Hiking and camping in July

[burro girl]

Hey all,
My son and I are planning a trip to Yosemite in early July. I understand it may be pretty hot and the falls may be drying up, it will be our first trip out and I am wondering if this is a good time of year to go.
Also, we plan on doing some backcountry hiking/camping, we are both in very good shape, though have not done any high altitued hiking. I know it is starting the planning process rather late, so I am looking for specific tips on how to get started, what to do first and what a great hike for say 2-3days/nights would be. We are going to be there for 10 days, and would like to hike/camp, come back out and go back in for another hike/camp. Any and all suggestions and tips are most welcome.
Thanks!
burro girl

[balzaccom]

Hi Burro girl

The falls won't have dried up by July. They will flow lower than in May, but you will still get quite a show. Absolutely.

Short trips? The challenge, for me, is to get a short trip that doesn't include huge crowds. The obvious choices are Ten Lakes or Little Yosemite Valley, but those are going to be crowded in July.

Leaving from the Valley is going to increase the amount of people on the trip. The trailheads of Tioga Pass Road might have fewer people--especially the ones towards North Dome, etc. The easiest way to judge what is going to be crowded is to look at the trailheads and see what is already booked. You want the ones with lower numbers!

We had very few people in Ililloutte Canyon last July--a stunning hike up to Lower Ottoway Lake. Great fishing, no people. And I wonder about Young Lakes out of Tuolumne Meadows--haven't been there for while, so I don't know about the crowds. Both of those are beautiful hikes, and you don't have to get to your destination to feel like you've arrived in Paradise.

For that matter, if you were to start in Wawona and make the climb up Chilnualna Falls, the territory above the falls would have far fewer people than the most popular trails...but you won't get those panoramic views once you get up the canyon...,

[hiker97]

If you don't mind running into a few more people on your hikes, I highly recommend the Tuolumne Meadows trip down to Glen Aulin for a 2-night stay. On the 2nd day, hike down to Waterwheel Falls and back. Along the way you can enjoy the California and LeConte Falls as well. You can still experience a less crowded environment by camping downstream from the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp. Or if you prefer more "deluxe" backcountry camping with bear boxes, outhouse and piped water, there is the backpackers campground at Glen Aulin. When I've stayed there, my buddies and I have always managed to head toward the uphill (back) part of the Glen Aulin area where you really are quite spread out from other backpackers. A few miles from the trailhead, there is an obvious granite slope where you can hike up a few hundred feet and take in an amazing panorama of the whole Tuolumne Meadows area.