Hiking 35 Miles on Yosemite’s Most Beautiful Trail

Hiking 35 Miles on Yosemite’s Most Beautiful Trail

What could possibly be the best throughhike through Yusede National Park? Well, I found out when my friend Harmon and I set off on an adventure to hike one of yusede’s premier tres, hiking the Grand Canyon of the Towalami. Starting at White Wolf, we followed the Grand Canyon of the Twam, a route carved deep through Yusede’s heart, where thunderous waterfalls and smooth granite walls create a world that feels untouched by time. It’s one of the most epic and otherworldly trails in the park. A journey that feels less like a hike and more like stepping into another realm of wilderness. This wasn’t just another hike, but an adventure we’ll never forget. And it begins right now. After parking our cars in Yusede Valley, we hopped on the yards bus that carried us high into the mountains to the trail head at Whitewolf, the starting point of our journey through the Grand Canyon of the Taliban. From there, we set out into one of Yusede’s most remote and otherworldly landscapes where roaring waterfalls, sheer granite walls, and endless solitude define the trail ahead. Coming up to official trail now. Harden Lake 1.3. Cruising. It’s perfect. The forest leaving White Wolf feels calm and secluded. A cathedral of tall pines and furs where sunlight filters softly through the canopy. All right, so we came into a junction. Looks like Aspen Valley is up that way. The trail is really rough. It’s like almost looks like off trail. and Harden Lake just 0.9 to go. Uh Pate Valley 8.6 will be there tomorrow. But uh yeah, entering the back country. The air is cool and still carrying the scent of pine needles and damp earth. And every step feels like moving deeper into Yoseite’s quiet back country, far from the noise of the valley below. So beautiful walking through here with all these wild flowers. Purple Baja flowers. It’s gorgeous. Lupins. This will do. Harden Lake sits tucked away in a peaceful meadow surrounded by lodge pole pines, a quiet remnant of Yusede’s early backcountry history. Harden Lake. [Music] In the early 1900s, this area served as a ranger patrol outpost, and remnants of old stone foundations still rest near the shore. Silent echoes of the park’s past. This trail so far has been very, very different. In the first five or four miles we’ve gone in, it’s been just regular forest that was flat and then it goes into like these really lush areas with rocky trail. Very, very diverse so far in the first 4 to 5 miles coming up to some signage. So, let’s see. We got 6.2 22 to Pate Valley, 20 and a half to Benson Lake, 26.1 to Twalamy, and down there is the Grand Canyon of the Twalamy. From Harden Lake, the trail winds gently through a lush sundappled forest where soft needles blanket the ground and the air hums with the sound of distant water. [Music] Shafts of light break through the trees, illuminating ferns and granite boulders covered in moss, while the scent of pine and cedar fills the air. It’s a peaceful stretch that feels untouched and endless. A quiet prelude before the canyon suddenly opens and the grandeur of Yusede’s back country reveals itself. So, we’ve got about 6 or seven miles in. We found these rock formations right here. So, we’re going to hike up, see if there’s any spots, kind of pitch, and then uh see if we can get like a epic spot with a view. So, we just somehow scaled all over this, but now we’re on the opposite side looking for a campsite and I think we’re going to get some epic views of HCH HCH over on this end. Let’s take a look. Oh my goodness. How is it? Oh my god. Oh my god. Wow. Oh my goodness. As the trail opened up high above the canyon, we found what felt like a dream. A campsite perched on the edge of the world, overlooking the vast expanse of the HCH reservoir far below. Here’s my camp spot all set up in my office tent, which I adore. Pretty good pitch right on the edge here. Got my own little spot. Harmon’s on the other side of these rocks. And that shot at you below. Just incredible. Incredible spot. The granite walls glowed gold in the setting sun, and the reservoir shimmerred like molten glass between the distant peaks. A warm breeze drifted through the pines as I set up camp. The sound of rushing water echoing faintly from the valley floor below. So, it is getting pretty dark pretty quick. And came down to the river. Luckily, there’s a river right near our spot kind of. We’re like perched up on top of that cliff up there. It’s uh 8:15ish and time to load up on water. So for dinner