Tahoe Yosemite Trail Guide

[Miner]

I hiked the Tahoe Yosemite Trail back in September. Just like I did for the Tahoe Rim Trail, I spent some time typing up some information for anyone considering hiking the Tahoe Yosemite Trail including some of the logistics of it.

I made a PDF version if anyone wants to download it: Tahoe Yosemite Trail Guide (PDF version).

The Tahoe Yosemite Trail
The Tahoe Yosemite Trail (TYT) is a scenic hiking trail that travels between Meeks Bay by Lake Tahoe and Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. It passes through one national park and four designated wildernesses. It is 180 miles long.
A TYT hiker will see rugged snow capped mountain peaks, exposed white granite mountains, beautiful lakes, deep canyons, various types of forests, and meadows. Those from sea level may complain about the higher elevation as the trail ranges between 5000 and 10,000 feet.
As the TYT never achieved public funding status, it has become the Sierra Nevada’s abandoned child and is overshadowed by the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Many backpackers, who talk about hiking the TYT, incorrectly mean the section of the PCT between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. Unlike the PCT, some portions of the trail are poorly maintained and a small amount of cross country travel is required. The route came about as a mixture of desired routing by the various public land management agencies and the personal desires of the Wilderness Press founder and guidebook author, Thomas Winnett. The route was first published by Wilderness Press in 1970 as a comprehensive guidebook. The guidebook went out of print in the 1990’s which was the trail’s main publicity vehicle. So it’s relatively unknown to most people.

The Tahoe Yosemite Trail at a glance

• Route was first published in 1970 by Wilderness Press.
• Length of trail is 180 miles in length
• Highest point is 10,400 ft. at St. Mary's Pass
• Lowest point is 5,280 ft. at Camp Irene
• Passes through 4 designated wilderness areas (Desolation Wilderness, Mokelumne Wilderness, Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, Emigrant Wilderness) and 1 national park (Yosemite National Park)
• The PCT and TYT share the same path for about 90 miles
• It takes most hikers 1 - 2½ weeks to hike the entire trail
• Some portions are unmaintained and hard to follow (recent trail work is improving the situation)
• Involves some cross country travel.
• Horses are allowed (though some parts of trail may be impassilbe to livestock) and dogs are allowed everywhere except Yosemite National Park

When to hike the Tahoe Yosemite Trail
The normal season for hiking the Tahoe Yosemite Trail is from June through October. The actual dates depend on the actual snow fall that year and the individual’s personal comfort level with snow travel.

Hiking the TYT in Summer
PROS: More daylight for hiking, wildflowers are in full blown, generally warmer weather, water sources flowing
CONS: More insects, more people, in late spring, snow may still cover parts of the trail, water fords may be deep

Hiking the TYT During the Fall
PROS:Cool crisp weather, less people, fall colors (Aspen changing) , water fords are low
CONS: Less daylight for hiking, may get an early snow storm, colder at night, some water sources have dried up
(Note: Fall generally starts shortly after Labor Day in September)


Pacific Crest Trail (sections I & J) vs. Tahoe Yosemite Trail

• Both trails travel between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite NP through the Sierra Nevada.
• They share about 90 miles of common trail.
• For the section that they are a different route, the TYT travels along a more western and often lower route seeing the typical Sierra Nevada exposed white granite while the PCT stays higher along darker covered rock often partially covered in vegetation.
• The TYT differs from the PCT in the following places: Meeks Bay Trailhead to Middle Velma Lake (Desolation Wilderness), Carson Pass (Hwy 88) to Grace Meadow (Yosemite NP), and going past Tilden Lake rather than Wilma Lake (Yosemite NP).
• The PCT generally travels along ridges with far reaching views most of the time. The TYT has far reaching views part of the time and often travels along canyons.
• The TYT is more strenuous to hike. The PCT is well maintained and graded and generally an easy trail to hike. Portions of the TYT haven’t been maintained in years and can be steeper at times. The TYT also has about 5 miles of cross country travel near St. Mary’s Pass which involves a very steep ascent out of a canyon bottom.
• The TYT has some additional challenging water fords during the spring runoff.
• Both trails are technically open to both hikers and horses; though some portions of the TYT are currently impassible for horse travel. Dogs are allowed everywhere on both except within Yosemite NP.
• Resupplying on the TYT is easier than the PCT as the trail passes within walking distance of three different resorts that accept packages and have a small store. The PCT only walks by one and a hiker must hitchhike for other options.

Trail Organization
There isn’t a trail organization like the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) or the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA). Each National Forest and National Park area manages all the trails in their area of responsibility.

