Yosemite is one of those rare places where everything feels bigger — the granite walls, the silence, the light. It’s a place that keeps pulling you back.
After spending more than 50 nights backpacking through the park, I’ve put together this guide to share the routes I keep returning to — the ones that show Yosemite at its best.
This guide includes five complete multi-day routes, from short overnights to long wilderness traverses across the park’s highest passes. Each one is described in detail, stage by stage, with distances, elevation, camping notes, and navigation tips. They can be done on their own or combined into longer expeditions through Yosemite’s high country.
What’s inside
• Five hand-picked routes through Yosemite’s most scenic regions:
- Tenaya Canyon Loop
- Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
- South Rim of Yosemite Valley
- Vogelsang Loop
- Red Peak Pass Traverse
• Detailed stage descriptions for every day on the trail — distance, elevation, water, and campsite notes
• Custom Google Maps with trailheads, campsites, resupply points, and transport stops
• Downloadable GPX files for all five routes
• Permit and logistics information — which trailheads to apply for, how quotas work, and where you can start each loop
• Essential information on safety, weather, bears, and campfire rules
• Transportation details including how to use the YARTS bus along Tioga Road
• Optional off-trail sections for experienced hikers who want to explore places like Mildred Lake or Hoover Lakes
Also included
• When to go — a clear overview of Yosemite’s seasons, snow patterns, and Tioga Road access
• Communication & safety — what to know about traveling with no cell service and how to use a Garmin InReach or similar device
• Extra things to see and do — short hikes to the Tuolumne and Mariposa sequoia groves
• Fire and wilderness regulations explained clearly and in plain language
The entire guide is designed to be readable on any phone or tablet without zooming in.
Page layouts, maps, and tables are optimized for small screens — making it easy to plan, navigate, and read on the go, even offline.
This isn’t a brochure. It’s a field guide built from experience — from long days on the trail, nights under the stars, and lessons learned the slow way.
It’s meant for people who love quiet trails, who value being prepared, and who want to explore Yosemite in a self-sufficient way.
Watch the routes featured in this guide here:
YouTube.com/HarmenHoek
