What should I do for hiking?

[michaeldressler]

I am planning a trip for this coming July and wondering what hikes I should do. I am taking a group of five and want to experience the wilderness of Yosemite and not the "Disney Park" sights. Basically I would like it to be just me and my group in the middle of no where. I will be there for three nights, so I would like to do around 20 - 25 miles. What hikes should I do. Also can I camp where ever I want to as well as what about fires? And what is the deal with the Wilderness permit I need to get.

Thanks

[balzaccom]

A couple of thoughts:

1. The "Disneyland" sights of Yosemite are spectacular...and if you get on the trail early in the morning, you will see very few people. Give that a thought.

2. Take a look at hiking to Nelson Lake, and then working your way over to Tuolumne Pass...where you can explore the high country. Because the first day is off trail, you won't see many people at all...and the wilderness permit will be easier to get.

3. Yes, you need a wilderness permit---and a bear canister. You get them both at the wilderness center in the park...or you can reserve a permit in advance if you know where you are going and what dates.

4. Once you are in the backcountry (4 miles from a trailhead) you can camp anywhere you want, as long as you are 100 feet from water or the trail. Campfires are only permitted below 9400 feet, and only in existing fire rings. WHich means that if you want a campfire, you need to go where lots of people have gone before.

Hope that helps. We have a lot more information on our website...

[AlmostThere]

Rangers will explain the rules to you very carefully when you pick up the permit, and they are clearly posted on the official Yosemite website, as are the many camping restrictions - some areas are so impacted that we can no longer camp there. And you cannot camp within 4 miles of a trailhead, or within 1 mile of a park road. I'd avoid camping in unsafe locations like ridge tops. But otherwise you can select a spot to your liking. In some places rangers will urge you to use spots that are already heavily used to avoid causing more impact.

You will also be expected to bag and pack out used toilet paper - a rule I support wholeheartedly, since so many trails are ringed by the toilet paper left by people who refuse to do this.

Early mornings are great for not seeing people; it's the only time I ever want to be on the Mist Trail!

"The deal" with wilderness permits is that they are the things that keep some of the trails from becoming freeways. They only hand out so many of them per day. So come up with first, second, third choices for starting points, and maybe fourth and fifth - when you can't reserve your permit (sometimes I get no luck with that) you can always walk in and figure something out. People frequently abandon their permit reservations, which leaves them up for grabs to the next person walking in the door. I personally think it is great that they have permits for the park - it gives me an opportunity to enjoy parts of the park that would otherwise be trampled and used to oblivion.