Portered Snow Creek
Yosemite, California
5.0 (6 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Lighter Backpacks
- Shoulder Season Trip
- Thundering Waterfalls
- Iconic Views
- 3000' Ascent of Snow Creek Trail
- Yosemite's Only Arch
- Spectacular Indian Rock
Description
Explore the North Rim of Yosemite Valley in comfort on this three day portered excursion into John Muir’s famous “Range of Light.” Enjoy thundering waterfalls, spectacular views of Yosemite Valley and the high country, potential wildlife, wonderful camps and fantastic hiking! This trip is a great early season adventure for families or anyone who wants to experience the magic of Yosemite National Park without the heavier packs of a backpacking trip. It can also be done as a 4-day or 5-day trip, making it a great addition to a longer visit to California, or a stand-alone trip worth doing on its own.
We ascend the rim that overlooks one of the world’s scenic treasures, Yosemite Valley. It offers a wonderful opportunity to escape the crowds, absorb some of the best views in the Park, sleep under the stars, and check out some of Yosemite’s most amazing waterfalls and peaks. We begin and end in Yosemite Valley, where El Capitan and Half Dome tower over the famous meadows. We’ll tackle the challenging and fulfilling Snow Creek Trail, hike Indian Rock (and Mount Watkins on the 5-day itinerary) while catching expansive views of the entire Yosemite Valley far below us and the incomparable High Sierra all around us! Photo opportunities are plentiful as the trail reveals fantastic views of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Tenaya Canyon, Mount Watkins, and many more of Yosemite’s scenic wonders.
Please Note: Porters transport all camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads…etc.) as well as food. They also set up and break down camp. Guests are responsible for carrying their clothing and personal items.
$1590 Per Person
$1885 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 3
Our difficulty ratings are based on a scale of 1-5, tours with a rating of 1 being least difficult, tours with a rating of 5 being most difficult
- Backpack Weight:
- 15-20 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 4.5-9 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 3145 feet
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 3145 feet
- Quality of Trails:
- Well maintained with some off-trail hiking
- Additional:
- Ascent and descent from/to Yosemite Valley on well-maintained rocky, moderately steep, south-facing switchbacks. Middle section traverses granite slabs and rocky sections broken up with sections of forest covered, dirt and duff trail.
Participants should:
- be active and healthy
- exercise several times per week
- be comfortable hiking 8-10 miles per day in hilly or mountainous terrain with a 10-pound backpack
SOLITUDE LEVEL 2
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Yosemite hiking trip a solitude 2. You can expect as much as an hour of solitude at a time.
Learn More about our Rating SystemTRAVEL TO YOSEMITE VALLEY BACKPACKERS CAMP
This trip meets in Yosemite Valley in the parking lot of Curry Village near the bear boxes at shuttle stop 14 at 6PM on Day 1. Your guide will contact you approximately 10 days before your trip to coordinate this rendezvous and answer any last minute questions you have. Your guide will be waiting for you in a Wildland Trekking hat and shirt. This trip includes dinner and camping that night at the backpackers camp. Personal vehicles can remain parked at Curry Village during your trip.
Most of our guests rent vehicles or drive their own to Yosemite Valley. However, you can also travel to and from Yosemite National Park using train and bus options from much of California:
From Fresno: Yosemite Area Rapid Transit (YARTS) is offering 4 bus rides each direction from Fresno to Yosemite Valley. To reach the Yosemite Valley Backpackers Camp get off at Curry Village and either walk or take a national park shuttle to North Pines Campground. Walk to the back of the campground and across the footbridge to the camp.
From Other California Cities: by rail on the Amtrak San Joaquin Train to the city of Merced (serviced by most large cities in California) or by Amtrak “Thruway” Bus Service from Merced to Yosemite Valley. To book your trip, use Amtrak’s Online Reservation Service to book round-trip Amtrak travel to “YOS” (Yosemite Valley).
California does not charge sales tax on services, so there is no sales tax for this trip.
All trips in Yosemite National Park have a 5% fee required by the National Park Service. This fee is applied when your reservation is made and is passed through directly to the national park.
There are no other taxes or fees associated with this trip. Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions!
Private Trips
Traveling in perfect company is a wonderful thing! With our private trip offerings you can book a trip exclusively for your group. Whether it’s with family, friends or colleagues, private trips are a fun and enriching way to explore the outdoors.
Private trip pricing is based on a sliding scale, depending on the number of people in your party. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax and national park fees (where applicable) or guide gratuity. Give us a call at 800-715-HIKE to get the ball rolling!
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2
- 3 People: Rate x 1.3
- 4 People: Rate x 1.1
- 5+ People: Rate x 1
*all rates are per person
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