Tuolumne Meadow to White Wolf via Pacific Crest Trail

We hiked the trail in July, the path was flooded at some points. Due to the flooding there was...an enormous amount of mosquitos. We encountered three rattle snakes on the trail. The water was warm enough for bathing. Gorgeous part of the world, I would like to go back.

The most beautiful hike I’ve ever been on. The midsection of the trail is pretty tough as is the climb out of pate valley. The trail winds along the canyon with beautiful waterfalls and crystal clear blue water most of the way. It was nice we could fill our bottles any time we needed. The bridge to cross in pate valley was out and under maintenance when we hiked about a week ago so we crossed through the river instead. I’d recommend camping in the white wolf campground on your last night. There is an entire section for backpackers. I would highly recommend this trail to anyone who loves waterfalls and some great views.

Started in White Wolf on morning of Sept 14 and finished at the Lembert Dome parking lot around 11am on Sept 8. Conditions were hot and buggy in Pate Valley. Bugs only abated after a storm rolled in on day 3 bringing high winds and low temps. We were surprised by how warm it was and wished we had brought more water capacity--2L per person wasn't sufficient in warm weather given that the river is inaccessible on much of the trail. We did not encounter any bears, though we saw lots of scat, nor did we see or hear rattlesnakes. The bridge over the river in Pate Valley was nearly complete such that we were able to cross it, though the water was also low enough to walk across easily. Though less popular, we enjoyed hiking this trail west to east because the views improved significantly on days three and four. The downclimb from White Wolf is pretty brutal, however, especially if you have a history of knee or ankle issues. We saw a few (between 3-5) people on the first two days and then many more people as we got to the Falls and Glen Aulin, due to the dayhikers. Glen Aulin campground was closed, so there was no running water, but the composting toilets in the campground were open and stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. We did this hike in four days, roughly 10 miles on day 1 and 6 miles each on days 2-4, starting each day around 8:15am and ending around 3pm. I think it would be possible and enjoyable to do it in 3 days if you are fit and if the conditions are right (i.e., cool weather and no bugs).

This hike was the second half of a 10 day backpacking trip, so fatigue definitely played a role in my experience. It was summer and the Grand Canyon of the Tuolume was hot and dry, the climb out of the valley up to white wolf was brutal- that being said, it was an amazing trip, a great trail and view- would definitely do it again.

I have done this backpacking trip a couple of years ago. Traffic is rare once you hike deeper into the mountains. Three days + three nights seems reasonable. The starting point is close to the permit office, so you can have walk in permits. The drive on Tioga road is always amazing, but that means you can’t do this trial when Tioga road is closed. Mid summertime. Take the bus at white wolf back to the starting point, or your car.

Hiked this route in July, 2016. Temps were ideal. I saw large trout in the river, so fishing was probably great but I didn't try. Stayed in Glen Aulin, the first night, which had bathrooms and buildings for guests, but wished in the morning that I had kept going, just a little bit further, down the river because there was a very nice, flat area for many campsites, just around the corner, which were close to the river. Going down, into the Canyon before Glen Aulin and coming back up, out of the Canyon, before White Wolf, were the toughest points, by memory, though there was another difficult stretch, midway. Much of the time is spent close to the river but without a view. No bear problems, like I've had in other parts of Yosemite, though I used a bear cylinder, unlike when I used to tie food bags in a tree, years gone by, before there were bear cylinders. Barely any mosquitoes. Nice people. Hitchhiked a ride back to Tuolumne Meadows, after, with great fellow hikers, in the morning, around 9:00 am, since the bus did not come very often. Met others, who started in White Wolf and had hiked the trail, more than once. There is a view of Hetch Hetchy but you may want field glasses to see it well, from the steep ridge. Most scenic views are actually from highway 120, through Tuolumne Meadows. But hiking along the river is particularly peaceful. Orhers claim they saw bears.