The end of Lyell Canyon on the PCT. Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Your Backpacking Guide to the High Sierras Banner Peak beyond 1000 Island Lake on the John Muir Trail.
Donohue Peak from South flank of Donohue Pass on JMT.
End of Lyell Canyon
Donohue Peak from South flank of Donohue Pass.
Banner Peak

 

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Backpacking Central
Yosemite National Park

North
Sierra

TYT & PCT
Index


Sonora Pass
to
Tuolumne Meadows

 

Standard
JMT-PCT


South from
Tuolumne Meadows
to
Reds Meadow

 

Below

 

 

 

South
Sierra

JMT & PCT
Index


Reds Meadow
to
Vermilion Valley Resort

   

 

   
   

Golden Triangle
Part I

Tuolumne Meadows
JMT
Backwards
to

Yosemite Valley

 

Golden Triangle
Part II

Yosemite Valley
to
Lyell Canyon
via
Vogelsang

   

Tuolumne Meadows
to
Reds Meadow Pack Station

We've hiked to the center of the Sierra Nevada at Tuolumne Meadows from Lake Tahoe. Our long hike down the North Sierra along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail has ended at Tuolumne Meadows.

The South end of the TYT at Tuolumne Meadows marks the point where it is replaced by the John Muir Trail as the companion trail to the Pacific Crest Trail down the South Sierra as the TYT was in the North Sierra.

Those of us continuing South down the JMT from Tuolumne Meadows are either Tahoe to Whitney hikers continuing down the Sierra Crest or JMT hikers arriving at Tuolumne Meadows after finishing their massive climb out of Yosemite Valley.

Some of us have turned down the JMT from Tuolumne Meadows to hike through the Yosemite Valley as part of the "Golden Triangle" alternative route. Their "Golden Triangle" route rejoins the Southbound JMT 5.6 miles South up Lyell Canyon via the trail junction coming down from Voglesang High Sierra Camp,

 


Trail Guide Index
STANDARD
John Muir & Pacific Crest Trail

South over Donohue
and
Island Passes
to
Reds Meadow

Trail Guide Pages
Tuolumne Meadows to Ireland Lake junction

Ireland Lake junction to Donohue Pass

Donohue Pass to Island Pass

Island Pass to Thousand Island Lake

 

 

 

 

 

Miles and Elevations
NORTH
Sonora Pass to Tuolumne Meadows

 

 

Miles and Elevations
SOUTH
Tuolumne Meadows to Reds Meadow

 

 

7.5 minute Maps
Tuolumne Meadows

Donohue Pass to Reds Meadow

 

 

30 minute Maps

Central Yosemite

Donohue Pass to Reds Meadow


Map Index

Tuolumne Meadows to Reds Meadow

 

 

Resupply North

Tuolumne Meadows

 

 

Resupply South

Reds Meadow- Mammoth Lakes

 

 

Permits

Yosemite National Park

 

The Southbound JMT out of Tuolumne Meadows
Trail sign post entering Lyell Canyon on the John Muir Trail.

Southbound
on the
John Muir Trail

The long gentle climb up Lyell Canyon terminates in a brutal climb to the Southern boundary of Yosemite National Park at Donohue Pass.

 


North Index
TYT-PCT
Alternative Route
Golden Triangle
to

Yosemite Valley

Tuolumne Meadows South
JMT-PCT

Sonora Pass PCT-TYT
to
Tuolumne Meadows

Tuolumne Meadows JMT
to
Yosemite Valley

Reds Meadow
to
Vermilion Valley Resort

Post up your experiences, information, and your questions and comments about backpacking into and out of Yosemite Valley.

COMMENTS

 

Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley
ALL TRAIL GUIDE RESOURCES

Trail Guide Pages

 

7.5 minute Maps

Tuolumne Meadows

30 minute Maps

 

 

N Lake's

North: Sonora Pass to Tuolumne Meadows                               South: Reds Meadow to Vermilion Valley

Tuolumne Meadows
to
Reds Meadow and Mammoth Lakes

John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails

We exit the Yosemite Wilderness through Donohue Pass to enter the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest.