I am going to have I got some uh lemon and ginger tea which is going to be very very nice. Harmon’s got chips and guac and a burrito that he carried in. Massive. Let’s see this thing. Look good. I I ate mine on the way up here. So, I’m going to have uh chicken and dumplings. Just a classic mountain house while we enjoy uh got my tent down there. And then, of course, the epic Hatch Hatchee below. We both were not expecting some spectacular views like this on day one. That’s for sure. Why did you just bump around? What did the scene drive? Are you just pooping? Yeah, I’m very full right now. I’m very bloated. I hope to do a 20 mile day tomorrow. We got the valley below all set up. Everything put away. Got the bear box up there. So, I think I’m ready. Crawl into bed. Nice and cozy in here, too. Brought my lights down. Sleeping bag. Should be pretty nice. Finally tucked up into bed. It’s pretty pretty long day coming up here. Drove all the way up to the park and then got a uh had a park in the valley. Took the yacht up here to White Wolf. Then from White Wolf, it was about uh about seven 7 and a half miles to where we are tonight. Camped on this uh this beautiful ridge overlooking Hatchetchy. Just just amazing. Amazing. Better than I thought it would be so far. So yeah, looking forward to having a good sleep tonight. Um hoping it stays calm like it is. And uh yeah, in the in the bunk there’s plenty of room in this thing. Feels feels roomy enough for Harmon, but Harmon’s going to cowboy camp, so all good. But yeah, hope to have a good sleep tonight. Nice quiet night and wake up with the sunrise. See you in the morning. Good night. [Music] [Music] Good morning. What a night. Gosh, one of those nights where woke up a thousand times by the sound of my own tent flapping cuz I didn’t quite like stake it in all the way. So, it’s a little flappy. So, every little like gust of wind was like ah, but other than that, the sun’s uh sun’s about to come up here. So, I think I might climb out and uh get some coffee on and see what’s going on. See if Harmon’s up. The next morning, I woke to perfectly clear skies. The first light spilled gently over the mountains and flooded the canyon in soft gold below. [Music] As I brewed my coffee, the rich aroma drifted through the cool morning air. Bold, earthy, and comforting, blending with the scent of pine and granite, warmed by the rising sun. [Music] I’ve got everything packed up inside pretty much ready to put back into my bag. But, uh, yeah, actually not a not a bad night. Just need to stake this down a little better tomorrow or tonight just so it’s not all flappy. But just enjoying this gorgeous, gorgeous morning. It’s got my freshly brewed coffee. Beautiful view of the Hatcheti Reservoir. It’s absolutely gorgeous. and the beautiful sunrise over the mountains here in the Yoseite back country. Be dropping down this ridge I believe today and heading up that canyon. All right, my campsite is all clean. Left nothing behind, all packed up, everything loaded into the bag. Got all my breakfast, everything I eat today on the outside. Love this mesh. It’s uh it’s crazy how expansive it is. I could even put more food, but I think I’ve got enough for the day there. Ah, let’s go head out. See what’s going on with Harmon. Well, how was the night? Excellent. Excellent. Yes. Nice. I even overslept. That’s how good it was. Ah, I wish I did. I was up a little early, but you had a nice little cowboy spot here. Not too bad. Oh, I can smell your coffee. So, we’ve just hiked back out and back on the trail. Probably do a water resupply before we really get going. Although, I think we probably are in good shape. Ah, beautiful morning out here once again. So today’s game plan is we’re going to obviously try and see how far we can get, but I think we’re going to try and shoot for Glenn Allen, which from our campsite was about 18.8 miles. Uh we have a big drop uh down into the valley today. A big descent and then uh it’s like a slow looks like a gradual uh ascent uh little over 5,000 ft uh which would be to Glenn Allen. So should we make it that far, that’s what our mileage is like today. So just hiking into the valley and uh so far so good. It’s a beautiful morning. really really good to be in the Sierra. Just it’s telling Harmon I feel so lucky just to wake up out here and just see this place and to know all we have to do today is just walk, you know, just hike hike through these beautiful landscapes. So, we’re both really, really looking forward to this beautiful, beautiful day. This is what we