Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail

Coastal bluffs along the Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail

6.8 miles round trip, 200 feet elevation gain

Difficulty: Easy

Access: Paved road to trailhead, no entrance fee, weekend and holiday access only

The Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail is an easy, flat hike along scenic coastal bluffs south of Half Moon Bay on the Pacific coast of California's San Francisco Peninsula. This pretty hike- which is sandwiched between the coast and San Mateo County farmland the entire way- is well-graded for the most part and has not yet become overrun with visitors, making it a wonderful spot to enjoy a gentle seaside stroll without dealing with the crowds that overrun most of the beaches in nearby Half Moon Bay. The trail can be accessed by two trailheads at either end of the trail; I'll describe a round trip hike from the southern trailhead along the coast to Cowell Ranch Beach, at the northern end of the trail. The hike can be shortened to just 3.5 miles for hikers who are able to arrange cars at both trailheads. Currently, the Cowell Purisima Trail is only open on weekends and holidays, due to limited funding for the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), which helped acquire, preserve, and manage this property.

Although unpaved, the trail has a good gravel surface and is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers except for the descent into Purisima Creek's canyon, about a mile north of the southern end of the trail. Visitors wanting to stick to the gentler, accessible stretches of the trail should hike the trail from the northern end, as the best views of the hike come north of Purisima Creek. The trail was quite buggy when we visited in late summer but that might be less of an issue during colder months. POST provides a useful map of the hike.

I hiked the Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail with Anna on a roasting, hot Labor Day weekend when California was engulfed in wildfire smoke and temperatures in the Bay Area were topping 105 degrees. The only respite was the coast- but knowing that everyone else would have the same idea, I knew we had to choose some place more quiet. From Half Moon Bay, follow California Highway 1 south for 5 miles and then turn right (west) into a parking lot for the Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail. There is no explicit signage directly along Highway 1 but there is a large sign for the trail at the entrance of the parking area. The gate for the parking lot is only open from 8 AM to sunset on weekends and holidays, until POST is able to negotiate with San Mateo County Parks to have the area opened to the public daily. There is a vault toilet and room for about 20 cars and I found a spot without trouble on an afternoon on Labor Day weekend (the northern trailhead, which is closer to Cowell Ranch Beach, is much more crowded).

From the trailhead, the Cowell Purisima Trail- a wide gravel path- headed west through farmland towards the coast. The fields on each side were cordoned off from the trail by barbed wire fence. After 0.3 miles and a very slight downhill grade, we reached the trail running along the bluffs along the coast. The trail to the right headed north towards Cowell Ranch Beach, while the trail to the left led out to a viewpoint of the coast. We followed the trail to the left first, following it a fifth of a mile to a viewpoint at the southern end of the trail before we headed north towards Cowell Ranch Beach. The viewpoint had a bench and sweeping views towards the north of the yellow bluffs that defined the California Coast here. Montara Mountain rose to the north and the Pillar Point golf ball- a large, round Air Force tracking station north of Half Moon Bay- was visible as well. Empty beaches stretched along the base of the bluffs, beaches that are off limits to protect harbor seals that haul ashore here. Eel Rock, a popular spot for harbor seals and seabirds, lay just offshore.

View from southern viewpoint

We had company from a few other visitors near the southern viewpoint but once we returned to the junction and started our trip north along the coast on the Cowell Purisima Trail, we largely had the trail and the landscape to ourselves. The trail covered 0.7 miles between the southern junction by the coast and the descent into Purisima Creek Canyon. This stretch of trail (like the rest of the trail) was sandwiched between the coast and farmland, although brush on the coastal side of the trail largely precluded views. At a few spots, we were able to capture glimpses of Eel Rock and the coastal bluffs, although signs warning of unstable cliff edges kept us off social paths leading to presumably nicer views.

At one mile from the trailhead, the trail dropped into Purisima Creek's small canyon, the only stretch of notable elevation gain and loss on the hike. The lusher vegetation of the canyon was a welcome change from the arid surroundings in late summer. The trail crossed high over Purisima Creek on a well-built bridge and then ascended up the other side of the canyon via switchbacks. Although slightly narrower here, the trail remained smooth and the grade was gentle despite being a bit too steep to be wheelchair or stroller accessible.

Canyon of Purisima Creek

Climbing out the north side of the canyon, we returned to the wide gravel path and flat hiking along the coastal bluffs. The farmland next to us grew brussel sprouts and pumpkins; the stems of the harvested brussel sprouts had a distinctly alien look. Interpretive signage along the trail indicated that Italian immigrants to the area brought artichoke, pumpkin, and brussel sprout farming to the coastal areas of San Mateo and Santa Clara County, which are now responsible for much of America's brussel sprout production.

