Program Overview: Spend a relaxing weekend in Yosemite’s high country exploring May Lake and a pair of nearby mountains, Tuolumne Peak and Mt. Hoffmann.
The trip kicks off with a Thursday evening get-together at Tuolumne Meadows Campground, where you’ll meet your guide and fellow adventurers, and review the route, Leave No Trace ethics, and safety tips, including our COVID-19 procedures (see below).
On Friday morning, hike the mile from Tioga Road to May Lake, your home base for the weekend. After setting up camp, grab your day pack and join your guide for a day hike to the top of Tuolumne Peak. On Saturday, embark on another day hike to the summit of Mt. Hoffmann, which offers 360-degree views from the park’s geographic center, or kick back and lounge by the lakeshore near camp. After a final night at camp, you’ll pack up on Sunday and head back out to Tioga Road. Throughout the weekend, you’ll have opportunities to learn about the natural and human history of Yosemite’s high country (including about the Mt. Hoffmann “thumb” and weather station), and, of course, to soak up the beauty and quiet of a late-summer weekend in the wilderness!
Know Before You Go
- When: Thursday, September 2 (orientation at 7:30 pm) to Sunday, September 5. Depart for backpacking trip on September 3 (morning), return September 5 at around 2 pm.
- Where: Tuolumne Meadows Campground (orientation), and Tioga Road to Make Lake and Mt. Hoffmann (backpack).
- Registration includes: Guided backpacking trip, park entry (as needed), bear-proof canister rental, Yosemite Wilderness permit, and two nights of tent camping at a shared group site at Tuolumne Meadows Campground before and after the trip (September 2 and 5). There is no discount if you choose not to use the included gate pass or campsite.
- Lodging options: Tent camping included. Camping dates cannot be adjusted. No additional lodging options have been arranged for this program, but guests are welcomed to find their own alternate accommodations if desired.
- Experience level: No experience necessary!
View a suggested packing list.
COVID-19: We have implemented special safety measures to keep participants and instructors safe during the ongoing pandemic. For example, participants will hike single-file and keep moving to avoid crowding the trail, and instructors will stop to offer interpretation only when there is ample space to stay at least six feet apart. Please review our COVID-19 procedures for details.
