Yosemite Forum

I'm new to posting so hoping I'm doing this right. I'm heading up to Hetch Hetchy with a Beehive permit and am looking for help with good places to camp and general advice on this trail. I know it will be hot! Camping spots, clockwise vs counter clockwise, any other advice? Planning to do about 30 miles so not going all the way to Tilden Lake. Thank you!

We did this trail as a through-hike from Leavitt Meadows on the East side. (Avoids the big climb up out of Hetch-hetchy!) Beautiful area. You read about our experiences on the website in our signature line.

Lots of places to camp on the north/west side of lake Vernon. But read about our trip from Jack Main down the granite to Vernon (avoids the long slog over Moraine Ridge) before you decide that's what you want to do.

Once in the canyon, there are so many places to camp. All of them lovely.

I did the Jack Main trail trip twice back in 2018. One thing I realize that you need to be well prepared before going; it is not easiest of hicks. In my recommendation, you must have the heavy-duty camp stool, which is lightweight. So you can take rest after some time, especially a person like me who has more than 190 lbs.

Or you can sit on rocks or fallen trees. Lots of those in Jack Main Canyon

I take a foam sit pad and put it on the top of the bear can, on a rock, on a stump, a fallen log... Or I sit in my hammock that's also my bed at night. Never taken a chair, probably never will. But to each his own...

We take those pads as well, AT. They also serve as part of my pillow at night....and if it is really windy, we've used them to protect the stove a bit.

A very good example of lightweight, multiple use gear!

Sitting is for the weak.