Program Overview: On this guided overnight trip, you’ll get to experience a natural treasure — Yosemite’s night skies — during the largest meteor shower of the year!
After meeting up with your trip leader and fellow adventurers, you’ll hike about a mile from the May Lake Trailhead to your campsite. As night falls, your naturalist will use a laser pointer to single out specific stars and constellations, and you’ll get to search the sky for distant planets and meteors — all from the comfort of your sleeping bag. The program curriculum focuses on astronomy (including, but not limited to, star science, constellations, planetary science, perception of light/how light travels, meteors, meteorites, etc.), as well as story, lore, and mythology rooted in cultures both locally and across the world. Watch for the bright meteors of the Perseids shower as debris from the comet known as Swift-Tuttle blazes into Earth’s atmosphere. The Perseids peak in mid-August, so this is the perfect timing for this one-night adventure!
Pack a tent, sleeping gear, and simple meals, such as premade sandwiches, and prepare to be dazzled by what you can see in just one night out in the mountains.
Know Before You Go:
- Program dates: Backpack trip begins Friday, August 15, at 4 pm and concludes Saturday, August 16, at 10 am.
- Program location: May Lake
- What’s included: A one-night backpack trip with instruction by a Yosemite Naturalist; a free day to explore the park on your own after the program (August 16); park entry (as needed), wilderness permits; and shared tent camping after the trek (camping dates cannot be altered). There is no discount if you choose not to use the included gate pass or campsite.
- Camping dates: Participants have the option to camp after the backpack trip on August 16, arriving to the campground after 12 pm and departing on August 17 by 11 am. There are two shared campsites among all the participants. We guarantee tent camping only. If you choose to bring a recreational vehicle, we cannot guarantee you will have a parking spot. Please be prepared to tent camp. A picnic table, bear locker, and firepit are provided at each site. Campsites fit six people per site.
- Campground location: Crane Flat
- Lodging: No lodging accommodations other than camping are available.
- Experience level: All levels welcome, must be physically fit to walk at elevation with a backpack.
*This program includes two nights of camping. Make the most of your trip by enjoying an extra free day, August 16, to explore on your own.
What’s not included:
- Gear or meals during your program.
- Camping gear or meals in the shared campsites.
- Transportation.