Brussel sprout fields north of Purisima Creek

Views along the coast also opened up along this stretch of trail: the brush on the ocean side of the trail was less overgrown and provided better views. We had occasional views of the many small islands off the coast.

Coastal views north of Purisima Creek

The trail was particularly idyllic and enjoyable here, wandering between the ocean and the farmland towards Montara Mountain in the north with almost no elevation gain. We spotted hawks flying overhead, numerous seabirds on the rocks offshore, lizards catching sun in the grass, and rabbits bounding in and out of the pumpkins fields.

Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail winding between farmland and the ocean

The trail crossed two more creek canyons en route to Cowell Ranch Beach, but each of these times rather than descending into the canyons the trail utilized impressively well-built truss arch bridges. The southerly bridge of the two had a span over 170 feet- some extremely impressive engineering for a hiking trail! While we enjoyed having the trail largely to ourselves (we saw less than 15 other hikes over 3 hours while hiking in between the southern and northern access points for the trail), it seemed a shame that such a well-maintained path for which so many resources had been dedicated wasn't visited more frequently or even open to the public on weekdays.

Truss arch bridge along the trail

The best view of the hike came about 200 meters past the first truss arch bridge. Although signs here did indicate that cliff edges were unstable, we followed a spur trail branching off to the left that led out to a protruding bluff overlooking Seal Rock, another large rock along the coast. From this point, there were gorgeous views up and down the coast: to the south, we could see the bluffs forming the stretch of coast that we had just hiked along, with the San Francisco Peninsula's coast reaching farther to the south beyond that below the hills near Pescadero and La Honda. To the north, Seal Beach lay below us and stretched to the rocky headland that rises above Cowell Ranch Beach. Beyond that we could see the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay, the big golf ball of Pillar Point, and Montara Mountain rising above it all.

View south along the coast from near Seal Rock

This was the best view of the hike, but we chose to continue all the way to the overlook at Cowell Ranch Beach. The headland above the beach soon came into view, although the trail took a convoluted path to reach it, crossing another truss arch bridge and winding around the head of another small canyon before joining up with the wide gravel path that led out to Cowell Ranch Beach from the northern trailhead, 3.1 miles from the trailhead. Along the way, we spotted a majestic hawk perched on a fence post near the trail.

Hawk on the fence along the trail

Turning left at the junction with the Cowell Beach Ranch Trail, we quickly arrived at the top of a flight of stairs that led down to Cowell Ranch Beach. We had a view of the beach from the top of the stairs: a swath of sand at the base of yellow cliffs, washed gently by the waves of Pacific. We chose to walk out to the end of the headland rather than going down to the beach itself as there were a good number of visitors on the beach and we wanted to avoid crowds during the pandemic. If you chose to visit the beach, it will add a fifth of a mile and 100 feet of elevation gain to the hike.

Cowell Ranch Beach and Montara Mountain

This end of the hike was a bit crowded, so we didn't stick around too long, choosing to head back and enjoy the views along the trail without too many crowds. We fought off the bugs en route to the southern trailhead and enjoyed a sunset made dramatic by wildfire haze at the southern junction along the coast before we returned to our car.

Sunset from the Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail

While not the most spectacular stretch of the California coast, the Cowell Purisima Coastal Trail provides uncrowded access to a flat and enjoyable hike along oceanside bluffs close to Half Moon Bay and the population centers of the San Francisco Bay Area. Locals who come here will be surprised they can find wildlife and ocean views with few other hikers so close to the city.

Mount Tallac

Gilmore Lake and Lake Aloha with Pyramid, Agassiz, and Price viewed from Mount Tallac

10.5 miles round trip, 3300 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate-strenuous
Access: Paved road to trailhead, no entrance fee required

Mount Tallac is a high summit that delivers outstanding views of both California's Lake Tahoe and the granite alpine landscape of the Sierra Nevada in the Desolation Wilderness. One of the classic hikes in the Sierra Nevada, this well-loved ascent is an enjoyable journey past numerous lakes through alpine meadows to this high summit and its sweeping views. Yes, the hike is popular, but don't let that dissuade you: these views are worth putting up with crowds on the trail. The hike packs in plenty of elevation gain but paces out the ascent fairly well, making it a reasonable hike at these stats- still, infrequent hikers should not underestimate this uphill challenge!

I hiked Mount Tallac with Anna during a Labor Day weekend trip to Lake Tahoe. From South Lake Tahoe, we reached the trailhead by taking Highway 89 north for 4 miles from the junction with US 50 along the lake's southwest side until coming to the Mount Tallac Road, where we turned left. This turnoff was signed for Camp Shelly and Camp Concord and was right across from the Baldwin Beach Road; there is no sign that explicitly indicates that this leads to the trailhead for Mount Tallac. We drove this road to its end at the trailhead, ignoring the branching roads leading to the camps. Over Labor Day weekend, the lot was full and cars were lined up for a distance along the road away from the actual start of the trail. A self-serve permit for the Desolation Wilderness is required for day hikes: we picked one up and filled it out at the trailhead.

