You’ll truly get away from the crowds with this backpacking tour through the northern, quieter portion of Yosemite National Park. Perhaps the wildest section of the Sierra Nevada, you’ll follow your guide’who handles all your meals’to backcountry lakes, around gorgeous alpine peaks, across lush canyons and old-growth forests, along the PCT, and camp beside the famous Tuolumne River. Forget worrying about permits and details, and get straight into the wild.
Skip the lines, permits, and crowds with this ready-made off-grid adventure
Your guide provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the backcountry
See spots like Matterhorn Canyon, Miller Lake, and Sawtooth Ridge
Gear provided, as requested
What To Expect
Day 1 – Day 1
Tuolumne Meadows
Meet your guide in front of the Tuolumne Meadows Store at 3:00 PM. Get acquainted with the group and with your gear. If time allows before dinner, explore some of Tuolumne’s iconic features. Grab dinner at the Tuolumne Grill before camping for the night in the Tuolumne Meadows Backpacker’s Camp at approx.
9 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
Day 2 – Day 2
Tuolumne River
Hike six easy miles out of Tuolumne Meadows and north towards the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River—a dramatic glacier cut river canyon. This is mostly a gradual downhill hike that meanders through alpine meadows and across massive granite slabs. Set up camp at the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp (7980′) next to a pristine swimming hole. Total mileage today is approximately six miles.
• Admission Ticket Included
Day 3 – Day 3
Pacific Crest Trail – Southern Terminus
We will get an early start as we continue along the Pacific Crest Trail. The start of the day will take us seven miles through Cold Canyon before we reach an amazing vista peeking into Virginia Canyon and beyond. We will then descend and pass over Return Creek and into Spiller Canyon where we will camp by a backcountry waterfall. Total mileage today is approximately ten miles.
• Admission Ticket Included
Day 4 – Day 4
Pacific Crest Trail – Southern Terminus
We will rise and begin the day by ascending out of Spiller Canyon and past Miller Lake at 9,446′ before dropping into Matterhorn Canyon. At this point we will leave the Pacific Crest Trail as we continue deep into Matterhorn Canyon where we will make camp surrounded by the beauty of spectacular geological formations such as: the Fingers, Matterhorn Peak, Whorl Mountain, and the famous Sawtooth Ridge. Total mileage today is approximately ten miles.
• Admission Ticket Included
Day 5 – Day 5
Pacific Crest Trail – Southern Terminus
After a hearty breakfast we will climb over Burro Pass at 10,600 before descending into Slide Canyon. We will then climb out of Slide Canyon and over Mule Pass (10,440′) as we exit Yosemite. We will proceed about another 1.5 miles past some extraordinary eastern sierra pinnacles as we head to camp along the shore of Crown Lake (9450′). Total mileage today is approximately 8.5 miles.
• Admission Ticket Included
Day 6 – Day 6
Tuolumne Meadows
On our final day we will continue our descent through the Eastern Sierras passing many other lakes, rivers, streams, and small waterfalls as we proceed to the Mono Village Resort on the east side of Twin Lakes at 7,092′. Our total hike will be 7.5-miles today. Reward yourself with lunch at the Mono Village Resort followed by an ice cream before our return by shuttle to Tuolumne Meadows.
• Admission Ticket Included
Highlight
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Include
Permits
Return Shuttle
Gear as requested
Souvenir T-Shirt
Memories to Last a Lifetime
Lunch (5)
Breakfast (4)
Dinner (4)
Exclude
Entrance Fee to Yosemite National Park
Guide Gratuities