Hi Doug,

I think most 10- and 12-year-old kids would find backpacking this entire route hard and maybe not very enjoyable. You might consider, though, getting just one or two nights at Little Yosemite Valley and maybe dayhiking Half Dome from there (if you can get that permit and everyone’s comfortable with the exposure on the cable route; but that’s a great hike even just to the bottom of the cable route) and/or dayhiking up the Merced River Valley from a camp in Little Yosemite, which is easy and amazing.

I could offer other ideas for you in Yosemite and elsewhere if you’re interested in my Custom Trip Planning. I’ve helped many parents plan a first backpacking trip with young kids. See my “10 Tips for Taking Kids on Their First Backpacking Trip.”

Thanks for the question and good luck. Get in touch anytime.

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the nice compliment. In late May, even the lowest elevations in Yosemite will be mostly snow-covered, making hiking and following trails very difficult. Yosemite Valley is accessible year-round, and its trails may be mostly snow-free by then (the Valley is at 4,000 feet), but hiking up into the backcountry gets you to 6,000 feet and higher pretty quickly. Those middle elevations will be snow-covered until maybe mid-June at around 6,000 feet and mid-July above 8,000 feet (varying somewhat year to year).

It’s best to plan Yosemite backpacking trips for between mid-July and late September. See my e-guides to three backpacking trips in Yosemite and several in other parks. And I can help you plan any trip you read about at The Big Outside. See my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how.

Thanks for the comment and keep in touch.

Love the website and your enthusiasm for the great outdoors! I’m wondering if you can offer any insight on a good route to take for wilderness backpacking in Yosemite in late May.

Yes, Dave, I’d list them in the order you indicated. Good luck!

Michael,

Thanks for the feedback! I will let you know if it works out. Do you think I’ve listed the 3 itineraries in the preferred order, if you were going to do it? Which would you list first?

Hi Dave,

Thanks for buying my e-guide “The Best First Backpacking Trip in Yosemite” and following my blog, I appreciate it.

I did see the permit changes Yosemite implemented for this summer. I’ve helped several readers with a Yosemite custom trip plan this summer, so I’ve been monitoring that situation. Yosemite’s handling of permits during the coronavirus seems pretty good and better than what some other parks have done, in my opinion.

There is huge demand for permits in this core area of Yosemite, so you’re smart to list those various starting trailhead options. I’m not sure whether Yosemite’s two-week rolling lottery for permits is causing fewer people to apply, or whether the inconvenience of not being able to plan further ahead is eclipsed by the demand of more and more people trying to get into the wilderness during the pandemic.

Yes, I think very fit people can do the 3-day hike you’re considering, and all of your itinerary options look rigorous but realistic to me (for fit hikers). Starting the hike and getting up and down Half Dome on day one is a big day but realistic, as would be going from Sunrise over Clouds Rest and all the way to Happy Isles in one day, which is mostly downhill. The most demanding day among the options you’ve listed is probably going from Little Yosemite Valley over Clouds Rest and back to Cathedral trailhead in one day–but again, that’s realistic for fit hikers. But it’s a big climb from LYV over Clouds Rest, so do that in the cool temps of early morning.

In fact, I’d start early every day because the afternoon sun in Yosemite can be wilting and you’re at 9,000 to 10,000 feet on long stretches of that hike. Carry plenty of water over the long, dry sections of trail, like Clouds Rest (which is amazing).

Good luck getting a permit and thanks for the question. I hope you have a great trip.

I downloaded your E-Guide to “The Best First Backpacking Trip in Yosemite” and enjoyed it very much. I have been dayhiking in Yosemite years ago, but never backpacking. My buddy and I are both fit military guys in our 30s, and I was wondering if you think we could do the loop in 3 days based on what I’ve laid out below. Looks like there are no shuttles this year due to COVID, and we’d only have one vehicle, so a point-to-point hike is out. I’ve hiked Half Dome before, but he’s never been to the park.

I plan on going for a wilderness permit for Labor Day weekend, which will be tough to get. I’m not sure if you saw, but there are no walk-in permits this year; the remaining 40% are released 15 days before via online lottery.

I was wondering if you thought it would be doable to hike the Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Sunrise Loop in 3 days? I was going to put Happy Isles/Little Yosemite Valley as my primary route: Day 1: Half Dome and camp at LYV, Day 2: Sunrise, Day 3: Clouds Rest and all the back to Happy Isles.

My alternates would be starting at Sunrise Lakes trailhead: Day 1: Sunrise, Day 2: down to LYV and Half Dome, camp at LYV, Day 3: Clouds Rest and all the back to Sunrise trailhead.

or

Cathedral Lakes trailhead: Day 1: Cathedral to Sunrise camp, Day 2: down to LYV and Half Dome, camp at LYV, Day 3: Clouds Rest and all the way back to Cathedral or Sunrise Trailhead.