really got to keep an eye out for. I’ve heard about the rattlesnakes through here. Look at this guy. Wow. That is a big boy. The descent into the Grand Canyon of the Twalamy is nothing short of breathtaking. [Music] The trail winding down through sweeping granite cliffs, open slopes, and pockets of sunlit forests. [Music] [Music] As we dropped lower, the sound of the Twalamy River began to rise from below, growing louder with every switchback until it became a constant, powerful rhythm echoing through the canyon. [Music] this. So, we’ve made it down to the river. There’s about I don’t know 3,000 ft or so of elevation loss. Super super hot already. So, I think it’s nearing the time for a swim very soon. But, it’s good to be to the bottom. So, we start hiking along the river here. So, just made it into the bottom of the canyon and there are some really, really nice camp spots. Oh, someone forgot some underwear. These camp spots. Oh, look at this water. What a beautiful spot. Wow. Even right here. Little fire ring. Wow. This would do quite nicely. Quite quite nicely. Look at that water. So, one thing that I did not anticipate on this hike, which is kind of surprising cuz I should have known cuz it’s middle of summertime is the heat. It’s really hot down here in the canyon and the heat’s kind of bouncing off these walls, these canyon granite walls. And it’s probably 90° already and it’s just after 10:00. So really, really hot. Looking forward to getting a a nice swim in today. Much needed swim. By the time we neared Pate Valley, the canyon walls fully enveloped us. Towering walls on all sides, the river glinting like silver through the trees, and a sense of raw wilderness that felt both humbling and alive. And with the heat of the day pressing down, we couldn’t resist taking a refreshing swim right where the bridge crosses the river. The cool water was pure and invigorating, surrounded by lush meadows and swaying pines, making the valley feel like a private paradise where the wilderness and the river come together in perfect harmony. So, we’re leaving our epic swim spot. So, so good. and crossing over the river. Just gorgeous. That’s where we swam. Pretty pretty good spot. Now we got about 4,000 ft of climbing to do over there. So, let’s get to it. Got to make up for some lost time here. [Music] So, just got to the junction here. be heading towards Mir Gorge. And this is uh we’re in Pate Valley. So, this goes up into the that higher up area we saw yesterday from our camp spot or this morning. So, yeah, go through here. Leaving Pate Valley, the trail begins to steadily climb and the scenery transforms into something even more dramatic and awe inspiring. Towering granite cliffs rise sharply on either side. Their sheer faces catching the sunlight and casting long shifting shadows across the canyon. [Music] The Towalami River below carves its way through the rocks, its waters flashing silver and white as they tumble over rapids, while pockets of florists cling to ledges and slopes, adding vibrant green to the rugged landscape. With every switchback, new vistas unfold. Waterfalls spilling from hidden crevices and the canyon stretching endlessly ahead, reminding us why this is one of Yusede’s most epic and unforgettable journeys. This is just incredible down here. These water holes, the river, it is just gorgeous. Gorgeous. And it it really is like you’re in a Grand Canyon. It’s just absolutely beautiful. Can’t say enough about this trail. One of the top trails I’ve done in Yusede. That is for sure. And it’s feels like it’s only getting started. Coming into Mure Gorge. Wow. Look at this. There it is. Mirror Gorge. Got the waterfall kind of ca cascading out. We’ve got a lot of switchbacks to go up way up there. We have like 4,000 ft still, but it’s gorgeous. It is very, very hot, but very gorgeous. As we rounded the final bends, Mir Gorge revealed itself into all of its raw, untamed glory. A thunderous corridor of roaring water and jagged granite walls rising impossibly high. Woo! It is so hot. It has got to be 90 95. It is hot, hot. Luckily, I brought uh a liter of water with me. I’m on the gorge section where there’s only well where there’s no water actually uh for 2 and 1/2 miles. So, you got to kind of bring your water up up this gorge. And man, it is steep and it is hot. Luckily, there’s some shade through here. But wow, this is no joke. And I keep coming across fresh bear poo. So, apparently there’s a lot of bears up here. So, hopefully I get to see one while we’re on this track. Wouldn’t that be nice? This is