Mosquito repellent also probably wouldn't go amiss. The elevation of Clouds Rest (9,926 feet) means that sunscreen is especially recommended, and On the legs going down as it is on the lungs going up. Sunrise Lakes fork is not just steep, but rocky, composed largely of ankle-gnawing riprap, and can be as fatiguing There's usually not much current, but the water can be thigh-high or more. By mid summer you can usually rock-hop across, and by late summer it will probably be dried up altogether, but Outlet, which lies just a few steps from the trailhead. The most troublesome will be the Tenaya Lake More Trail Notes & Hazards: There are two water hazards to overcome in the first mile or so of the hike. The very top of the peak opens up again to around fifty feet wide, which willįeel like the Great Plains after the underpants-imperiling knife edge you've just crossed to get there. If you're slow and careful, you shouldn't feel like you're a freak gust of wind orĪ momentary lapse of concentration away from the bottom of Tenaya Canyon. That said, the route over the ridge is more manageable and less dangerous thanĬable route. It's best to visit Clouds Rest sober and during dry Just as thoroughly and symmetrically dead by falling off that side. The dropoff to the south is less extreme, but it wouldn't require special talent to wind up (the side you can see from the Tioga Road). Narrow ridge with a long, sheer dropoff on Google Street View panorama of the trailhead parking area.Īcrophobics Beware: The top of Clouds Rest is a It's 31 miles (50 km)įrom the Tioga Road's western end point at Crane Flat, and 16 miles (25 km) from Yosemite's eastern entrance at Tenaya Lake - watch for the "Sunrise" signs. Unimpeachable person that you are, though, you'll prefer to visit the Tuolumne Meadows Grill & Store, 5 miles (8 km) east, and Nearest Snacks: The bear-proof lockers at the trailhead will probably contain an intriguing variety of food and drink. You can find bathrooms with plumbing at the Tuolumne Meadows Nearest Bathrooms: Pit toilet at the trailhead. Just across the road from the parking lot is signed as a no-parking zone just to see if you're paying attention. The shoulders of the road you shouldn't have to wander too far to find an opening. Parking: A lot at the trailhead holds a dozen or so cars. The most difficult part, unless you're afraid of heights, will beĪ thousand-foot-gaining series of switchbacks about a mile and a half into the hike. Hikers making their way up the Half Dome cables from here). That there will probably still be people at the top when you get there is a testament to just how good the views are.ĭifficulty: Strenuous, but not in the Half Dome category (speaking of strenuous, bring binoculars and you can watch The views it's not for nothing that Clouds Rest got its name.Ĭrowd Factor: A seven-mile hike will weed out a lot of people, and the unnervingly narrow trail along the ridge will takeĬare of lots more. Low-flying clouds of any variety, for that matter, can envelop you and muck up For safety reasons, it's probably best avoided when you can spot snow on top of the mountain or when Of the trail descending from Clouds Rest on its western slope (this trail leads, eventually, all the way to Yosemite Valley),īest Time to Visit: As with any trails off the Tioga Road, the road itself needs to be open (June through Which the photographer managed to capture with nobody else there and a few panoramas Highlights include one showingĪt its western end, with a geological marker visible in the foreground Ī few more showing how narrow the ridge is, which you really need to be aware of before you tackle this hike,Īnother shot of the area where the ridge widens out, Panoramas showing off both the depth and breadth of the views and how palm-sweatingly narrow the ridge is (though the dropoffs from The summit of Clouds Rest is especially well suited for panoramas, and Google Street View has many excellent user-submitted Turn a complete circle and you'll be able to see any number of YosemiteĪnd El Capitan, plus Merced Lake and dozens of peaks you probably won't be able to name. Views in every direction, including, perhaps most gripping of all, straight down. Scenery Summary: This hike is all about the destination, from which you'll have striking You can definitely see a lot of stuff from here. Stretching from Hawaii in the west to Nebraska in the east. Why hike to Clouds Rest? To take in one of Yosemite's most stunning and wide-ranging 360-degree panoramic views, Trailhead Elevation: 8,150 feet (2,450 meters)Ĭlouds Rest Elevation: 9,926 feet (3,025 meters) Distance: 14.5 miles (23.3 km) round trip
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