I’d appreciate the insight. Thanks!

Best,
Dave

Hi Joel,

Thanks for the question, and yes, you could fit this trip into that timeframe. It would certainly be a burly, rigorous hike, but a reasonable plan for someone accustomed to big days with a lot of elevation gain and loss. These trails are good and navigation won’t be confusing at all. I’ve backpacked 20+-mile days in Yosemite numerous times.

You’ll find lots more advice on planning that trip, when to go, and alternative itineraries in my e-guide “The Best First Backpacking Trip in Yosemite.”

Normally, it’s very difficult to get a permit for backpacking in this popular core area of Yosemite without making a reservation months in advance, but the park has implemented a two-week lottery system for this summer in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Click here for more info.

I could help you plan the best itinerary for pulling off that trip in the timeframe you’re hoping for, and advise you on how to get a permit for that trip, as well as answering all of your questions, see my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how I can do that for you.

Good luck. It’s an amazing hike.

Michael

Thanks!

Hi Ryan, thanks for reading The Big Outside and for your question. Unfortunately, I don’t have good news for you. May 9-12 is very early for trying to backpack into the high country of Yosemite; often, snow covers higher trails and summits into July, and this winter has seen high snowfall. You might not even been able to reach Little Yosemite Valley, and Clouds Rest, Half Dome, and Sunrise are extremely unlikely.

You could go and see what route options are available at lower elevations when you get there, but if you have flexibility with dates, I suggest you postpone until later in the summer—at least late July, but late August is better for fewer mosquitoes. It may not only be more enjoyable but much safer.

You’ll find lots more advice on planning that trip, when to go, and alternative itineraries in my e-guide my ““The Best First Backpacking Trip in Yosemite.”

Good luck and good for you taking your daughter out backpacking. Those are the best times together with kids.

Hi Kelsey, thanks, I’m glad you found The Big Outside. Yes, permit reservations generally have to be made about six months in advance for Yosemite. In late September, you can probably show up and get a walk-in (first-come) permit for a trailhead along the Tioga Pass Road. Go to my All National Park Trips page (https://thebigoutsideblog.com/all-national-park-trips/) and scroll down to Yosemite; read the Best of Yosemite stories in particular, which describe hikes from Tioga Pass Road.

Yes, White Wolf could be a good spot to start from. The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne is spectacular. If you want more detailed trip-planning help from me, read my note at the bottom of this story (scroll up from these comments) and send me an email.

Thanks!

Hi Jordan, the timing of snow melting out of the Yosemite high country varies greatly from year to year. Tenaya Lake is at over 8,000 feet and Tuolumne Meadows is at about 8,600 feet, while the summit of Clouds Rest is near 10,000 feet. On top of that, accessing that area of Yosemite depends on when the Tioga Pass Road opens, which as you can see from this page can range from May to June: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm.

In an average year, snow covers much of the ground in the Yosemite high country until early to mid-July. But Yosemite and the High Sierra are having a high-snowfall winter this year, so I would expect Tioga Pass Road to open later than usual, possibly not until sometime in June, which means you wouldn’t even be able to drive in there. But that really depends a lot on spring weather, too. And if the current weather patterns continue, the Yosemite high country may not melt out significantly until later in July.

In short, I wouldn’t expect to be able to backpack without seeing a lot of snow in early June this year, and you may not even be able to drive the Tioga Pass Road by then.

Good luck with your trip planning.

Hi Tabatha, you’re welcome. To get precise measures of the trails I described above, pick up a map of the park from Trails Illustrated or Tom Harrison Maps, Jeffrey Schaffer’s “Yosemite National Park–A Complete Hikers Guide,” and/or check the park’s website.

One quick question, what do you think are the total trip lengths of your two suggested trips above?

You’ll find ideas on what to do in Yosemite in the articles listed under Yosemite at this page: https://thebigoutsideblog.com/all-national-park-trips/.

Have a nice trip.

My family and I are traveling to Yosemite end of June from Boston. We are renting a place in Yosemite West and we’re interested in biking, hiking, swimming, etc. We will be there for only 4 days. Can you recommend a few day trips? We want to get the most out of our visit and I have no idea where to start. Should we utilize the buses? Our kids are 7 & 8.

Jeffrey Schaffer’s “Yosemite National Park–A Complete Hikers Guide” has long been the most comprehensive and best guidebook to the park’s trails. It has a map, but the Trails Illustrated maps of the park have better detail. Good luck with your first trip in Yosemite!

Thanks!

Hi, I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you what water sources will be reliable at a given time of year unless I’ve been there recently. I suggest you call the park’s backcountry office and ask about conditions.

Hi Reetika, I’m glad you found The Big Outside. Get in touch anytime.

Thank you for sharing your experiences!