward them for their efforts, $5-$15 dollars per day, per guide is a suggested guideline.
Closest Airport(s):
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Oakland International Airport (OAK)
- Fresno
- Merced
Important Information about Air Travel: We prior to purchasing your airline tickets to confirm the trip has the minimum number of participants required to operate.
Who are our guides: Our guides are rigidly selected for appropriate levels of expertise in our travel skills. In addition, they
each hold at least Wilderness First Responder medical certifications.
Weather: Daytime temperatures usually range between 60o - 90o F but can sometime climb even higher. Evening temperatures drop into the 40s - 50s or even lower. While rain in general is rare, there is always the possibility of rain, so adequate rain gear is important, even in this arid landscape.
Member discount:
10% discount for InfoHub customer. Request a free gift certificate.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- All cooked meals,
- Permits,
- Campsites,
- Guides and more.
Full gear rental packages available for an additional $75 per participant.
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California
Hiking & Trekking
Wildlife Viewing
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