Navigation
Navigating the TYT is the trail's biggest challenge. A trail map is required for travel. You will need to know how to use a compass and/or GPS.
As half the trail length is along the PCT, that portion is very well marked and easy to follow. Unlike the PCT, the TYT is not identified as such on trail signs so a hiker must be familiar with what trails are part of the route. Portions of the TYT have not been maintained for many years so the trail may disappear at times though rock cairns often mark the route. Some cross country travel is also required.
Mokelumne Wilderness
Part of the trail along Summit City Creek and the Mokelumne River down to Camp Irene is hard to follow due to decades of neglect that has allowed the wilderness to slowly reclaim the trail. More recently published maps don’t show the southern part of the trail there, though it still exists as a faint trail in most places. Recent trail work has reduced the amount of unmaintained trail in this section by almost half of what it was just 4 years ago and that work looks likely to continue. For most of the remaining unmaintained section, there is faint trail or rock cairns to follow. As you are traveling down the length of a canyon, it’s hard to get lost. However, losing the official route and going cross country through the thick brush is not going to be a quick and fun trip. The trail actually disappears completely for a short section nicknamed the Enchanted Forest. But travel through the forest is straightforward and the trail is easily picked up again on the far side. Slow travel and careful observation is key to staying on route through here. Be aware that it is more of a route then a trail at times.
Carson-Iceberg Wilderness
Years ago, a large forest fire devastated the area in the vicinity of Rock Lake. The burned trees are being allowed to fall down and there are frequent compound tree falls across the trail. Small trees are also encroaching on the trail as the forest attempts to grow back. The trail still exists and there are paths around many of the problem areas made by past hikers and equestrians. However, the presence of some conflicting paths may cause some minor confusion. As long as a hiker is paying attention, they shouldn’t lose the trail through here.
The last section of trouble is the trail around Clark Fork Meadow. The trail is in good shape until one gets near the meadow where it grows faint before disappearing entirely. It only gets hard to follow when the trail is forced away from the creek due to encroaching canyon walls and is forced to make a steep climb over one of the walls before reaching the meadow. If one looks carefully, cairns mark the route though there are very few by the meadow itself. Between Clark Fork Meadow and St. Mary’s pass, the route is entirely cross country travel (no trail was ever constructed) which can be very steep at times. Being able to navigate off a map is essential here.

Water
Water is abundant along the trail as it often follows creeks or passes by lakes.

Trailheads
The TYT is served on the north end by the trailhead at Meeks Bay on the southwestern shore of Lake Tahoe. The southern end is located in Yosemite where the PCT passes through Tuolumne Meadows near the store and post office there. Furthermore, the trail frequently crosses major highways along the route (highways 50, 88, 4, and 108) that give access.

Hiking North vs. South
Most hikers seem to hike south. That is also the main direction that the Tahoe to Whitney website describes the route. There isn’t any advantage to hiking north or south with one exception. By hiking south, one can have their bear can (required by Yosemite National Park) mailed to Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station so they only need to carry it for the last few days of their trip. A hiker going north would either need to carry it all the way to Lake Tahoe or hitch 30 miles to the post office in Bridgeport to mail it home.

Bears
Just like other places in the Sierra Nevada, black bears do exist along the TYT corridor. Bear cans are only required within Yosemite National Park on the southern end of the trail. For the rest of the trail standard food practices in bear country apply.

Resupplying
There are 3 places along the trail that one can resupply at. They are listed from north to south.

Echo Lake: Echo Lake Chalet store (www.echochalet.com) and Post Office (limited hours) is just north of highway 50 and the trail passes through their parking lot. The tiny store here could resupply 1 or 2 people, but the prices are expensive. It’s recommended to send a resupply box to the Post Office via General Delivery. But be aware of the limited hours the Post Office is open. You could also hitch into South Lake Tahoe if you prefer.

Lake Alpine: Lake Alpine Lodge (www.lakealpineresort.com). There is a restaurant and small store at the lodge (walk 0.7 miles west along highway 4 or the bike path along the lake’s shore). A non-picky person can pick up a few days resupply from the store. The lodge will hold resupply packages for free if you want to mail one (call for current information and mailing instructions). If the store is inadequate, one can hitch a few miles further west to the larger store at Bear Valley.

Kennedy Meadows: Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station (www.kennedymeadows.com) is next to highway 108 and the TYT follows the dirt road past it. This is often referred to as Kennedy Meadows North as there is another Kennedy Meadows on the southern end of the Sierra Nevada along the PCT. There is a restaurant and small store here. They also hold resupply packages for a small fee (call them for current information and mailing instructions). If you are going southbound, mail your bear can for Yosemite here.


