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Thinking about Chilnualna Falls

PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:13 pm
by cronnorlaw
I'm looking at doing 2 nights wilderness camping in Yosemite, don't have a strong preference where at this stage its more a matter of what is the best option left with weekend permits available. Chilnualna Falls looks like a good option but I can't find much info on it in general - anyone have experience camping off that trailhead? Thoughts on mileage per day, trek difficulty, weather, etc?

Re: Thinking about Chilnualna Falls

PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 6:37 pm
by AlmostThere
I've done it many times day hiking and several times backpacking.

Start early as you can - since you start trying for a walk in the day before, you get there, find a place to camp (Wawona or Bridalveil campgrounds are closest) after picking up the permit, and pack up at dawn to go to the trailhead. The lower elevation part of the trail is all bear clover and occasional poison oak, tho easy enough to avoid. Look out for rattlesnakes they like to sun themselves in the trail especially near the bottom.

There are campsites just as you get to the top or you can cross the creek a couple times and continue onward to one of the lakes. The majority of the hard climb is in the first four miles.

Re: Thinking about Chilnualna Falls

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:32 am
by cronnorlaw
AlmostThere wrote:I've done it many times day hiking and several times backpacking.

Start early as you can - since you start trying for a walk in the day before, you get there, find a place to camp (Wawona or Bridalveil campgrounds are closest) after picking up the permit, and pack up at dawn to go to the trailhead. The lower elevation part of the trail is all bear clover and occasional poison oak, tho easy enough to avoid. Look out for rattlesnakes they like to sun themselves in the trail especially near the bottom.

There are campsites just as you get to the top or you can cross the creek a couple times and continue onward to one of the lakes. The majority of the hard climb is in the first four miles.


Thank you! If I'm not able to secure a site at Wawona or Bridalveil is it reasonable to assume that if I get to the trailhead around 9am it is feasible to get out to the camping areas in the wilderness zone? Finding a reservable campsite in Yosemite is proving difficult as usual...

Re: Thinking about Chilnualna Falls

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:34 am
by AlmostThere
You have a valid wilderness permit for that day, yes, you can do that. If the permit is for the following day, you can either drive all the way to the valley to the backpacker camp for the night or backtrack outside the park to one of the campgrounds in the national forest.

Odds are better for the backpacker camp, which is walk in, 5/night per person, and everyone just packs in there.