4-Day Half Dome Backpacking Adventure
Overview
As the calendar is confusing, our 2022 dates are:
6/10 - 6/13
7/4 - 7/7
7/5 - 7/8
8/8 - 8/11
8/20 - 8/23
8/23 - 8/26
9/3 - 9/6
9/9 - 9/12
9/17 - 9/20
9/19 - 9/22
9/24 - 9/27
9/28 - 10/1
Inclusions
- 2x Breakfast
- 2x Dinner
- 2x Lunch
- Accommodation included: 3 nights
- Entry/Admission - Half Dome
What to expect
Day 1: Meeting Day
Stop At: Yosemite Valley, 9035 Village Dr, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389-9912
Meet your guide in Half Dome Village at 3:00 PM. Get acquainted with the group and with gear. If time allows before dinner, visit some of the Valley’s walkable destinations. Grab dinner at one of park’s numerous restaurants. (Food is not provided while in the front-country.) End the day by camping in the Yosemite Valley Backpacker’s Camp.
Duration: 9 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at the Yosemite Valley Backpackers Campground
Day 2: Happy Isles -OR- Sunrise Lakes
Stop At: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park, California
Set out via the Happy Isles trailhead for a 4-mile hike up the Mist Trail. Soak in the rainbows and scenery as you hike past the pluming basin of Vernal Fall, where you’ll experience the trail’s namesake up close and personal (note: you will get wet!) Continue hiking to the top of Nevada Fall, with a breathtaking view of Yosemite Valley, before hiking the remaining mile to your campsite at Little Yosemite Valley. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 4.5 mi / -300′, +2, 440′
-OR-
Catch your first glimpse of the high country while refreshing yourself in the stunning waters of Tenaya Lake (8, 150′). After a 4.2-mile hike up the Sunrise Trail with portions of strenuous uphill, you’ll be rewarded with jaw-dropping views of Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon, and one of our favorite campsites in Yosemite on the shore of Sunrise Lake (9, 166′)! Enjoy the sunset while playing and fishing in one of our guides’ favorite high country destinations. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 4.2 mi / +1, 616′, -, 500′
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Little Yosemite Valley -OR- Sunrise Lakes
Day 3: Little Yosemite Valley -OR- Sunrise Creek
Stop At: Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park, California
Wake at a leisurely hour and enjoy a restful day of relaxing and exploring the Merced River Canyon. You pick the itinerary this morning. Sunbathing, hiking, fishing, and birding are all fair game, or set out for a mini-adventure before communing at camp for lunch and preparing for your Half Dome ascent! Today’s Mileage/Elevation (not including Half Dome): Varies
-OR-
After a hearty breakfast hike approximately 3.5 miles to the summit of Clouds Rest at 9, 926′. Enjoy lunch at the top while soaking in panoramic views of Yosemite’s wilderness. From the summit, hike down 5 miles to Sunrise Creek for the final night of camping. Today’s Mileage/Elevation: 7.3 mi / +800′, -2, 800′
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Little Yosemite Valley -OR- Sunrise Creek
Day 4: Half Dome
Stop At: Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, CA
Half Dome
Half Dome will be completed either in the afternoon on Day 3 to catch the sunset, or the following morning with an alpine start to catch the sunrise. This is a strenuous uphill of 3.5 miles to the summit at 8, 836′. Roundtrip mileage: 7.0
Day 4
We will descend to the Yosemite Valley Floor (4, 000′) via the Mist Trail which parallels the Merced River and both Nevada and Vernal Falls. Total mileage: 4.5
Typically, our goal is to finish between 2-4 PM.
Duration: 14 hours
Meals included:
•
No accommodation included on this day.
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
My wife and I visited Yosemite earlier in the year and wanted to return for a more extensive hiking trip. We were lucky to have Matt assigned as our guide. He took care of the all the details both big and small. It was evident that Matt had the necessary experience to guide a group of (mostly) 1s...
