Things To Do In The Tuolumne Meadow AreaYosemite's Tuolumne Meadow is an area above Yosemite's Valley. Still apart of the United States National Parks System, it is for those who like camping Yosemite, hiking outdoors, backpack hiking and very much enjoy being outdoors. Continuing along Tioga Pass after you pass the trailhead for Cathederal Lakes, you will come to the Tuolumne Meadows Visitors Center. Though this is a small building, there is alot of good stuff inside! Inside is a nice selection of books on the surrounding area and Yosemite National Park. There is also a great display of the dried wildflowers that are naturally seen in the Tuolumne Meadow area. You can touch the different pine cones that come from the local trees, hold the horns of a big horned sheep, stroke the fur of a bear, deer, squirrel, hold the antlers of the mule deer and more! They have Yosemite Park maps of every kind here and some nice souveiners There are clean restrooms here if you need a pit stop! Right accross from the Vistors Center is the Tuolumne Meadow. It is blanketed with a variety of beautiful wildflowers from spring until late July every year. Then it is golden brown until the deep snows come in the winter months. Just down the road is a campground, a local market, a grill to get a hot meal, a post office, a fish and tackle store and a gas station. Getting back on Tioga Pass you will next come to an area that gives you several choices of where you want to go. Here are the trailheads for Lembert Dome, Dog Lake, Soda Springs, Tuolumne Falls, Waterwheel Falls, Glen Aulin and the Tuolumne Meadow Horse Stables. Lembert Dome Lembert Dome is a very recognizable dome here in Tuolumne Meadows. It is an odd shaped dome. You can climb to the top and get a 360 degree view of the Tuolumne Meadow and beyond. I would classify this as a moderate hike. It is 3.7 mile looped trail. On your hike you will cross a creek and the junction that will lead you to Dog Lake. There is a 350 feet climb in elevation to get to the top of Lembert Dome. The last couple of miles will have you walking up the steep backside of this smooth dome. Give yourself about 3 hours to complete this hike. The short video below shows you the 360 degree view from the top of Lembert Dome. Dog Lake This is a 1.5 mile moderate hike. The hike starts out going up hill, but it levels off and then the trail drops down into Dog Lake. There is a 600 feet gain in elevation on this hike. Once you get here, you can walk all the way around the lake if you want to. Parts of land around the lake get kind of soggy, so be careful. At the northeast end of Dog Lake, you will have a great view of Cathedral Peak if you look through the forresty area. Give yourself about 4 hours to complete this hike. Soda Springs The Soda Springs have naturally carbonated mineral water bubbling out of the ground. Most kids see it and go, "Eeewwww!!!" The soil around the springs is reddish/brown. This is a easy hike and great for the kids! The hike is 1.2 miles round trip and on pretty flat ground. You will walk on a sandy trail, cross a bridge and walk on a gravel road as well. Give yourself a little more than an hour to visit Soda Springs. To be honest, this is not terribly exciting to visit. If you miss this, you haven't missed much! Tuolumne Falls Continue past Soda Springs if you want to hike to Tuolumne Falls. Waterwheel Falls Continue past Tuolumne Falls and head to Waterwheel Falls. This is a tough hike. This is a long unusual looking set of cascade falls. Glen Aulin And if your making this an all day hike that goes from point to point, then keep walking until you get to Glen Aulin Falls! Tuolumne Meadow Horse Stables And if you didn't want to spend the day going through the above places, maybe you just want to get on a horse! The stables are clearly marked from the Tioga Pass Road. Just park and walk over to the stables. They mainly use mules in Yosemite Valley and horses up here in Tuolumne Meadow. Be sure to make your reservations before coming. They tend to book up pretty fast. Tioga Lake Keep trucking along Tioga Pass and the next stop is the stunningly beautiful Tioga Lake. It sits at just over 9,500 feet in elevation and is only 2 miles from the Yosemite Park Entrance booth at the eastern end of Yosemite National Park. Tioga Lake comes right up next to Tioga Pass road. Tioga Pass Resort The last stop before the Yosemite National Park entrance is the Tioga Pass Resort. This is a great place to eat a meal if you are hungry. They have great food with fantastic homemade pies for dessert! Fresh brewed coffee will keep you going throughout your day. There is a gift shop here too. This resort has cabins and motel style rooms available if you need a place to stay the night. Saddle Bag Campground is nearby too.
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge This is set on the beautiful Tuolomne River. There are 69 canvas tents for lodging. There is no electricity in the tents. Each canvas tent has a wood stove and candles. Bedding is provided and there is a community bathroom and shower.
The High Sierra Camps Yosemite California hiking trails are really great. And if you are coming to Tuolumne Meadows to do some serious hiking, then you need to know about The High Sierra Camps. This is six different camps which can be your lodging. It takes about a day to hike to each of the camps. It is about a 9 mile hike between each of the High Sierra Camps. The camps are located in a big circle up here in Tuolomne. Basic bedding, toilets, hot showers, hot meals all in the back country of Yosemite National Park! What more could you ask for?! Each camp can sleep about 35 people. These camps allow you to have somewhat of a "homebase" while out conquering the domes, jagged peaks and John Muir Trails. These camps are open only from late June until Labor Day. You get to these by the road that is by the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. Lodging is dormatory sytle tents. Reservations must be made before coming here. This place has no problem being booked! Make reservations by calling (559) 252-4848. Leave Yosemite And Head Over To Mono Lake! We love Yosemite National Park! But occassionally we venture out of the United States National Parks and see other great places too. Not far outside of the Yosemite gate is Ellery Lake, Mono Lake, Bodie Ghost Town, Twin Lakes, Bridgeport Lakes, Virgina Lakes, June Lake, Silver Lake and Grant Lake. Click here to learn about these places!
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