Departing from the trailhead, the Mount Tallac Trail began to climb at a moderate grade through a pine forest with copious manzanita in the understory. After 2/3 of a mile, the trail broke out onto an open chaparral ridge. From here, we had our first views of the hike: Mount Tallac, the great rock pyramid that was our destination for the day, rose above us while long Fallen Leaf Lake filled the valley below us. The next half mile followed this minor ridge with just a gentle ascent, delivering constant beautiful views of Fallen Leaf Lake and the peaks to the west- Monument, Freel, Jobs Sister- that later opened up to include the gem-like blue waters of Lake Tahoe itself to the north.

Mount Tallac

Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe

At 1.2 miles, the trail returned to the forest and then made a moderate ascent to reach the eastern shores of Floating Island Lake at 1.7 miles from the trailhead. Floating Island Lake- really just a shallow pond- was small and ringed by trees, with Mount Tallac blocked by the trees on the west shore of the lake.

Floating Island Lake

Leaving Floating Island Lake, we began a steady ascent through forested slopes punctuated by occasional chaparral clearings. At 2.4 miles we passed a junction with a trail joining from Fallen Leaf Lake and at 2.5 miles from the trailhead we came to the shores of Cathedral Lake, a small, placid lake at the foot of a talus slope.

Cathedral Lake

After passing Cathedral Lake, the trail became substantially steeper as it began a switchback ascent up a rocky, chaparral-covered slope. At this point, views began opening up again, soon encompassing much of Lake Tahoe to the north. Fallen Leaf Lake was also partially visible below.

Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake from the trail above Cathedral Lake

At 3.1 miles, we exited another wooded stretch into the bottom of a large talus basin. A lone, impressive pine stood at the bottom of this bowl, apparently missing the memo that the terrain and exposure should be too much to support such a large tree standing so erect. Past the pine, the trail began ascending up the sides of the bowl. The trail was unpleasantly rocky as it switchbacked up the large talus slope; the route was not too steep but still maintained a steady uphill grade, picking up 500 feet of elevation gain to reach the top of the basin.

Talus bowl above Cathedral Lake

At 3.7 miles, the trail emerged atop the talus bowl, reaching the top of Mount Tallac's south ridge. Incredible views opened up to the south and west: the Sierra Nevada stretching south to Round Top near Carson Pass was laid out before us, with the granite peaks of the Desolation Wilderness now visible to the west.

The trail reentered sparsely wooded terrain as it continued to climb constantly, now heading north towards Mount Tallac's summit. The trees became ever-sparser the higher that we climbed: the open slopes on this side of Tallac were covered in beautiful grassy meadows, some of which still had smatterings of blooming wildflowers even around Labor Day. 

Meadows on Tallac, Mokelumne Wilderness Peaks in the distance

Views to the west of Desolation Wilderness only got better the higher that we ascended. Soon, Gilmore and Susie Lake were visible in the forest near the foot of Mount Tallac, while we just managed to glimpse the waters of Lake Aloha filling the granite basin at the base of the high ridgeline of Pyramid Peak, Mount Agassiz, and Mount Price.

Meadows on Tallac with Pyramid Peak and Mount Agassiz in the distance

The open alpine slopes on the high reaches of Mount Tallac were one of the joys of hiking. Windswept trees and broad, wildflower-dotted meadows served as a foreground to sweeping mountain views. At 4.9 miles from the trailhead, we passed a final trail junction with an alternate ascent route from Gilmore Lake and the Glen Alpine Trailhead. The trail turned right at the foot of the rocky summit here and then returned to the south ridge, opening up incredible views of Lake Tahoe. The final couple hundred yards followed the ridgeline to the summit, which was packed with hikers enjoying their lunches and the view.

Wildflowers on Tallac

What a view it was! All of Lake Tahoe was laid out before us. The largest alpine lake in the United States and the second deepest lake in the country, the lake's waters are notably blue and clear. The development along the south shore of the lake was visible- both the sprawl of South Lake Tahoe and the stateline with Nevada, delineated by the appearance of high-rise casinos. Freel Peak, the highest peak above the Lake Tahoe Basin, rose to the south of the lake. Fallen Leaf Lake filled a long valley to the east. Looking east across the lower peaks of the Carson Range, we could see out to the mountain ranges of Nevada's Great Basin (Lake Tahoe itself is technically part of the Great Basin watershed, as it drains via the Truckee River to endorheic Pyramid Lake in Nevada).

