North Yosemite Backcountry
Backpacking Topo Map

 Click Red Dots  

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River
and
North Yosemite Backcountry Backpacking Map

ROUTES
of the
PCT-TYT:

 Click Red Dots  

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River
and
North Yosemite Backcountry Backpacking Map

PCT-TYT
Map
SOUTH

Bensen Lake
to
Miller Lake

&
THE
Bensen Lake Loop

 Click Red Dots  

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River
and
North Yosemite Backcountry Backpacking Map

Location

Map Notes
Differences between the map and Reality.

1> Two fords rather than one at Stubblefield Canyon

2> Trail just North of the Kerrick Ford modified as indicated on map.

3> Bensen Lake Shortcut.

All of these route modifications are noted on the map above.

Main Features
Hiking South down into Kerrick Canyon gives us access to the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River through the junction on the South side of the Kerrick Canyon ford. At the South end of our hike through Kerrick Canyon we will find access Northeast to Twin Lakes over on the East flank of the Sierra from the Seavy Pass junction.

Our combined PCT-TYT route travels Southeast from Stubblefield Canyon to the Western end of the segment of Kerrick Canyon we are hiking through. Fording Rancheria Creek we find the trail junction on the South side of the Kerrick Ford to the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne via Pleasant Valley.
While our PCT-TYT route brings us up Kerrick Canyon, the trail on the South side of the Kerrick Ford heads 17 miles South down the mountain to the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne passing by Pleasant Valley and below Tiltill Valley on its way down. This trail makes possible great loops from Glen Aulin or Hetch Hetchy.

Our hike East through Kerrick Canyon ends when we turn Right hiking South to Bensen Lake through the delights of the Seavy Pass Bowl. At the Seavy Pass trail junction the trail also continues Northeast up Rancheria Creek to access the trailhead from Twin Lake off of Highway 395. The trail Northeast up Rancheria Creek opens up the possibility of great loops out of Twin Lakes including the famous Bensen Lake Loop through Kerrick and Matterhorn Canyons out of Twin Lakes.

Post up your trip reports here: North Yosemite Backcountry.

Our Southeastern direction of travel on the unified PCT-TYT route will bring us to Tuolumne Meadows. This 75 mile "section" hike from Kennedy Meadows or Sonora Pass on Highway 108 down to Highway 120 at Tuolumne Meadows is a challenging part of a through hike or a great stand-alone trip on its own.

Mapology

MAP NOTE
Those squares breaking the USGS maps up into grids are the Universal Transverse Mercator / Military Grid Reference System, otherwise commonly known as UTM.

What's important for our general reference purpose is that each side of a square is 1000 meters, or a Kilometer.

From my point of view that is 1093.6 yards or .62 of a mile.

Diagonal: 1414.22 meters, if my trig is correct.

That converts the diagonal distance into 4,639.8 feet or .88 of a mile.

Mapping, Mileage,
and
National Park Permit Information

Yosemite Permits

I have not yet written the Yosemite National Parks permit page. But I will offer some advice.

update
(Yosemite Permits)

Walk into Yosemite. Don't even mess with getting permits there.

Want to hike the JMT?
Start at Sonora Pass. Drop down to the Valley backwards on the JMT once you arrive at Tuolumne Meadows, then reaccquire the JMT in Lyell Canyon via the Merced River over Voglesang.

Yosemite Permit Problems
Solved.

Yes, I know that may not solve your permit problem. But it is a start.

Topographic Map Information

Map
Northwest
Piute Mountain, Calif, 1990,
Provisional,
7.5 minuteTopographic Backpacking Map

Map
Northeast
Matterhorn Peak, Calif, 1990,
Provisional,
7.5 minuteTopographic Backpacking Map

Map
Southwest
Ten Lakes, Calif, provisional, 1992,
Provisional,
7.5 minuteTopographic Backpacking Map

Map
Southeast
Falls Ridge, Calif, 1992,
Provisional,
7.5 minute Topographic Map

Compass Offset
Magnetic North is 15 degrees
East of True North

scale
1:24 000

Contours
40 Feet

Each square on the map is 1000 yards on a side. I.E. a Kilometer.

Backpacking permitting authority

National Park
Yosemite Permits

Wilderness Area
Yosemite

Physical location: Highway 108 to North, Highway 395 East, and Highway 120 South.

Kerrick Canyon Ford
7960 feet

Seavy Pass
9120 feet

Bensen Lake
7581 feet

Trail Forum Section
PCT & TYT Rejoin in Yosemite
Jack Main Canyon to Tuolumne Meadows

Trail Forum Segments
Yosemite Hiking Stubblefield Canyon
to
Seavy Pass via Kerrick Canyon

Seavy Pass to Smedberg Lake
hiking
North Yosemite Back Country

Map Credit

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior

The
USGS

USGS MAP LOCATOR

Thanks USGS!

How to Download this Map, and all USGS maps

Go to the USGS MAP LOCATOR linked to above.

Move the Map to the Sierras.

Select size of Maps you wish to locate.

Click "Mark Point" on map to see the USGS maps depicting that grid in the various map scales.

To download the map above, locate the Piute Mountain Calif, provisional, 1990, 7.5 minuteTopographic grid square.

Then Download it for free.

For a broader context of this area in the overall terrain, download the Bridgeport Calif, 1985, 30x60 Topographic.

Map Knowledge