Yosemite - Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River

This rugged trail follows the Tuolumne River and offers many opportunities to relax by anyone of the several waterfalls we will encounter of the next few days; including the famous Waterwheel and Tuolumne Falls. Be prepared to takes lots of photo's on this hike.

Type of Trip: Backpacking/Camping
Dates: Late June-Early September (Early season is best)
Number of Days: 4 Days
Total Miles: 31/48k
Elevation Gain Loss: 4500ft
Difficultly: Strenuous
Trip Departure: 8am
Trip Return: 5pm

(B) = Breakfast (L) = Lunch (D) = Dinner

Cost:
4 Day - $950 per person

** This trip can be customized around different starting point and times**

This awe-inspiring point to point hike takes us down the dramatic Tuolumne River Gorge from Tuolumne Meadows to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Along the way we trek through deep canyons, pass refreshing swim holes and cascading waterfalls. Enjoy the beauty of meadows wrapped in wildflowers, and excellent riverside camps.

Itinerary - The final itinerary may change due to weather or any unforeseen circumstance(s).

Day 1:
We will meet at a select location inside Yosemite National Park. Typically we meet the afternoon before the hike at White Wolf Campground and we can stay here the night before or we meet at Lembert Dome picnic area the morning of the hike at 9am. Once all our gear and last minute preparations have been dealt with, we will start to hike. A short way into the hike we will come upon Soda Spring, a spring that bubbles right out of the ground. Not too long after that the trail, which is parallels the Tuolumne River, starts to head downhill towards the deep gorges creating some of the more beautiful waterfalls in all of Yosemite. We will make our camp in the Glen Aulin (Gaelic for beautiful valley) area. (6 miles/9.6k) (L) (D)

Day 2:
We will have a casual start today, allowing time for folks to explore the high Sierra Camp or just have an extra cup of coffee along the river bank. We will get some hiking in, but most of today will be about exploring side tributaries, waterfalls and cooling off in some of our favorite swimming holes. Some of the highlights include; Cold Canyon, California Fall, LeConte Falls and of course the famous Waterwheel Falls. This waterfall is 800 feet long and named for the dramatic circular plume of water that appears when the river runs high. It has been known to spit water of 30 feet high. Camp that night will be along the river. (6.5 miles/10.4k) (B) (L) (D)

Day 3:
After a quiet nights rest along the banks of the Tuolumne River, we will begin continue our hike towards the Muir Gorge and the Pate Valley. With some hiking over a variety of terrain we will begin to notice it is getting hotter and the vegetation is dramatically different as compared to where we started and will finish. We will set up our camp underneath the shade of the Oak trees and rest up for our biggest challenge yet, tomorrow's 4000ft climb. (9.5 miles/15.2k) (B) (L) (D)

Day 4:
We do not want to be doing this final climb out of the canyon in the heat of the day, so the group will break camp early. We will leave the river in the distance as we march our way up the switch backs. After passing Morrison Creek (usually dry after mid July) we will start to get high enough in elevation to enjoy some spectacular views of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the canyon we just camp from. One of the highlights today will be the ice cream waiting for you at the White Wolf store. (9.6/15.2k miles) (B) (L)