Mount Freel rising over South Lake Tahoe

The beautiful blue gem that is Lake Tahoe stretched out to the north, bound by the Sierra Nevada on the left and the Carson Range on the right, with Mount Rose rising high over the lake's north shore. Closer in, granite Sierra peaks rose over Cascade Lake and Emerald Bay, a pretty arm of Lake Tahoe. The view to the north and west encompassed the beautiful Desolation Wilderness with its many snowcapped peaks and lakes. 

Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay, and Cascade Lake from the summit of Mount Tallac

View into the Desolation Wilderness

Mount Tallac is a classic hike for understandable reasons: there's much to enjoy along the trail itself and the views from the summit are incredible. If you don't mind the crowds (which exist but aren't overwhelming- this is a hike with 3300 feet of elevation gain ending at nearly 10000 feet after all!), Mount Tallac is an extremely rewarding hike and highly recommended for visitors to the Tahoe region.

Clouds Rest

Clouds Rest rises over Yosemite Valley

13 miles round trip, 2800 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate-strenuous

Access: Paved road to trailhead, Yosemite National Park entrance fee required

Clouds Rest is a massive mountain of granite rising to nearly 10000 feet in the heart of California's Yosemite National Park and provides the sweeping views that one would expect from a peak of its height at this location. A fairly lengthy day hike to this summit peaks with an airy walk along an open granite ridge that delivers a rare combination of Yosemite Valley views with far-reaching High Sierra views. Although a popular destination, Clouds Rest is still far less sought after than Half Dome and the hike to its summit is quieter than the trails in Yosemite Valley. That's a shame, as the views from Clouds Rest are arguably grander than those from its more famous neighbor. The trail to this summit is a bit long but the hike as a whole is not terribly difficult; the ridgewalk at the end may bother acrophobes but this ain't Angels Landing. If you're looking for a fairly challenging hike to the top of a well-known Yosemite landmark with some of the best views in the park, Clouds Rest is the hike for you.

I hiked Clouds Rest during an August visit to Yosemite National Park. The trailhead is near Tenaya Lake along Tioga Road; from Yosemite Valley, one can reach the trailhead by following CA Highway 140 west and then turning onto Big Oak Flat Road to head towards Highway 120. At the junction with Tioga Road at Crane Flat, turn right and follow Tioga Road 31 miles to the Sunrise Trailhead on the right (south) side of the road; this lot is small and usually fills up early each morning but there is plenty of parking along the road here as well.

I followed the boardwalk leaving the trailhead, which put me on the trail towards Sunrise Lakes and Clouds Rest. Signs along the trail indicate that this hike is perhaps as long as 15 miles round trip, but it is closer in distance to 13 miles. A number of trails branched off from the trail in its opening stretch, all of which I ignored until reaching Tenaya Creek about a sixth of a mile into the hike. The trail crosses Tenaya Creek, a crossing aided by a series of well-placed rocks for rockhopping. This crossing may be difficult earlier in the year when there is heavy snowmelt, but during my August visit there was no water in Tenaya Creek. After crossing the creekbed, I came to a trail junction: the left fork led along the eastern lakeshore of Tenaya Lake, while the right fork continued towards Sunrise Lakes and Clouds Rest. Before continuing to Clouds Rest, I turned left and took a 0.1 mile detour to the shoreline of Tenaya Lake. The trail led to a quiet beach where I enjoyed views of rounded Stately Pleasure Dome reflected in the lake's calm morning waters.

Tenaya Lake

Rejoining the trail to Clouds Rest, I followed the wide and flat trail through the forest as it paralleled the dry creekbed of Tenaya Creek. At the right time of year, this stretch of trail is probably quite scenic, with the creek flowing through green meadows, but the scene was a bit sad with the creekbed entirely dried out.

Dried creekbed of Tenaya Creek

The trail soon left the creek and passed through forest interspersed with areas of open granite. At three-quarters of a mile from the trailhead, a granite outcrop to the right of the trail provided my first view of my destination for the day: 9931-foot Clouds Rest.

Clouds Rest

Leaving the outcrop, the trail descended slightly into a forested basin. Over the next 0.7 miles, the trail crossed three streams (or in my case, three dry streambeds) while staying fairly flat; after the third stream crossing, the trail began one of the two main ascents of the hike. The trail started climbing up a ridge rising above Tenaya Canyon. The open granite interspersed with forest on this ridge was quite pretty and made the ascent a bit more bearable.

