r/Yosemite

Howdy, camping in Yosemite this weekend. Was looking in CalTopo and there appears to be a trail 2 miles from Tenaya Lake that starts on the west side of Cathedral Lakes and goes around Dozier Dome before linking with the JMT.

Is there a trail head there? It appears to be a much more direct route to the lakes than from from the north / Tuolumne Meadows.

Anyone have any info on this trail head and parking there (the west side)? I would greatly appreciate it!

I’m staying in Oakhurst for work this week and have an entire day to kill on Thursday. I plan to wake up around 5 am and drive into the park for an all day hike.

I’m well versed in hiking, but have never visited Yosemite before. After doing some research, As much as I’d like to do Mist/Panorama/4M…sounds like it would be much more enjoyable to do in the springtime. Not really what I want to put myself through in this heat. I was looking at Cathedral Lakes, but the trail head is on the other side of the park.

I don’t mind a few miles of exposed trail, but just seeing if there are any recommendations for a trail that is closer to 8 miles (10 miles Max) that has a chunk of trail under the trees? Preferably with a nice lake. Even better if it’s a loop trail. TIA

Edit: thinking of possibly doing the Mist Trail to Nevada Falls loop trail, but curious if there are other hikes to consider that compare

Hey everyone, tomorrow is my last day in Yosemite and I’m looking for suggestions for scenic spots, a good hike, and/or a swimming spot. So far, I've loved the:

-Vernal Fall (via JMT) hike
-Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove
-2-hour Valley floor tour
-Swimming at the Wawona swinging bridge

I have a major fear of being in the car along steep mountain drop-offs (only strictly in a vehicle, not on foot).

Highway 140 along the river, Highway 49, and the Valley floor itself have been fine, but Wawona up toward Glacier Point Road I had a panic attack, and I assume Tioga Road getting to Tuolumne Meadows would be similar.

I know this is a personal problem, so I’m not looking for solutions on how to handle the fear or advice to take a shuttle, I'm simply hoping for trail, viewpoint, bike path or river swimming suggestions.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

TL;DR: Already did the Valley floor tour. Looking for the best hikes, bike rides, views, or river swim spots reachable without driving along steep mountain drop-offs.

Hi! My husband and I are going to be camping in Tuolumne Meadows campground around labor day weekend, and I am looking for some hiking advice. I grew up in northern California and I have been to Yosemite for day trips tons of times, but this is my first time camping in the park. My husband has never been and this is kinda a dream come true for him. We have visited several national parks and we are excited to do this one!

However, we have different hiking preferences. I prefer long hikes, mostly flat (although gradual elevation gain up to 2k feet is fine). Think "what a lovely stroll through nature." He prefers more challenging peaks. I have a debilitating fear of heights and falling, he likes to scramble up boulder fields lol. Obviously we do a bit of both when we visit national parks, for example we did Angel's Landing in Zion and I stopped at the top and didn't do the chain section and he had an absolute blast on it. But I still maintain that the narrows is the best hike I have ever done.

Are there any recommendations for similar style hikes in Yosemite? I want to do a mix of iconic scenery and less traveled parts. Here are the ones I have been looking at so far:

- Cathedral Lakes Trail

- Mount Watkins

- Tuolumne River Loop: Dana and Lyell Forks

- Yosemite Valley Loop Trail

Also just any general advice for camping in Tuolumne meadow campground, conditions, or shuttle advice is much appreciated!

I'm thinking of grabbing a week before permit for White Wolf->Pate valley for friday of labor day weekend, and finishing up at Tuolomne Meadows. However, getting back to the car poses some challenges as YARTS isn't running in the right direction anymore. I've been looking at the Hiker Bus, but it isn't clear if I need to get a ticket beforehand, and if so if there's a way to not have to go to the valley to pick it up.

I have thought about hitchhiking to the start but this also doesn't help a ton: the YARTS bus's one run is very early in the morning, probably before I can finish getting the permit at Tuolome meadows. Grabbing the permit the day before isn't an option.

For someone who has hiked to Nevada Falls and back down JMT. How many miles was your total trip from the trailhead given the Mist trail closure during the week? Alltrail reviews are suggesting anywhere from 7 to 10 miles.

Going to Yosemite in September…

I heard it’s so packed regardless of what weekend.

Unfortunately we weren’t able to have lodging accommodations in the Yosemite valley…

So we plan to go into Yosemite valley very early like 7 am…

But I also heard once you find parking, park there and do t leave your spot because parking is terrible…

I guess what I’m asking is, since we have 3 small kids, 2, 4 and 6 years old…

We want to visit as many spots… but seems that is near impossible since I am assuming parking spots going to be packed…

Just asking what other parents with small kids experience.