Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne County, California
| Address: | Tioga Rd, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389, USA |
| GPS: |
37°52'37.7"N 119°20'45.2"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | California |
| Trail Length: | 2.00 miles |
| Trail Type: | Loop |
| Hike Difficulty: | Beginner |
Restrooms Picnic Tables Streams Trails Wildflowers Pet Friendly National Park
Camp and Hike
A beautiful alpine meadow found in the upper Sierra Nevada Mountains. Open during the summer, this meadow offers excellent views of nearby granite domes and mountains. There is a roadway through Yosemite National Park that makes this meadow accessible, however during the winter this road is closed, making the meadow inaccessible.
Like Yosemite Valley, many of the features of Tuolumne Meadows were carved by glaciers. The Tuolumne river meanders through the meadow and is a great place to play when the current is not too swift and the water isn't too cold. In the spring when the snowmelt is rather fresh, the meadows will be flooded and almost appear as a lake.
Nearby is Lembert Dome and Cathedral Peak. These two points stick out into the skyline and are very popular for taking pictures, hiking, and climbing.
Tuolumne Meadows is a very popular place to visit once the roads are open. It is also the starting place for many of the backcountry trails in Yosemite National Park. If planning on going into the backcountry, permits are required and can be reserved in advance.
More Information
Yosemite National Park Itinerary
This Yosemite National Park Itinerary will help you get started as you plan your vacation to Yosemite National Park.
https://www.justgotravelstudios.com/collections/national-park-itineraries/products/yosemite-national-park-itinerary?ref=9zpxis0diinBe courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read More
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Tuolumne County, California
- Head west toward Forest Rte 3N01 (0.9 mi)
- Slight right onto Forest Rte 3N01 (1.5 mi)
- Turn right to stay on Forest Rte 3N01 (0.7 mi)
- Slight left (1.4 mi)
- Continue onto Forest Rte 3N01 (1.5 mi)
- Turn right onto Cottonwood Rd/Forest Rte 1N04 (0.3 mi)
- Turn left onto Forest Rte 3N01 (5.3 mi)
- Turn left (1.1 mi)
- Turn left onto Forest Rte 3N01 (1.9 mi)
- Turn right toward Forest Rte 1N04 (0.2 mi)
- Continue onto Forest Rte 1N04 (0.6 mi)
- Sharp right onto Cherry Lake Rd/Forest Rte 1N07 (9.1 mi)
- Turn left onto Forest Rte 1N07 (0.9 mi)
- Turn left onto Cherry Lake Rd/Forest Rte 1N07Continue to follow Forest Rte 1N07(4.0 mi)
- Turn left onto Cherry Lake Rd/Forest Rte 1N07 (75 ft)
- Turn left onto CA-120 E (signs for Yosemite)Partial toll roadParts of this road may be closed at certain times or days(17.9 mi)
- Turn left to stay on CA-120 EToll roadMay be closed at certain times or days(40.0 mi)
- Turn right onto Tuolumne Meadows Lodge Rd (266 ft)
- Turn right (292 ft)
- Turn right (210 ft)
Other Hiking Trails Nearby
Dog Lake and Lembert Dome
Yosemite Valley, CA
1.0 miles NA 4-mile round-trip hike through Tuolumne Meadows wildflowers to a serene evergreen lake and a granite dome with sweeping views — doable in 1.5 to 3 hours.
Hike, Swim 3.6 mi
Lyell Canyon
Wawona, California
2.6 miles EAn 8-mile, nearly flat hike through Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows along the Lyell Fork river, with creek crossings, Kuna Creek cascades, and backcountry quiet far from the crowds.
Hike
Elizabeth Lake
Wawona, California
2.6 miles SWA 4.8-mile hike with a 1,000-foot gain to a quiet alpine lake tucked between Cockscomb, Unicorn Peak, and Johnson's Peak in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows backcountry.
Hike, Swim
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
4.6 miles NWA popular introductory Yosemite High Country backcountry hike following the Tuolumne River to a High Sierra Camp beside the White Cascade waterfall, with further options to Waterwheel Falls.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim 6.1 mi
Glen Aulin
Wawona, California
4.6 miles NWAn 11-mile hike along the Tuolumne River to Glen Aulin with 800 feet of gain, passing Tuolumne Falls, Soda Springs, wildflower meadows, and the stunning White Cascade.
Backpack, Camp, Hike 4.0 mi
Mono Pass
Yosemite Valley, CA
4.6 miles EAn 8-mile high-Sierra hike at 10,600 feet crossing meadows and several lakes, climbing through Bloody Canyon to sweeping views of Mono Valley and Mono Lake.
Hike, Swim 0.9-3.2 mi
Cathedral Lakes
Wawona, California
4.8 miles SWA gorgeous 7-mile High Sierra hike along the John Muir Trail to twin lakes at 10,000 feet, framed by Cathedral, Echo, and Tressider Peaks with sweeping views of Tenaya Lake from a rock shelf.
Hike, Swim 1.8 mi
Gaylor Lakes
Yosemite Valley, CA
4.9 miles NEA 2-mile Yosemite hike with views the entire way — Dana Meadows, mountain peaks, and a high valley holding five separate lakes, with a mostly flat valley to wander once you top the pass.
Hike, Swim
Tenaya Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
7.1 miles SWTenaya Lake's glacier-carved granite shoreline offers a spacious east-beach for swimming, canoeing, and kayaking with stunning Yosemite dome views all around.
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim 4.0 mi
Saddlebag Lake
Lee Vining, California
7.4 miles NEAt 10,008 ft, this Eastern Sierra alpine lake offers exceptional trout fishing, a scenic four-mile loop, and a water taxi into the heart of the Twenty Lakes Basin.