Granite ridge near Sunrise Lakes

The trail was very rocky here, seemingly intentionally. Early trailbuilding in the park seemed to promote the construction of stone staircases. While this may have made hiking easier at some point in the past, erosive forces of the past century have turned the trail into uneven jumbles of rock that can be unpleasant to hike on. As I pushed uphill along this ascent- which covered about 1000 feet of elevation gain in one mile- I found that I really didn't like hiking on this type of surface. Luckily, views of Mount Hoffman and Tuolumne Peak to the north had opened up, making the ascent more enjoyable.

Mount Hoffman and Tuolumne Peak

At the top of the climb, I came to the junction with the trail to Sunrise Lakes in a sadddle, 2.5 miles from the trailhead. The Sunrise Lakes option split off to the left so I took the right fork, which started descending down the other side of the saddle, dropping about 400 feet to a basin at the base of Sunrise Mountain. Here, the trail undulated through rolling terrain as it passed through areas of scree, meadows, and forest. While much of the vegetation in the park had turned yellow by August, I found the meadows and forest here still fairly green, which greatly increased my enjoyment of the hike.

Forest and meadows below Sunrise Mountain

A boulder field along the trail here provided nice views of nearby Sunrise Mountain rising above the basin. Sunrise Mountain was a fin of granite, much like Clouds Rest: the two mountains seemed to share many common features.

Sunrise Mountain

About a mile after leaving the Sunrise Lakes junction, the trail passed a pretty pond on the west side of the trail. The pond was lined with trees and with pretty meadows dotted with blooming magenta paintbrush.

Pond on Sunrise Mountain

Magenta Paintbrush

Past the pond, the trail stayed fairly level for 0.4 miles to a creek crossing. After crossing the creek, the trail began a steady ascent through forest, which thinned out to majestic pines as I reached a trail junction 4.5 miles from the trailhead. The left fork led down to the John Muir Trail and Yosemite Valley, while the right fork continued ascending towards Clouds Rest.

This extended ascent- which really started at the creek- continued to the summit of Clouds Rest. Like the ascent earlier in the hike, it covers about 1000 feet of elevation gain, although its much more enjoyable than the previous climb as its spread out over 2 miles, the trail tread is much nicer, and the views are far better. The trail climbed steeply coming out of the previous junction to reach the ridgeline of Clouds Rest, featuring some nice views of Mount Starr King, the Clark Range, and the backside of Clouds Rest along the way.

Clouds Rest

Once on the ridge, the trail flattened out for a couple hundred meters, traveling through a sparse forest of stately pines. Arriving at the base of Clouds Rest's summit fin, I began the final ascent, climbing steeply uphill along the ridge until the forest faded out and the ridge became exposed granite.

Ridgeline of Clouds Rest

I followed the trail onto the exposed granite, finally reaching the expansive views that the hike had promised. Granite dome after granite dome rose to the north, rising above Tenaya Lake and culminating in the jagged ridges and vertical walls of the Sierra Crest. Below me to the northwest was the gaping chasm of Tenaya Canyon, over a mile deep.

The last stretch of trail followed the open granite ridge of Clouds Rest to the summit. There is a little bit of exposure here, but the ridge is always reasonably wide. It's easily walkable although some hikers may feel a bit more secure scrambling. This ridge walk has been described as a "knife edge" in some hike reviews; I think that's a bit of a stretch. I felt safe throughout this entire part of the ascent; acrophobes may have a bit of trouble but as long as you watch your step and don't do anything crazy this isn't particularly hazardous. If you've attempted Angels Landing in Zion or Katahdin's Knife Edge this particular stretch will seem like a breeze.

Tenaya Lake and Mount Conness from the ridge of Clouds Rest

And just like that, I found myself at the very top of Clouds Rest, with a view of more or less all of Yosemite National Park. Tenaya Canyon lay directly below me, with the broad granite wall of Mount Watkins directly across the canyon. Mount Hoffman and Mount Tuolumne rose over the nearby high country.

Tenaya Canyon

Tenaya Canyon emptied out into Yosemite Valley. Many of the major valley features- Cathedral Rocks, El Capitan, North Dome, Sentinel Dome, and Half Dome- were visible from Clouds Rest. The view of Half Dome was particularly remarkable: here was a view of the backside of that iconic granite dome. This view in profile hid the dramatic northwest face but helped show that the southeast face is nearly as steep! Looking closely at the northeast aspect of Half Dome, we spotted the cables that Half Dome hikers use to reach the summit.

Half Dome, Sentinel Dome, and North Dome rise over Yosemite Valley

I turned around for a view that was just as, if not more impressive: the great peaks of the High Sierra laid out on the horizon. Below to the east, the Merced River flowed through a granite canyon, pausing at Merced Lake along its descent. To the southeast was the Clark Range: sharp Mount Clark was accompanied by the descriptively named Gray and Red Peaks. Mount Lyell- the park's highest peak- was joined by Mount Maclure, Mount Florence, Electra Peak, and Foerster Peak above the Merced watershed. Further north, Mounts Dana and Gibbs rose behind Cathedral Peak, Unicorn Peak, and the other sharp granite spires of the Cathedral Range. Mount Conness and Matterhorn Peak marked the skyline to the north.

