Follow this, leaving the John Muir Trail, which continues to the right. There are over 800 miles of Yosemite hikes in the park, and theres something for everyone. After a little bit of hiking, you'll pass a trailhead for Clouds Rest Trail on your left. Take the right fork which follows the John Muir Trail towards Clouds Rest. Absolutely crazy wonderful hike You go through various terrains and underground footing from dirt to rocky boulders to sand. The next important intersection is the fork between the Half Dome and the Clouds Rest Trail.

At the end of Little Yosemite Valley, turn left as the trail start climbing up the hillside. This is where the two trails meet again.Ĭontinue hiking as the trail gets flatter and reaches Little Yosemite Valley. At the top of Nevada Falls, there is a restroom. If you pick the Mist Trail (open only in summer), you pass very close to Vernal Falls and get a great up close view of Nevada Falls as well. Both trails merge later at the top of Nevada Falls. Shortly, you'll come to a fork and have to pick between the Mist Trail and the John Muir Trail. The hike to Clouds Rest in Yosemite National Park is a fun day out and leads to one of the best viewpoints in all of Yosemite. Hike to the first bridge and then continue on JMT: Segment 1 - Happy Isles to Tuolumne Meadows. Start the route at Happy Isles, past the river from the bus stop. The description below is for the longer hike starting at the Yosemite Valley. The peak can also be reached using the Sunrise Lakes Trail from Tenaya Lake. The trail is a three-part staircase: the first 1.5 mi is flat, the next 1 mi gains 1000 ft. Most people opt for the 14 mi/22.5 km roundtrip trail from Tioga Road, which has an elevation gain of 1800 ft/550 m. For the most part, the trail to Clouds Rest follows the Half Dome Trail, and then splits about 1.5 miles before the Half Dome summit.Īlong the trail, you'll see up-close amazing views of two waterfalls- Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls-get to hike across Little Yosemite Valley, and finally experience the beautiful summit with its expansive views. Clouds Rest can be reached from the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead on Tioga Road or from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The peak offers excellent views of Half Dome and the surrounding area.Ĭlouds Rest is a great hike if you are unable to secure a permit for Half Dome or if you are looking for a longer trail with more elevation gain. The peak can be seen from Yosemite Valley, and at 9,930 ft. Clouds Rest is a massive granite peak just northeast of Half Dome.

Clouds rest yosemite