Ansel Adams Wilderness boundary of Inyo NF at Donohue Pass.
Ansel Adams Wilderness boundary
of Inyo NF at Donohue Pass.

This rather short section of trail between our Tuolumne Meadows and Reds Meadow resupply spots is anything but short.

The terrain between Tuolumne Meadows and Reds Meadow is chock-full of local peaks to climb, incredible granite scrambles and explorations around/to isolated lakes and some of the most beautiful seculded places I have ever seen.

I have hiked from Tuolumne Meadows to Reds Meadow using one full day, overnight at my favorite lake near Island Pass, and then down to Reds Meadow well before Noon the second day of hiking. That is just crazy!

WHY?
#1> There is a small lake sitting surrounded by golden sands off to our South from Donohue Pass.

#2> The meadows running from the South base of Donohue Pass to where we begin the climb up to Island Pass are other-worldly. One need to linger through these meadows of moss, rock, and whitebarks along the granite banks and tranquil pools of Rush Creek.

#3> The terrain on the South side of Island Pass all the way up to Catherine Lake and the backside way up Banner that would take me decades of High Sierra backpacking trips to really explore.
I refer to the terrain to the West of the JMT from Island Pass South to Banner Peak. This is just incredibly beautiful terrain full of physical and experiencial treasures. Go explore it.

And we have not even explored the triple-split of the trails South of Thousand Island Lake, where the JMT stays high up on the granite West wall of the Middle fork of the San Joaquin gorge, the PCT breaks off to hike on the West wall, and a third trail, the River Trail, runs down the middle of the canyon to Reds Meadow between them.

The JMT stays up in the stunning series of granite and forest encrusted lakes stashed in granite folds in the terrain on the West side of the Canyon of the San J river while the PCT runs South down the barren, exposed East flank.
The sweet River Trail goes right down the middle between the JMT and PCT, following the river down through very soft river-bottom soils under nice shade to Reds Meadow Pack Station.

My favorite, the most beautiful, and the hardest of the three trails between Thousand Island Lake and Reds Meadow is the John Muir Trail, by far.

I prefer the JMT route over this small barren length of the PCT anytime, even if I had not walked either before, and even if I had already walked the JMT and not the PCT.

That is how much superior this segment of the JMT is than the route of the PCT from Thousand Island Lake to Reds Meadow.

 

THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION: STAY TUNED FOR MUCH MORE!

COME ON BACK NOW, 'YA HEAR?

 

COMMENTS

 

Backpacking Trail Guide
INDEX

TYT & PCT

Sonora Pass
to
Tuolumne Meadows

Compass and map directions are the best.

Backpacking Trail Guide
INDEX

JMT South

Reds Meadow
to
Vermilion Valley Resort

 

Backpacker Forums

Have a great trip or story to relate about Yosemite or in the Sierra Nevada?
A fine piece of gear? Or gear that failed? An excellent backpacking tip?

Post it on
TahoetoWhitney.Org

Above we come to the Front Page of the High Backpacking Trails and Topics Forums. Below we break the forums down into categories:

High Sierra Trails High Sierra Topics

The Trails Forum acts as your place to put up input, comments, relate your experiences, or ask questions about each segment and spot along the length of our combined TYT-PCT-JMT trails.

The Forum is your place to supplement the trail guide.

Anyone can post text comments in the existing forums, but only members can post up new topics, along with images, maps, and formatting.

Become a Member

If you have experiences, comments, questions, or pictures and videos of the Pacific Crest and John Muir Trails from Tuolumne Meadows to Reds Meadow, post up here as an unknown hiker or as a member:

Forum Section
Tuolumne Meadows to Reds Meadow
Forum Segment
Index Notes and Comments

COMMENTS


North: Sonora Pass to Tuolumne Meadows                               South: Reds Meadow to Vermilion Valley
Trailhead
Contact
Alex Wierbinski

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Frosted Backpack

Backpacking Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney

Your Guide to the High Sierra Crest, including the Tahoe to Yosemite, Pacific Crest, and John Muir Trails

Snug tent after Snow Storm
© Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Crown Jewel of the Pacific Crest Trail