Mount Lyell and the Clark Range rise over the Merced River drainage

Cathedral Range and Mount Dana

The view was extraordinary, encompassing both of the beloved regions of the park. There were quite a few other hikers sharing the view with me, although the spaciousness of the summit prevented it from feeling crowded. This is an understandably popular hike. However, despite being well-loved, this trail is still less crowded than those in Yosemite Valley- and for hikers who want to avoid the red tape, the cables, or the crowds of Half Dome, this is a good alternate hike. Even if you aren't considering Half Dome, this is an enjoyable hike to a grand viewpoint and a chance to summit one of Yosemite's iconic features.

Vogelsang

Fletcher Creek flows by the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp

18 miles round trip, 2200 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Moderate-strenuous
Access: Paved road to trailhead, Yosemite National Park entrance fee required

Vogelsang- a word that means "bird song" in German- is a name given to a peak, a pass, a lake, and a High Sierra camp in California's Yosemite National Park. It is an appropriately idyllic name for this High Sierra landscape of meadows, stream, and lakes tucked under gleaming granite peaks in the heart of the Sierra Nevada's Cathedral Range. This backcountry destination is usually visited by backpackers, as the approach hike is quite long, but I chose to hike here in a day to see the burbling streams at the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, the glistening waters of Vogelsang Lake, and the windswept granite peaks viewed from Vogelsang Pass. Day hikers can shorten this trip by turning around at the High Sierra Camp (15 miles round trip) or at Vogelsang Lake (16.5 miles round trip). While the Vogelsang area is quite pretty, there are other day hikes in the Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite National Park that have better reward to effort ratios than this hike, as an 18-mile day hike can be quite taxing. This is probably a great place to backpack to and is a reasonably satisfying day hike, but visitors to the park with limited time would be better off prioritizing hikes like Clouds Rest or Mount Dana.

I hiked to Vogelsang during an August visit to Yosemite National Park. The hike starts from the John Muir Trailhead near Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, on the eastern edge of the Tuolumne Meadows area along Tioga Road. From Yosemite Valley, one can reach the trailhead by following CA Highway 140 west and then turning onto Big Oak Flat Road to head towards Highway 120. At the junction with Tioga Road at Crane Flat, turn right and follow Tioga Road 40 miles, passing Tuolumne Meadows. As the road begins to climb uphill as it leaves the meadows, turn right onto the turnoff for Wilderness Permits and the John Muir/Pacific Crest Trails. This road passes a meadow and a ranger station before coming to the parking area for the Lyell Canyon/John Muir Trailhead on the left side of the road; park here.

From the parking lot, I crossed the road and followed a connector trail which a large sign indicated was headed for the John Muir Trail, with a list of destinations and their distances enumerated. This trail quickly brought me to a wider dirt path; I turned left on meeting the wider path and followed it east. This trail became less wide as it paralleled the Dana Fork Tuolumne River for the next fifth of a mile. The river flowed through a beautiful landscape of rock and forest, collecting in placid pools before dropping down small rock ledges. At 0.3 miles, I came to a trail junction; the left fork led towards Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, while the right fork crossed a bridge over the Dana Fork Tuolumne to connect with the John Muir Trail. I took the right fork, enjoying nice views of the river as I crossed the bridge. Immediately after crossing the bridge, I passed a junction with a trail on the left that led towards Gaylor Lakes. 

Dana Fork Tuolumne River

The trail passed through forest for a half mile after crossing the Dana Fork bridge. A small initial ascent was offset by a gentle descent that ended at Twin Bridges, two well-built footbridges spanning the Lyell Fork Tuolumne River. The Lyell Fork Tuolumne River was especially scenic here, its clear waters flowing through rocky channels between granite bowls and spilling over exposed granite surfaces. There were nice views upriver here across meadows to Mammoth Peak and Mount Gibbs. The meadows here are shrinking year by year as climate change makes the conditions here more favorable for tree growth: catch these views before they eventually become overgrown.

Lyell Fork Tuolumne River at Twin Bridges

Mammoth Peak rises above the Lyell Fork Tuolumne River

Just beyond Twin Bridges, the trail intersected with the John Muir Trail itself. To the right, the trail led towards Cathedral Lakes and Yosemite Valley; to the left, Vogelsang, Lyell Canyon, and eventually Mount Whitney. I took the left fork. The John Muir Trail undulated through forests and small meadows and over minor granite outcrops for the next 0.7 miles before arriving at the junction for Vogelsang, about 1.6 miles from the trailhead.

