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 and a half from the Ostrander Lake Trailhead (along Glacier Point Road). You’ll set up camp at a spot with a clear view of the sky, at an elevation where it won’t get too cold to sleep outside under the stars. As night falls, your naturalist guide will point out constellations, and you’ll get to search the sky for distant planets and meteors — all from the comfort of your sleeping bag. 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 — perfect timing for this one-night adventure!
Pack your sleeping gear, a tent (just in case!) 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
- When: Friday, August 13 at 4 pm to Saturday, August 14 at around 10 am
- Where: Glacier Point Road
- Registration includes: One-night guided backpacking trip, park entry (as needed), bear-proof canister rental, Yosemite Wilderness permit, and one night of tent camping at a shared group site in Tuolumne Meadows Campground OR Yosemite Valley after the trip (August 14). There is no discount if you choose not to use the included gate pass or campsite.
- Lodging: 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.