Camp, Canoe, Hike 1.3-1.6 mi
May Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
8.3 miles WA 2.5-mile roundtrip hike to a scenic 9,270-foot lake at the base of Mt. Hoffmann — with views of Clouds Rest, Half Dome, and Teyana Lake, plus the option to summit the peak for even grander panoramas.
Hike, Swim 5.7 mi
Ten Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
9.7 miles WA 6.4-mile hike from Yosemite Creek to three of the Ten Lakes Basin's seven lakes, through wildflower meadows, forests, and past the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, gaining 2,200 feet.
Backpack, Camp, Hike 1.1 mi
Lundy Canyon
Bridgeport, California
11.0 miles NEA 3-mile canyon hike past twin 70-foot waterfalls and beaver ponds into the Hoover Wilderness, with options to climb 2,000 feet to Burro Lake or explore wildflower meadows and multiple cascades.
Hike 2.1 mi
Snow Creek Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
12.9 miles SWA 2,140-foot, seven-drop cascade tucked deep in Tenaya Canyon — best spotted from the Mirror Lake Loop, where you can also take a swim before hunting for the falls from the Snow Creek Trail junction.
Backpack, Hike 1.9 mi
Half Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
12.9 miles SWA grueling 14-mile round-trip hike with 4,800 feet of gain to the summit of Half Dome, including a cable section in the final 400 feet — a permit is required and a sunrise start is essential.
Hike
Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
14.3 miles SWA paved, car-free trail winds to this seasonal lake at the base of Half Dome, offering a still mirror reflection and a popular summer swimming hole.
Backpack, Hike, Swim 4.1 mi
North Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
14.4 miles SWA strenuous 10.4-mile hike through Yosemite forest to North Dome, rewarding hikers with the best straight-on view of Half Dome from 7,450 feet — plus a 0.6-mile detour to a 15-foot granite arch.
Backpack, Hike 0.7 mi
Lukens Lake
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
14.8 miles WA short 1.6-mile forest walk to a secluded lake famous for the luminescent shooting stars visible while you swim, plus a wildflower meadow that peaks in July.
Hike, Swim 1.9-2.9 mi
Mist Trail
Yosemite National Park
15.3 miles SWA steep, mist-soaked Yosemite staircase hike climbing 639 stone steps past Vernal and Nevada Falls — with Half Dome, Whitecap, and Mt. Broderick views from the switchbacks above.
Backpack, Hike 2.9 mi
Upper Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
15.5 miles SWThe tallest waterfall in North America at 2,425 feet — a 7.2-mile, 2,600-ft-gain hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls with stunning valley views along the way.
HikeNearby Campsites
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
4.6 miles NWA popular introductory Yosemite High Country backcountry hike following the Tuolumne River to a High Sierra Camp beside the White Cascade waterfall, with further options to Waterwheel Falls.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim 6.1 mi
Glen Aulin
Wawona, California
4.6 miles NWAn 11-mile hike along the Tuolumne River to Glen Aulin with 800 feet of gain, passing Tuolumne Falls, Soda Springs, wildflower meadows, and the stunning White Cascade.
Backpack, Camp, Hike 4.0 mi
Saddlebag Lake
Lee Vining, California
7.4 miles NEAt 10,008 ft, this Eastern Sierra alpine lake offers exceptional trout fishing, a scenic four-mile loop, and a water taxi into the heart of the Twenty Lakes Basin.
Camp, Canoe, Hike 5.7 mi
Ten Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
9.7 miles WA 6.4-mile hike from Yosemite Creek to three of the Ten Lakes Basin's seven lakes, through wildflower meadows, forests, and past the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, gaining 2,200 feet.
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Merced River
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
16.0 miles SWThe Merced River circles Yosemite Valley with whitewater, swimming holes, gold-panning spots, and unbeatable views of Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point at every bend.
Camp, Swim, Whitewater
Crystal Lake
Mammoth Lakes, California
26.3 miles SEA 3.2-mile roundtrip Sierra day hike past Lake George, Lake Marie, and Lake Mamie, ending at Crystal Lake beneath the monolith Crystal Crag — shaded trail with room to swim, fish, or picnic lakeside.
Camp, Hike
Crane Flat
Big Oak Flat, Yosemite National Park
26.3 miles WFramed between two giant sequoia groves, Crane Flat meadow is a quiet Yosemite base camp for birding, stargazing, and seasonal hikes to Lukens and Harden Lake.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Snowshoe
Wild Willy's Hot Spring
Mammoth Lakes, California
34.9 miles SEA soaking hot spring in Long Valley's open sagebrush plain — pools range from 95°F to 105°F, with a larger deeper pool and smaller, hotter pools, reached by a 0.2-mile wooden boardwalk from the parking area.
Camp, Hot Springs
Crowley Lake Campground
Crowley Lake, California
38.0 miles SENestled in the stunning Eastern Sierra near Crowley Lake, this BLM campground offers first-come, first-served sites for tents, RVs, and trailers with breathtaking high-desert views.
Camp
Briceburg Recreation Area
Midpines, California
39.9 miles SWBriceburg is where State Route 140 drops out of the Sierra foothills and meets the Wild and Scenic Merced River, twelve miles east of Mariposa on the road to Yosemite, and it's one of the best public...
Camp, Kayak, Swim
Standish Hickey Area
Lakeshore, California
42.1 miles SEA two-mile stretch of the south fork of the Eel River inside a redwood canyon 180 miles from San Francisco — swim, kayak, fish, or hike, then camp near the 1,200-year-old Captain Miles Standish Tree.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Kayak, Swim