Turning right at the junction, I left the John Muir Trail and began the ascent along the trail to Vogelsang. This started a long, nearly 5 mile journey to Tuolumne Pass along Rafferty Creek. The initial half mile of this stretch involved a steeper ascent of about 400 feet, parts of which were along stone staircases that were characteristic of early trail-building efforts in the park.

Stone staircases along the Rafferty Creek Trail

The trail leveled out a half mile after leaving the John Muir Trail. The three miles that followed were the least interesting of the hike. The trail ascended gently through forest, gradually making its way uphill through the valley of Rafferty Creek towards Tuolumne Pass. The forest was not dense, so there were partial views along the way of Mount Dana and Mount Conness to the north and of the nearby granite ridges that formed the valley around Rafferty Creek. This trail is frequented by horses that carry supplies to the High Sierra camps and is frequently rocky or sandy, making it somewhat unpleasant to hike on for extended periods of time. Occasional views also popped out of the dark form of Parsons Peak ahead. In August, the meadows along the trail had all turned brown and Rafferty Creek had dried up completely; perhaps I would have enjoyed this stretch of trail more earlier in the season with more water and greenery. The trail crossed the creekbed of Rafferty Creek twice, although this was not particularly notable when the creek was dry.

Parsons Peak rising over the trail near Rafferty Creek

At five miles from the trailhead, the trail finally began to emerge from the forest as it arrived at a long meadow filling the top of the valley near Tuolumne Pass. The next mile and a half to Tuolumne Pass was along the meadow, which delivered pretty views to the north of Mount Dana, Gaylor Peak, and False White Mountain. 

Tioga Pass peaks from the meadows below Tuolumne Pass

As I ascended further, the core peaks of the Vogelsang area emerged in front of the trail: the dark rock of Parsons Peak and the granite of Fletcher and Vogelsang Peaks. This stretch of the hike was fairly enjoyable as the trail continued to ascend gently until it arrived at Tuolumne Pass at 10000 feet, about 6.5 miles from and 1300 feet above the trailhead. A pond filled a basin near the pass, which had nice views both north and south. Tuolumne Pass is quite flat; you might not even realize that you arrived if it weren't for a trail junction here. The right fork led down to Boothe Lake; I took the left fork, which continued towards the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.

Fletcher and Vogelsang Peaks above the meadows near Tuolumne Pass

Leaving Tuolumne Pass, the trail stayed level as it contoured along slopes above Boothe Lake, which I glimpsed below in the forest. Impressive views of nearby granite peaks and faraway Mount Conness kept this stretch of trail interesting.

Granite landscape above Tuolumne Pass

Continuing onwards, a short uphill brought me to a meadow at the base of Fletcher Peak. At the far end of the meadow, I arrived at the cabins of the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, 7.3 miles from the trailhead. There are five backcountry High Sierra Camps in Yosemite National Park- Vogelsang, Sunrise, May Lake, Glen Aulin, and Merced Lake- which can be combined with the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge to form a six-day loop hike through the high country of the park. Extremely popular, these High Sierra Camps provide lodging in canvas tents and meals, allowing hikers to experience the magnificent Yosemite backcountry in relative luxury and comfort and without having to carry the heavy loads of a typical backpacking trip. Predictably, the camps are extremely popular and are difficult to book. During my visit, the canvas tents had not been set up for the year- all of the camps were closed for the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vogelsang High Sierra Camp at the foot of Fletcher Peak

The camp area itself is not much of a destination in and of itself, but hikers who want a shorter hike can enjoy the nearby scenery at two spots. At the trail junction right in front of the camp, the left fork leads towards Fletcher and Evelyn Lakes while the right fork leads to Emeric and Merced Lakes; the trail straight ahead continues towards Vogelsang Lake. While hikers to Vogelsang Lake and Pass may choose to skip this detour, hikers ending their journey at Vogelsang High Sierra Camp should make the 0.1 mile detour to see Fletcher Lake.

I took the left fork for a brief visit to Fletcher Lake. The trail cut through a meadow; after three minutes, I spotted Fletcher Lake off to the right. A social path led to the lakeshore, where I admired Fletcher Peak towering directly over the lake and Vogelsang Peak's unique profile rising to the south.

