5-Day Yosemite Backpacking - Yosemite Icons

Meet your guide in Half Dome Village at 3:00 PM. While staying in the Yosemite Valley backpacker’s camp you will get acquainted with the group, gear and trip logistics. Once camp is set up, you are free to explore short Yosemite Valley hikes per the recommendation of the guide. Eat dinner at one of the park’s numerous restaurants. (Food is not provided while in the front-country.) Yosemite Valley is at roughly 4,000′ in elevation.

We will get a casual start and stop by the Yosemite Lodge for a quick coffee and breakfast before heading up 3.2 miles up one of Yosemite’s most classic trails out of the Valley gaining ~2,500 feet ascending to the top of Yosemite Falls. This trail, despite being a strenuous climb, provides excellent views of Half Dome, Glacier Point and Yosemite Valley. From the top you will have the opportunity to watch the falls plummet thousands of feet to the pools below. From here, we will hike about another half mile and set up camp next to the babbling Yosemite Creek at an elevation of about 6820′. Miles: ~4.6 Elevation: +~2,820

Wake up to a delicious breakfast, before packing a considerably lighter day pack and hiking up about 800 feet over 4.5 miles to El Capitan where you can experience the summit of the world’s largest granite monolith without taking the hard route climbing up the face. If you’re lucky, you may even see one of Yosemite’s world famous rock climbers topping out after days on the wall. After lunch at the top, we will descend 4.5 miles back to our camp and maybe even head over to Eagle Peak for sunset if time allows. Miles: ~8.4 Elevation: +~800ft. -~800ft. (optional additional hike to Eagle Peak)

Today will be our longest day as we will leave camp in the morning and climb up to Yosemite Point—a famous viewpoint within the park showcasing Half Dome, the Valley and the dramatic Clark Range. We will then hike 5 miles ascending ~1,000 feet along the rim of Yosemite Valley and enjoy ever changing views of the granite below. Finally, we will continue another 5 miles along Indian Ridge past Basket Dome and Indian Rock to the Snow Creek Junction then down to our campsite where will catch the sun setting on the looming face of Half Dome. Our campsite tonight is at approximately 6,720′. Miles: ~10 miles Elevation: +~1,720; -~1,700

We will descend 2.5 miles and about 2,600 feet in the final morning. Along the way you’ll get spectacular views of Half Dome before arriving at the Valley floor. We will then hike along the Tenaya Creek past Mirror Lake as we make our way back to Half Dome Village. Typically we end this trip between 11am-1pm. Miles: ~5 Elevation: -~2,600ft.