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Get to know what it’s like to live in the intact wilderness of Yosemite! Apart from hiking in magnificent landscapes of the Tuolumne Meadows and Gorge, countless waterfalls, and crystal-clear lakes, this tour is made special for superb sunsets and being suitable for absolute backpacking beginners and those with very little hiking experience. Learn the basics of backpacking in great company with superb guides who will take care of all the logistics.
Note: All dates remain tentative until your guides confirm trailhead permits, usually 22-23 weeks in advance. Please refrain from making travel arrangements (that are unchangeable) until dates/permits are confirmed. Read more in our FAQ.
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Meet your guide in Curry Village at 4:00 pm. Meet your group and do an extensive gear check. If time allows before dinner, you’ll be able to walk to some of Yosemite Valley’s iconic sightseeing spots. Get to know your group and your guides a bit better over dinner, before pitching a tent at Yosemite Valley Backpacker’s Camp.
Meals: /
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After grabbing breakfast in Curry Village, relocate vehicles or use the park’s shuttle service to the trailhead near Tenaya Lake. Before hitting the trail, you’ll get a chance to soak in the alpine views at Tenaya Lake (8,150′ / 2,484 m) before hiking approximately 3 moderate miles (4.8 km) up to May Lake. After setting up camp, you can opt for a four-mile hike to the summit of Mount Hoffman—the geographical center of Yosemite National Park and John Muir’s favorite summit view. After dinner, scramble up onto the secret bluff to witness the first incredible sunset of the adventure.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Hiking: 2.7 miles + optional 3 miles (4.3 km + 4.8 km)
Elevation: + 500’ (152 m)
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Start your day with a hearty breakfast and proceed with hiking for about 7.5 miles (12 km). It’ll be a moderate downhill to Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp, where you’ll be rewarded by views of a spectacular waterfall and a swimming hole, where you’ll be able to get refreshed. After dinner, take a short stroll to a bluff overlooking the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne to enjoy another Yosemite sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 7.5 miles (12 km)
Elevation: +450’, -1,380’ (+137 m, -420 m)
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After a filling breakfast, hike with daypacks for 3.3 miles (5.3 km)—down to the Tuolumne River gorge and finally to Waterwheel Falls, passing California Falls and LeConte Falls along the way. Enjoy lunch within the spectacular Tuolumne River gorge, before returning back to the Glen Aulin to camp. After dinner, take a short hike to a secret bluff behind and above Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp and enjoy the final (and typically the most incredible!) Yosemite sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 6.6 miles (10.6 km)
Elevation: +1,720’, -1,720’ (+525 m, -525 m)
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After breakfast, hike out 4.5 miles (7.2 km) along the meandering Tuolumne River until you reach Tuolumne Meadows. You’re expected to arrive there between 11 am and 1 pm—at the perfect time to enjoy a burger from the Tuolumne Grill and celebrate your achievements with fellow backpackers! Relocation to your vehicles and to the Curry Village will be coordinated and provided by your guides. Say goodbye to Yosemite or continue touring on your own!
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: 4.5 miles (7.2 km)
Elevation: +700’ (+213 m)
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