Location

Main Features: This map has a lot of features. Southbound backpackers on the Pacific Crest Trail exit the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness just North of the Sonora Pass, and enter the Emigrant Wilderness on the South side of Highway 108.

The Shortcut

From the trail head you have two immediate options: Straight up the shortcut along the descending ridgearm above Sonora Pass, or winding around along the flank on the regular trail.

3 miles South of the trail head you come through a fine mountain gap overlooking Latopie Lake. Shortly thereafter an unmarked trail junction leads down to fine campsites in the dwarf Whitebark Pines nestled along the narrow apron bounding the Eastern flank of the lake.

Rather than rejoining the Pacific Crest Trail back the way you came from above Latopie, you can wind you way around the mountain shoulder bounding Latopie Lake to the South, into a gentle drainage leading you up to the gap overlooking Kennedy Lake, where you rejoin the Pacific Crest Trail.

After descending to the South off of the Leavitt Massif, you come to where the Pacific Crest Trail turns East down Kennedy Canyon. Though this drainage is a beautiful route that will take you up the West Walker River to your entrance to Yosemite National Park through Dorthy Pass, this is not my preferred route.

When the Pacific Crest Trail turns down Kennedy Canyon it turns off of the Sierra Crest. I prefer to stay on the Sierra Crest, so I almost always continue straight South past the Kennedy Canyon junction to climb the massive Big Sam to enter the High Emigrant Basin. This trail follows the old Tungsten Road across the High Emigrant Basin to Bond Pass, where it enters Yosemite National Park just to the South of Dorthy Pass.

We have now entered the very well trodden trails of Yosemite National Park, independent of which route you choose. The pink granites of the High Emigrant Basin now give way to the massive gray granites that Yosemite is justly famous for. Entering Jack Main Canyon brings you downriver through forest and meadow next to Falls Creek, all bound within the grandure of Jack Main Canyon's glacial cut granite.

Besides my Emigrant Basin shortcut off the Pacific Crest Trail around the West Carson River and the Dorthy Lake Pass entry into Yosemite, I reccomend that you explore the Emigrant Wilderness. There are many short and medium length backpacking options through this beautiful area that can begin in the Emigrant Wilderness and end in Yosemite National Park.

Short Routes in this area

From Sonora Pass you can head to Tuolumne on the Classic Routes. 75 miles. Or you can turn down mountain from the Emigrant Basin to Kennedy Meadows or even down to Pinecrest Lake. I have bushwacked down to Highway 108 South of Strawberry from the Emigrant Basin. From the East you can enter the West Walker River at Leavitt Pack Station and hike across Dorthy Pass. From Dorthy Lake Pass you can circle around Bond Pass and head back to Leavitt Pack Station or Sonora Pass. Or you can continue South on the combined Pacific Crest/Tahoe Yosemite trails to Tuolumne Meadows, or you can follow the Jack Main Canyon down to Hetch Hetchy.

The Last Tahoe to Yosemite route option

Our last Tahoe to Yosemite trail option comes at the Tilden Lake junction, where the Tahoe to Yosemite route loops off to pass by Tilden Lake. This trail segment reconnects with the Pacific Crest Trail South of Wilmer Lake.

The Tilden Lake junction offers you a choice: Take the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail around Tilden Lake, and miss Wilmer Lake, or take the Pacific Crest Trail and miss Tilden Lake. Independent of which route you take, both routes rejoin at the first junction past Wilmer Lake.

Both routes coincide from their junction past Wilmer Lake to Tuolumne Meadows. At Tuolumne Meadows the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail heads down into Yosemite Valley along side the John Muir Trail, while I pick up the Southbound John Muir Trail to continue towards Mount Whitney.

This section gives Pacific Crest Trailers a glimpse of the Emigrant Wilderness before cutting out at Kennedy Canyon. Tahoe to Yosemite Hikers come up from Kennedy Meadows Pack Station through Brown Bear Pass into the beauties of the High Emigrant Basin, a wonderful place. My custom route continues straight over Big Sam into the High Emigrant Basin, rather than following the PCT around The High Emigrant Basin, or the Tahoe to Yosemite up from Kennedy Meadows.

Mapping, Mileage, and National Forest Information

Mileages

Trail head to road/trail junction (the first red dot): 1.35 miles

Road/trail junction to end of map: 3.04

Total Trail Mileage: 4.39

back to Tahoe to Alpine Trail Guide Index

back to trail head

Map Name: Bridgeport Calif, 1985, 30x60 Topographic

Compass Offset: Magnetic North is 16 degrees East of True North

scale: 1:100 000

Contours: 50 meters

Backpacking permitting authority:

National Forest, Northeast of Yosemite: Toiyabe

Ranger District: Carson

National Forest, Northwest of Yosemite: Stanislaus

Wilderness Area: Emigrant, Stanislaus NF

Ranger District: Calaveras

Physical location: Between Highways 108, the Sonora Pass, and Highway 120 at Tuolumne Meadows

Lake Tahoe: feet

Meeks Bay Trail head: feet

elevation rise: meters, or feet

Trail Guide, Section:

Trail Guide, Segment:

Google Map:

Map Credit

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior: The USGS

USGS MAP LOCATOR

Move the Map to the Sierras. Select size of Maps you wish to locate. Click "Mark Point" on map to see the USGS map grid of the selected map scale.

USGS Topographic Map Information