My wife and I visited Yosemite earlier in the year and wanted to return for a more extensive hiking trip. We were lucky to have Matt assigned as our guide. He took care of the all the details both big and small. It was evident that Matt had the necessary experience to guide a group of (mostly) 1st time backpackers through Yosemite. He put together delicious meals using a simple camping stove and shared his knowledge and love of all things Yosemite. The first day hike was picturesque along the Illilouette Creek. Our hike the next day culminated at Half Dome at sunset. These views were spectacular. We camped overnight in Little Yosemite Valley and hiked down the Mist Trail back to Yosemite Valley the following day. I highly recommend Lasting Adventures - they take care of all of the details and provide gear that would otherwise be a big investment for 1st time backpackers. The Half Dome hike is physically challenging but well worth the effort to see all that Yosemite has to offer.The trip was amazing and I would definitely recommend it. Our guide, Matt, was fun, qualified and very thoughtful. It was just hard enough to feel like a real accomplishment. I'm planning on doing another trip with them.
The trip was amazing and I would definitely recommend it. Our guide, Matt, was fun, qualified and very thoughtful. It was just hard enough to feel like a real accomplishment. I'm planning on doing another trip with them.We completed this hike with our boys (aged 9 3/4 years) in early October. Our guides Trey and Alice were absolutely fantastic - generous and kind - encouraging us every step (up & down) of the way and they planned really well to accommodate our food requests! Warning - The nights were very cold (...
We completed this hike with our boys (aged 9 3/4 years) in early October. Our guides Trey and Alice were absolutely fantastic - generous and kind - encouraging us every step (up & down) of the way and they planned really well to accommodate our food requests! Warning - The nights were very cold (the sleeping bags could have been warmer) and the days were hot - carrying very large heavy packs with all the group food and camping gear on your backs. This was a challenging trip - the Half Dome climb was harder than we imagined.. but we ALL did it!! Thanks to the encouragement and instruction from our guides (wise beyond their years) and the support from our other group members and each other. It was such a brilliant challenge for us all especially our boys and the magnificent landscape is worth the sweat and tears. Thank you for the special final night dinner - on top of the world.What a great experience in every respect. This was my first real backpacking experience and it turned out really be a lasting adventure. Everything was handled in an excellent way from start to end. The weather forecast turned bad a week before my trip and I could easily reschedule to go a week l...
What a great experience in every respect. This was my first real backpacking experience and it turned out really be a lasting adventure. Everything was handled in an excellent way from start to end. The weather forecast turned bad a week before my trip and I could easily reschedule to go a week later, and I'm glad I did. Our guides Trey and Alice were super nice, cooked us amazing food and were always upbeat and great to talk to. Half-dome was quite scary on the way up but boy was it worth it to overcome the fear and exhaustion. It's definitely a challenge mentally and physically. What I didn't know was that Lasting Adventures is actually a non-profit which I think makes the whole thing even cooler. What an amazing org. Anyway, strong recommend, but do train lower AND upper body strength and endurance, it's a looot of walking, many steps, and the ropes require a lot of pulling up.Highly recommend Lasting Adventures. Their equipment was high quality, providing us everything we needed (included in the price). We had two highly experienced guides who kept us safe, well fed, and as comfortable as possible during this 3 1/2 day trip. They were both highly knowledgeable abou...
Highly recommend Lasting Adventures. Their equipment was high quality, providing us everything we needed (included in the price). We had two highly experienced guides who kept us safe, well fed, and as comfortable as possible during this 3 1/2 day trip. They were both highly knowledgeable about Yosemite, and provided excellent context around the park's history, its wildlife, trees, and plants. Our group of 5 consisted of family and friends, all adults. We did this backpacking trip at the perfect time of year, when the weather was sunny and moderately warm by day, and a chilly at night. This was a lifetime experience. This outfitting / guide company donates all its profits to a foundation that enables underprivileged youth to experience the beauty of the outdoors, making them unique and well deserving of your business. A word of advice: pay close attention to their information and pre-registration guidance. This was some challenging backpacking with a 40-45 pack carrying all your gear and supplies up and down some steep trails. Condition yourself well in advance as their guidance suggests. If you have any doubt whether you're health and fitness is suited for this trek, call them to discuss. Also, travel insurance with a medical rider is highly recommended just in case, as you are truly in backcountry where the only way out in a medical emergency is by helicopter. Not expensive to obtain. An incredible experience.Incredible journey and they take care of you making sure you enjoy. Just the right amount of backpacking. Amazing food! They really respect the land and teach you the right way to backpack!
Incredible journey and they take care of you making sure you enjoy. Just the right amount of backpacking. Amazing food! They really respect the land and teach you the right way to backpack!