Since childhood, Lizzy Wenk has hiked and climbed in the Sierra Nevada and continues the tradition with her husband, Douglas Bock, and daughters, Eleanor and Sophia. As she obtained a PhD in Sierran alpine plant ecology from the University of California, Berkeley, her love of the mountain range morphed into a profession. But writing guidebooks has become her way to share her love and knowledge of the Sierra Nevada with others. Lizzy continues to obsessively explore every bit of the Sierra, spending summers hiking on- and off-trail throughout the range, but she currently lives in Sydney, Australia, during the “off-season.” Other Wilderness Press titles she has authored include John Muir Trail, One Best Hike: Mount Whitney, One Best Hike: Grand Canyon, 50 Best Short Hikes: Yosemite, and Wildflowers of the High Sierra and John Muir Trail, the latter a perfect companion book for all naturalists. Jeffrey P. Schaffer has been hiking and climbing in Yosemite National Park since 1964. He’s logged thousands of miles on-trail in the park and has completed some 70 different roped ascents, including several first ascents. In 1972 he began work on his first book for Wilderness Press, The Pacific Crest Trail. Since then, he has written and contributed to more than a dozen Wilderness Press guidebooks, including Yosemite National Park: A Complete Hiker’s Guide. Today, he teaches a variety of natural sciences courses at San Francisco Bay Area community colleges, does Sierran geomorphic research, leads climbs both outdoors and in climbing gyms, and lives with his wife in the Napa Valley. Joe Walowski conceived of the Top Trails series in 2003 and was series editor of the first three titles: Top Trails: Los Angeles, Top Trails: San Francisco Bay Area, and Top Trails: Lake Tahoe. He currently lives in Seattle.

Yosemite Overview Map

Trail Features Table

Using Top Trails

• Organization of Top Trails
• Choosing a Trail

Map Legend

Introduction to Yosemite National Park

• Geography and Topography
• Geology
• Flora
• Fauna
• When to Go: Weather and Seasons
• Trail Selection
• Features and Facilities
• Trail Safety
• Fees
• Camping and Lodging
• Permits
• Topographic Maps

On the Trail

• Have a Plan
• Carry the Essentials
• Leave No Trace

CHAPTER 1: Northeast Yosemite

• Benson Lake and Matterhorn Canyon Loop
• Barney Lake and Peeler Lake
• Green Creek Basin
• Virginia Lakes Basin to Green Creek
• Twenty Lakes Basin
• Mount Dana
• Gaylor Lakes and Great Sierra Mine

CHAPTER 2: Tuolumne Meadows

• Lembert Dome and Dog Lake
• Pothole Dome and the Tuolumne River
• Young Lakes
• Glen Aulin and Waterwheel Falls
• Vogelsang High Sierra Camp and Lyell Canyon
• Elizabeth Lake
• Lower Cathedral Lake
• High Sierra Camps Loop, Northwest Section
• High Sierra Camps Loop, Southeast Section

CHAPTER 3: Central Yosemite

• Sunrise Lakes and Sunrise High Sierra Camp
• Clouds Rest
• May Lake and Mount Hoffmann
• North Dome
• Ten Lakes Basin
• Harden Lake

CHAPTER 4: Northwest Yosemite

• Kibbie Lake
• Laurel Lake and Lake Vernon
• Wapama Falls and Rancheria Falls Camp
• Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees
• El Capitan from Tamarack Flat

CHAPTER 5: Yosemite Valley

• Bridalveil Fall
• Lower Yosemite Fall
• Upper Yosemite Fall
• Mirror Lake
• Vernal Fall Bridge
• Vernal Fall–Nevada Fall Loop
• Half Dome
• Merced Lake

CHAPTER 6: Yosemite Valley’s South Rim

• Dewey Point
• Taft Point
• Sentinel Dome
• Glacier Point
• Four Mile Trail
• Panorama Trail

CHAPTER 7: South Yosemite

• Ostrander Lake
• Mariposa Grove of Big Trees
• Isberg–Red Peak–Fernandez Passes Loop
• Vanderburgh–Lillian Lakes Loop

Top-Rated Trails

Appendix A: Campgrounds and RV Parks

Appendix B: Hotels, Lodges, Motels, and Resorts

Appendix C: Useful Books and Maps

Index

About the Authors