WanderingJim wrote:You should also keep in mind different trail heads which will allow you to do your hike.
Absolutely! That would be Plan B. Plans C, D, and E are also what you should have in mind if you're trying to get a walk-up permit on the Friday before the 4th of July weekend. And those plans shouldn't all be the most popular trails out of Tuolumne. If everything is fully impacted, try Murphy Creek.
This link is for full trailheads:
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... lheads.pdfThis represents reserved permits, but you can use it, along with your map, to gauge what trails
might be best to consider as alternatives because of less demand. Don't forget, even with 60% of all permits reserved, 40% are still available as walk-ups.
WanderingJim wrote:If you can camp beyond Glen Aluin, that gives you more options.
That gets sketchy. You would need a "Glen Aulin pass-thru" permit for that. It might slightly increase your chances of getting a permit, but it also precludes you camping at Glen Aulin itself. In other words, you must "pass-thru" Glen Aulin to be legal. This can be along the trail next to the falls complex ( you must be no closer to Glen Aulin than California Falls to camp legally), or McGee Lake. The problem is: both places have limited camping, those sites are going to go really fast (especially by the falls), and again, that's only exacerbated by the fact that it's the 4th of July weekend. You potentially get left with even less camping options than if you got in line and tried for the permit you wanted in the first place.
Serious word to the wise- if at all possible, move your trip forward a couple days, then get the hell out of there before the weekend madness begins and takes you squarely into it.