Early Season Yosemite Logistics
Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:48 am
I love Yosemite Valley in the early season! It took a few trips to figure out the one-way roads, permits and complicated logistics. As my climbing faded, backpacking became my “ticket” to guaranteed “night before/night after” camping at the Backpacker’s (Group) Campground. Occasionally I scored a campsite at Camp 4 (same price, but becomes nearly impossible once climbing starts in earnest). In my opinion, the Valley is more spectacular than the backcountry in early season. But a backpack or two on the rims adds views looking down as well as up at iconic Yosemite Valley features. Peak water flow on the Merced River is spectacular all the way up to Merced Lake.
When combining backpacking and sight-seeing, arrive early morning, pick up a permit, tour the valley all day, park in the backpacker’s parking lot and walk to the Backpacker’s CG. A short first day (contingent on the “4-mile” rule) adds uncrowded early morning hours in the valley. Similarly, a short last day provides even more time in the valley. Traffic and parking are always issues in Yosemite. There is no parking near the Backpacker’s CG. Parking in Curry Village is technically illegal but I have done this, as have others. A specific backpacker’s parking lot is a bit further up the road.
To avoid Valley traffic, I often loop from Glacier Point, treating the Valley as an intermediate campsite. In this case you must get a second permit if continuing on a second overnight. I can drive, pick up a same day no-show permit at 11AM, arrive at Glacier Point by 1PM, avoiding the Valley traffic and make it to Little Yosemite Valley (crowded, annoying, but convenient). If driving time is longer, or you prefer to avoid LYV, you are often stuck in traffic, but a LYV “pass through” permit is easier to get. When Glacier Point Road is closed, I start at Tunnel View; going up Pohono Trail is not popular and also easier to get. Early season trips from Hetch Hetchy are also an option, as well as Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne once Tioga Pass is plowed. I have exclusively used “walk-in” permits. Reservations may be required this year, which may limit the ability to change routes due to unexpected snow conditions.
For an enjoyable trip, allow plenty of time for the logistics, be patient in traffic (views are spectacular even if you are creeping along), realize that Yosemite Valley is not a wilderness, and embrace sharing the trail with others until you get beyond the rim. Even when the Valley is full of people, you can step off the trails to bushwhack and wade along the banks of the Merced River. Don’t forget there is a wonderful 12-mile Valley Floor trail! As long as roads are open, Valley flooding is actually great for reflection photographs and the waterfalls are at their best. Thankfully the trails listed below have bridges across the large streams. Turn back if conditions become dangerous.
You can “mix and match” the trails shown below;
1) Pohono: South Rim, Glacier Point to Tunnel View
2) Panorama: Glacier Point to the JMT near the top of Nevada Falls
3) Four Mile: South Rim at Glacier Point to Valley
4) Mist: Vernal Falls bridge to top of Nevada Falls
5) JMT Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley and up Sunrise Creek
6) Merced Lake: LYV up the Merced River to Merced Lake
7) Unnamed Cross Trail: connects Echo Merced trail to JMT at Echo Valley
8) Yosemite Falls: North Rim at top of Yosemite Falls to the Valley
9) Snow Creek: Valley to the head of Snow Creek
10) North Rim: connects Snow Creek Trail to Yosemite Falls Trail via North Dome
11) Valley Loop: north and south trails the length of Yosemite Valley
12) The Old Glacier Point Road: Bridalveil Falls parking to the Pohono Trail
13) Off-shoot trails to Half Dome, Clouds Rest, top of El Capitan
14) North Rim Trail from Big Oak Road (need two cars- too far to walk, no public transportation)
My early season trips are shown below. Percent average April 1 snow and opening date of the Glacier Point Road are shown in parentheses. Post-2008 you can look up my old trips reports for details.
2001 (67%snow, GP 5/15)
Early May. Mist trail to LYV, climb Half Dome w/o cables, Panorama trail to Glacier Point, Four Mile Trail to Valley (unknown to us, officially closed due to being blocked by steep snow- we managed).
2002 (95%snow, GP 5/17)
3/30-31 Yosemite Falls to the top of El Capitan, climb Eagle Peak on return.
2003 (65%snow, GP 5/30)
6/6-6/8 Tuolumne Meadow to White Wolf, walked the road to Tioga Road, hitched to car.
2006 (129%snow, GP 5/25)
6/4-6/8 Hetch Hetchy to Pleasant Valley, via Rancheria Falls, climb Piute Mtn.
2007 (46%snow, GP 5/4)
4/30-5/3 Pohono Trail from Tunnel View to Glacier Point (road closed), Panorama Trail to stealth camp near Quarter Dome, Mist Trail to Valley. Valley Trail and Old Glacier Point Road back to Tunnel View.
2008 (99%snow, GP 5/2)
4/20-21 Snow Creek overnight, climb Mt. Watkins.
5/31-6/1 (Corrected) This was done from Tioga Road. Tenaya Lake to Clouds Rest, climb Half Dome, Mist Trail to Valley (permit now required when cables up). Get new permit, Snow Creek, camp near buttress, continue to East Mt. Watkins buttress (great viewpoint!), camp along route, snow covered trail to Olmsted Point, hitch to car.