how much of the trail is as you walk through it. Very, very overgrown. Got to kind of make your own way, push through. Very, very overgrown. I guess it makes it exciting. Don’t know what’s around the corner. Could be anything. And then it goes back to this. Another rattlesnake. They’re starting to come out again cuz it’s getting cool. And they’re going towards the water. Harmon stepped on one. Oh my gosh. The incline up the canyon is as demanding as it is breathtaking. Every step climbs higher along narrow, rocky switchbacks that test your endurance and your focus. At the same time, the views grow even more spectacular. The Towalami River weaving silver through the canyon below, waterfalls spilling from hidden edges, and granite cliffs glowing golden in the sunlight. The combination of physical challenge and stunning scenery makes the ascent feel alive. Every strained breath rewarded with a panorama that reminds you just how wild and majestic Yuseite truly is. Ah, thank God we’re approaching water because we are both completely out. We just came up some killer switchbacks. So, we are in need of a couple liters right now. I am exhausted. We’ve hiked uh pretty far, maybe 20 miles, and uh haven’t been this tired hiking in a long time. But we’re looking for a spot cuz it’s just after 7:30. Sun’s about to go down and we’re both beaten. So gosh, I’m tired. And we just found a spot right on the water here. Thank goodness. [Music] Do a nice soak. Wow, that’s gorgeous. That’ll put me to sleep. I’m hoping. That nice white noise. This will do. High above Waterhe Falls, we discovered an incredible campsite perched on a quiet ledge, offering sweeping views of the cascading waters below. After a quick, refreshing bath in the cool river, we let the day sweat and dust wash away. [Music] Like I was just baptized. Oh my god, that water was so cold. But uh I feel much better. Look at this view. Oh, we felt like death coming up here cuz of all that incline. My eyes look really good, too. Normally when I get super dehydrated, my eyes get really red. But wow. I’ve just been drinking I probably drank uh five uh lers of water coming up here. haven’t peed. So, I’m I’m sure I’m very dehydrated, but yeah. So, time to uh set up camp. Get uh get some food on first while we set up camp. But wow, that water was freezing. Settling in to enjoy the evening under a sky filled with stars, the roar of the falls beneath us, and the vast wilderness around us, creating a perfect, unforgettable night in the Yoseite back country. Got my mountain house all ready tonight. Chicken fried rice. Got my bear canister. Everything all set up in there. I think Harmon’s just down here enjoying it. So, this is how it looks in case you’re curious. Looks pretty darn good. All right, time to get cozy cuz no doubt it’s going to dip down. I think we’re at like 7,200 ft now. All right, tucked up in bed. It’s been a long, long day, but feels good to get inside the tent, get all cozied up. Had a nice big dinner tonight. Lots of fluids. So, uh, should be pretty hydrated by now. And looking forward to having a nice sleep and getting up early in the morning. Nice early start. But today was a really, really big day. About 20 miles uh over 4,000 ft elevation gain, probably 5,000. and something like 300 flights of stairs. That was like the equivalent. So, very, very big day. Harmon and I are both beat. And with that being said, we’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night. Good morning. It is just after 5:00 a.m. Harmon and I are getting up to start hiking early this morning. I’m going to try and catch uh the yard heading out of Twali Meadows. So, I’ve got like seven miles to hike. So, I got to get there before the bus comes. And uh Harmon’s going to continue on and do an even larger kind of like super loop through the park. So, it’s pitch black out. He’s packing everything up, getting ready for the day. It’s pretty damn cold up here. Glad I brought all these layers. The next morning, we woke up early to pack up camp. The first light rushing the granite cliffs with soft gold. But before hitting the trail, there was one essential ritual. Brewing fresh coffee in the wilderness. The rich aroma mingled with crisp mountain air, waking the senses and giving us the perfect moment to savor the quiet beauty around Waterhe Falls before the day’s hike began. Good morning from the Towalami River. [Music] Just leaving camp. It is just after 6:09 and it’s supposed to be a 3-hour hike to the yard shuttle. And uh shuttle picks me up at 10:00. So should be able to make it. Wow, what an amazing place. Little bit of uphill though, of course, to finish off the ascent of the Grand Canyon of the Tommy. Leaving our campsite above Waterhe Falls, the trail unfolds into a stunning panorama as we hike towards Glenn Olig. [Music] The path winds through pockets of forests and open granite slopes offering everchanging vistas, sparkling river bends, wild flowers strewn meadows and distant peaks, making each step a blend of peaceful serenity and awe inspiring grandeur as we move deeper into Yoseite’s high country wilderness meadows. 