Transportation
Lake Tahoe
The nearest major airport is in Reno, NV. From the airport, the North Lake Tahoe Express bus will take you to Tahoe City, CA. Both Amtrak and Greyhound have service to/from Truckee, CA (station TRU). From both Truckee and Tahoe City are serviced by the TART bus system which will take a hiker down to the Post Office in Tahoma, CA (~1 mile from the Meeks Bay Trailhead which is the northern terminus of the TYT).

Yosemite National Park
A YART’s bus can shuttle a hiker between Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. The same bus offers service to/from Highway 395 where one can connect with the Eastern Sierra Transit bus that offer service to/from the airport in Reno, NV.
In Yosemite Valley, Amtrak offers connector bus service. Furthermore, using a YART’s bus, one can travel between Yosemite and Merced, CA or Sonora, CA where other transportation options exists such as Greyhound, Amtrak, or the small Merced Airport.

Setting up a Shuttle
Using public transportation, it is possible to leave a car on one end and travel to the other. Using Amtrak connector buses/train, one can travel between Yosemite Valley and Truckee, CA (TRU station). But due to arriving in the evening, an overnight stay will be required there. In the morning, using the TART bus system, one can travel down to the post office in Tahoma, CA (~1 mile from Meeks Bay Trailhead).


Permits
Fire Permit
If you are planning to use a camp stove or have a camp fire, you need to get a current California Campfire permit. You can get one online in a couple of minutes at: www.preventwildfireca.org. Campfires are prohibited almost everywhere in the Tahoe basin.
Wilderness Permits
A wilderness permit is needed for travel through the various designated wilderness areas and Yosemite National Park. You only need to acquire one permit as other places will accept it. You get it from the land agency that manages your starting trailhead. If you are doing a northbound thru-hike, get your permit from Yosemite National Park (Yosemite Wilderness Permits). If you are starting at Lake Tahoe, you can by-pass the normal quota system for Desolation Wilderness and get a free thru-hiker permit. You need to contact the Forest Service Supervisor’s Office at (530) 543-2694 during their office hours. Click here for more information concerning Desolation Wilderness Permits.

Resources
Websites
The Tahoe to Whitney website has complete information on both the TYT and the alternative PCT between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. It includes trail conditions, printable maps and detailed photos of the route, as well as resupply information. The website serves as a detailed online guidebook to the trail as it describes it every step of the way.

Maps and Guidebooks
Some combination of the following maps will cover almost all of the TYT. Tom Harrison Maps do not cover the sections between highways 50 and 108 but provide more detail than the National Geographic maps which covers the entire route. However, they don’t show the southern end of the Summit City Creek trail all the way down to Camp Irene for some reason (they have the trail end early). Consider printing out the 7.5” maps from the Tahoe to Whitney website for the missing pieces as well as the cross country section at St. Mary’s Pass. You can also print out maps for the entire trail if your prefer.

Tom Harrison Maps: Desolation Wilderness Map, Emigrant Wilderness Map, Hoover Wilderness Map, Yosemite High Country Map
National Geographic Trails Illustrated Maps: Carson-Iceberg, Emigrant and Mokelumne Wilderness Areas Map (#807), Lake Tahoe Basin Map (#803) , Yosemite National Park (#206)

The Wilderness Press guidebook, “The Tahoe Yosemite Trail” that created the route is now out of print. However, the route is now listed as a series of shorter section hikes in more recent editions of their “Sierra North” guidebook though the route descriptions are not as detailed and comprehensive as the original guidebook was.
Wilderness Press Guidebooks: Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in California’s Sierra Nevada (9^th edition)
Wilderness Press Guidebooks: The Tahoe Yosemite Trail (out of print). Used copies can be found on Amazon and other places.

[Miner]

My trip started at Lake Tahoe in mid September and took about 11.5 days. Temperatures were comfortable. The only issue I had was many places along the trail were on fall schedule in terms of when they were open.

Concerns about navigating unmaintained portions of the trail that I had prior to the trip were overblown. Though there were points I was hesitating at, I never actually got off route including the short cross country section. I didn't use a GPS and only used a compass on the cross country portion. Otherwise it was just referring to my maps. I think it was a good entry-level introduction to the sort of of navigating that one will have to do on the CDT.

For those that are interested, my online journal of my trip can be found here: Journal

I also uploaded ~600 phoots of the trail here: TYT Photo Album

[Surridge]

Thanks so much for this. I purchased the old guidebook used on amazon years ago but still havent made it to the Sierra's. Hope to combine sections of this with the TRT and the PCT possibly next year...

[Dogwood]

THX Sean. Good info.

[Miner]

Made a few minor additions

[Miner]

Added transportation and shuttle information.