2009 (92%snow, GP 5/5)
6/4 Yosemite Falls and valley day hikes, from Camp 4. If only doing day-hikes you cannot use the Backpacker’s CG.
When combining backpacking and sight-seeing, arrive early morning, pick up a permit, tour the valley all day, park in the backpacker’s parking lot and walk to the Backpacker’s CG. A short first day (contingent on the “4-mile” rule) adds uncrowded early morning hours in the valley. Similarly, a short last day provides even more time in the valley. Traffic and parking are always issues in Yosemite. There is no parking near the Backpacker’s CG. Parking in Curry Village is technically illegal but I have done this, as have others. A specific backpacker’s parking lot is a bit further up the road.
To avoid Valley traffic, I often loop from Glacier Point, treating the Valley as an intermediate campsite. In this case you must get a second permit if continuing on a second overnight. I can drive, pick up a same day no-show permit at 11AM, arrive at Glacier Point by 1PM, avoiding the Valley traffic and make it to Little Yosemite Valley (crowded, annoying, but convenient). If driving time is longer, or you prefer to avoid LYV, you are often stuck in traffic, but a LYV “pass through” permit is easier to get. When Glacier Point Road is closed, I start at Tunnel View; going up Pohono Trail is not popular and also easier to get. Early season trips from Hetch Hetchy are also an option, as well as Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne once Tioga Pass is plowed. I have exclusively used “walk-in” permits. Reservations may be required this year, which may limit the ability to change routes due to unexpected snow conditions.
For an enjoyable trip, allow plenty of time for the logistics, be patient in traffic (views are spectacular even if you are creeping along), realize that Yosemite Valley is not a wilderness, and embrace sharing the trail with others until you get beyond the rim. Even when the Valley is full of people, you can step off the trails to bushwhack and wade along the banks of the Merced River. Don’t forget there is a wonderful 12-mile Valley Floor trail! As long as roads are open, Valley flooding is actually great for reflection photographs and the waterfalls are at their best. Thankfully the trails listed below have bridges across the large streams. Turn back if conditions become dangerous.
You can “mix and match” the trails shown below;
1) Pohono: South Rim, Glacier Point to Tunnel View
2) Panorama: Glacier Point to the JMT near the top of Nevada Falls
3) Four Mile: South Rim at Glacier Point to Valley
4) Mist: Vernal Falls bridge to top of Nevada Falls
5) JMT Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley and up Sunrise Creek
6) Merced Lake: LYV up the Merced River to Merced Lake
7) Unnamed Cross Trail: connects Echo Merced trail to JMT at Echo Valley
8) Yosemite Falls: North Rim at top of Yosemite Falls to the Valley
9) Snow Creek: Valley to the head of Snow Creek
10) North Rim: connects Snow Creek Trail to Yosemite Falls Trail via North Dome
11) Valley Loop: north and south trails the length of Yosemite Valley
12) The Old Glacier Point Road: Bridalveil Falls parking to the Pohono Trail
13) Off-shoot trails to Half Dome, Clouds Rest, top of El Capitan
14) North Rim Trail from Big Oak Road (need two cars- too far to walk, no public transportation)
My early season trips are shown below. Percent average April 1 snow and opening date of the Glacier Point Road are shown in parentheses. Post-2008 you can look up my old trips reports for details.
2001 (67%snow, GP 5/15)
Early May. Mist trail to LYV, climb Half Dome w/o cables, Panorama trail to Glacier Point, Four Mile Trail to Valley (unknown to us, officially closed due to being blocked by steep snow- we managed).
2002 (95%snow, GP 5/17)
3/30-31 Yosemite Falls to the top of El Capitan, climb Eagle Peak on return.
2003 (65%snow, GP 5/30)
6/6-6/8 Tuolumne Meadow to White Wolf, walked the road to Tioga Road, hitched to car.
2006 (129%snow, GP 5/25)
6/4-6/8 Hetch Hetchy to Pleasant Valley, via Rancheria Falls, climb Piute Mtn.
2007 (46%snow, GP 5/4)
4/30-5/3 Pohono Trail from Tunnel View to Glacier Point (road closed), Panorama Trail to stealth camp near Quarter Dome, Mist Trail to Valley. Valley Trail and Old Glacier Point Road back to Tunnel View.
2008 (99%snow, GP 5/2)
4/20-21 Snow Creek overnight, climb Mt. Watkins.
5/31-6/1 (Corrected) This was done from Tioga Road. Tenaya Lake to Clouds Rest, climb Half Dome, Mist Trail to Valley (permit now required when cables up). Get new permit, Snow Creek, camp near buttress, continue to East Mt. Watkins buttress (great viewpoint!), camp along route, snow covered trail to Olmsted Point, hitch to car.
2009 (92%snow, GP 5/5)
6/4 Yosemite Falls and valley day hikes, from Camp 4. If only doing day-hikes you cannot use the Backpacker’s CG.