5.8. [Music] In the quiet of Cold Canyon at the junction leading to May Lake, Harmon and I paused to say our goodbyes. the gentle murmur of a distant stream, adding a soft soundtrack to our farewell. So, just left Harmon at the junction. He’s heading to uh May Lake and then to Tana Lake. And bit sad to go our separate ways, but uh we both have different priorities and things going on as do all people. So, see him again at some point. Hopefully not too far down the road. And now I have to hike out to uh the Toani Meadows Visitor Center. As I left Cold Canyon, the trail opened up into a serene wilderness and the solitude of hiking solo brought a deep sense of calm and focus. Sunlight danced across granite domes and meadows. The Twiny River glinting far below, while the gentle sounds of wind and distant waterfalls fill the air, every step carrying me higher and closer to Towalami Meadows, the canyon gradually giving way to sweeping alpine vistas, wildflower strewn slopes, and the quiet, humbling beauty of Yusede’s high country. A solo journey that felt both meditative and epic in its scale. [Music] I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Hiking through the Sierras in the morning when the sun’s coming up. It’s one of the best things ever. I am so lucky to be out here. Air just smells aromatic pine. Perfect. Perfect sunny days. Past two days. It just doesn’t get much better than this. As I hiked through the pristine forest approaching Twallome Meadows, the trail wound gently beneath towering pines and fragrant lodgepole trees, sunlight filtering through in golden shafts. The air was crisp and fresh, carrying the subtle scent of pine and wild flowers, while soft needle-covered ground cushioned every step I took. [Music] [Music] Well, I think that’s going to do it for this amazing adventure. Three days in the back country. Doesn’t get much better than this. Beautiful, beautiful trek. Probably did the trail a little too quick to be honest. I think adding one day in the valley would have been nice. We’re in the Grand Canyon of the Talami, but uh still had a very enjoyable time. Till next time, happy hiking. See you later. Reaching the Towalami Meadows Visitor Center, I paused for a moment to take it all in. The expansive meadows, distant peaks, and the quiet hum of the wilderness around me. After a couple days of hiking through granite canyons, rushing rivers, and sundappled forests, a deep sense of gratitude washed over me. Gratitude for the chance to experience one of Yusede’s most epic and otherworldly trails. for the challenges met and the beauty witnessed. And for every step that brought me closer to the heart of this incredible park.

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Join me as I hike one of Yosemite’s most epic backcountry routes — the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Starting at White Wolf and ending at Tuolumne Meadows, this 30-mile journey follows the powerful Tuolumne River through a deep granite canyon filled with roaring waterfalls, remote campsites, and classic High Sierra beauty.

Along the way, I pass Waterwheel Falls, LeConte Falls, and Glen Aulin, climbing thousands of feet from the canyon floor back to the alpine meadows above. This multi-day adventure showcases Yosemite National Park in its wildest, most remote form — a true backcountry experience few ever see.

🌲 Distance: ~35 miles
🏔 Route: White Wolf → Pate Valley → Glen Aulin → Tuolumne Meadows
🎒 Location: Yosemite National Park, California

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Video Title: Hiking 35 Miles on Yosemite’s Most Beautiful Trail

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
Tuolumne Meadows
Waterwheel Falls
Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp
White Wolf Yosemite
Yosemite Backcountry Trails
Pate Valley Yosemite
Yosemite River Trails
Yosemite Waterfall Hikes
High Sierra Backpacking Routes

#Yosemite #Backpacking #GrandCanyonOfTheTuolumne #HikingCalifornia #SierraNevada #TuolumneMeadows