Vogelsang Peak rises over Fletcher Lake

Returning to the junction in front of the High Sierra Camp, this time I took the fork towards Vogelsang Pass. The trail passed by the camp and came to Fletcher Creek flowing through a meadow at the base of Vogelsang Peak, a very idyllic mountain scene that was perhaps the most beautiful spot on the hike. If you hike only out to the High Sierra Camp, make sure to come this far- Fletcher Creek is only a hundred meters past the camp- because this spot is what makes the long slog to get here worth it. I sat by the banks of Fletcher Creek (still flowing when almost all other creeks in the park were dry!) and enjoyed seeing its waters plunge into a calm pool in the meadows, its burbles complementing the songs of the birds in the trees in this alpine dream. Vogelsang Peak's glowing granite form rose above it all.

Vogelsang Peak above Fletcher Creek

After enjoying the pretty scenery by Fletcher Creek, I rockhopped across the creek and followed the trail uphill through progressively rockier terrain towards Vogelsang Lake. The trail stayed out in the open, providing nice views back to the north of Mount Conness. To the southwest, I spotted Emeric Lake nestled in a granite basin. As I continued to climb towards Vogelsang Lake, I noticed some oddly familiar granite forms emerging behind Emeric Lake. I quickly realized that I was looking at the backsides of Clouds Rest and Half Dome, with Sentinel Dome just a bit farther in the distance.

Half Dome and Clouds Rest rise above Emeric Lake

About 0.6 miles from the High Sierra Camp, I arrived at Vogelsang Lake, a sparkling alpine lake surrounded by green meadows and shining granite peaks. The trail crossed the outlet and then followed the west shore of the lake briefly, delivering beautiful views.

Vogelsang Lake

The trail then left the lakeshore, beginning a fairly gradual ascent to cover the final 300 feet of elevation gain to Vogelsang Pass. The final mile of the hike to the pass climbed up wide granite benches on the west side of the lake. There were a couple more glimpses of Mount Conness here- the last views of Conness before the return journey- and constant beautiful views over the lake itself, which was dotted with a number of granite islands. 

Vogelsang Lake from Vogelsang Pass

Finally- after a long and tiring journey from Tuolumne Meadows- I arrived at Vogelsang Pass. This pass was a little better defined than the flat Tuolumne Pass earlier, although here, too, the saddle was wide enough to hold a small pond. Mount Florence was visible out the other side of the pass. While it might have been tempting to turn around here, I knew that the best views of the hike were just ahead, so I pushed on for just a bit more.

Mount Florence rises across from Vogelsang Pass

As the trail left the other side of Vogelsang Pass, I found nice views of the Clark Range to the south. A few snowpatches still adorned the northern aspects of the peaks of this range, which included Mount Clark, Gray Peak, Red Peak, and Triple Divide Peak. 

The Clark Range from Vogelsang Pass

I hiked forward just a bit more to a point where the trail made a broad turn to the east. All of a sudden, a sweeping view of the tallest peaks of the Cathedral Range came into view. Barren alpine peaks, many still exhibiting intact moraines that hinted at the region's recent glacial past, filled the eastern skyline. Most dominant of these peaks was Mount Maclure, the lesser sidekick to Mount Lyell, the park's high peak, which was out of view from here. Gallison Lake filled a grassy alpine basin to the east while Bernice Lake was nestled in a rockier basin beneath Mount Florence. The streams draining these lakes flowed through forests and meadows in the valley below, eventually feeding the Merced River.

Gallison and Bernice Lakes below the highest peaks of the Cathedral Range

The mountain views here were very enjoyable; I sat on an exfoliating layer of granite nearby and ate my lunch while admiring these mountains. Vogelsang Pass is the highest point along the High Sierra Camp loop; my intention in doing this hike initially was to enjoy the best of that loop in a day hike. After soaking in the views for a while, I retraced my steps to the trailhead. The return down Rafferty Creek was long and became quite tedious.

In a normal year, this part of the park, though a bit remote, would see plenty of hikers journeying through the High Sierra camps. I'm sure that the timing of my visit- during a period of limited visitor entrance due to Covid-19 restrictions on Yosemite National Park- made my hike much more quiet than it usually would be. I didn't run into too many hikers along this trail and saw especially few people after leaving the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp for Vogelsang Pass. There were few day hikers in the Vogelsang area- almost everyone else had backpacked out.

This was a scenic hike, but it was also a very long hike that was a bit of a slog at times, especially during a three-mile stretch of trail along Rafferty Creek that was dusty and rocky and not particularly pretty. The destinations at the end of the hike- Fletcher Lake, the spot along Fletcher Creek at the High Sierra Camp, Vogelsang Lake, and Vogelsang Pass- were all beautiful, but there are many other hikes in the park that deliver alpine lakes or views from high peaks with less of an investment of time and effort. It's worth hiking out here, but most visitors should check out other nearby hikes like Cathedral Lakes, Gaylor Lakes, Clouds Rest, and Mount Dana instead for classic High Sierra scenery without having to go through a day hike of this length.