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Going to Yosemite from june 22 - 26. Looking for must-do activities/hikes in the area. Not a fan of crowds, so less travelled routes preferred. Half Dome popular, but would Clouds Rest be better? Rafting Tuolumne, climbing opportunities, canyon hikes, great photo destinations...what are your favs?

enthusiastic thumb ups for clouds rest from me. one of my all time favorite summits

If you do Mist trail, start at 7am. You'll be behind all the people starting Half Dome or JMT, and ahead of the tourist dayhikers. You will encounter those on the way down though, but it will be much more tolerable.

Day hiking from Tenaya Lake to Clouds Rest is a top-10 hike.

Relative peace and solitude can be had on Mt. Hoffmann.

Ten Lakes is a fantastic area, and you can do a long day hike, but most visit as some kind of overnight, because while it's just ~12 miles out and back, you really want to explore the lake area, and it's easy to rack up another 3, 4, 5+ miles just visiting the various lakes.

If you're staying near Wawona, Chilsomething falls is a nice hike. The falls area is nice for relaxing and hanging out though the views don't compare to the top of Nevada Falls. Neither do the crowds though!

Ok, so that basically covers the places I've been. Apparently they're all awesome. Tough to go wrong in Yosemite!

@RickVincent
Where are you staying? Yosemite is a big park & the drive to some trailheads will take hours.

chumley wrote:Tough to go wrong in Yosemite!

Agree.

I loved our hike out to Taft Point, which we turned into a loop with Sentinel Dome: http://hikearizona.com/trip=106047
The views from Taft are as spectacular as at the much more crowded Glacier Point (if not better). Many pass by the Taft Pt. TH, being is such a hurry to get out to Washburn or Glacier Pt. Also, doing the loop let us experience a lot more solitude--particularly on the section between Taft and Sentinel Dome (only came across 1 or 2 other hikers in that section).

Notwithstanding the crowds, I'd still do the Mist Trail. It's worth it.

I would have liked to do the Fourmile trail, but we didn't have time ....

Too many ultraclassic climbs to list, and they will be crowded, but some favorites:
Nutcracker
The Grack center (Glacier Pt Apron)
Snake Dike (Half Dome)
Royal Arches
Bishop's Terrace
Reed's Pinnacle
La Cosita
Moby Dick & Sacherer Cracker
Central Pillar of Frenzy
Higher Cathedral Spire

@John9L
Great question. Still working on that. Looking for a small vacation rental. I see many references to being a certain distance from the valley floor. Clouds Rest is definitely on my to do list. Other possibles, mt hoffman, mist trail, half dome (before the crowds).

@John9L
Im sure the place is crawling with people, but I get impression that maybe destinations from east entrance of Tioga Pass might be less of a cluster... than west side?. May stay near mono lake, june lake area.

I've been looking at the Emigrant Wilderness, north of Yosemite NP. A different experience. But supposedly also awesome.

North Dome is a nice half-day option that has great views. The valley is likely to be quite warm (80-85° or warmer is very likely) in late June so I recommend looking for activities off of the Tioga Road or up high on the south side. Unless you're doing something on the Merced River of course.
The Tuolumne Meadows area will be busy, but the area east of Tioga Pass should be less busy. I'd try to have a place to stay locked down and reserved if I were you. It's crazy out here.

@RickVincent
It’s tough trying to figure out where to stay in Yosemite. Each location has it’s positives & negatives. Yosemite is a huge park & you can’t see it all in one trip. I recommend hiking relatively close to wherever you stay & spend one day making a long drive to a premier hike in another location. Start early & you will avoid the crowds.

Yosemite Valley - Curry Village aka Half Dome Village
Pros – Prime central location in heart of Yosemite Valley. Access to free bus system
Cons – Very crowded & noisy at night. Also expensive for a tent cabin. Community bathrooms
Hiking options:
Mist Trail -> Panorama -> Four Mile Trail – Excellent loop hike around 15 miles.
Upper Yosemite Falls – Wonderful hike with large AEG but worth the effort.
Mirror Lake, Bridalveil Falls & Lower Yosemite Falls. Short hikes & crowded at peak hours


South Entrance (Wawona, Coursegold, etc)
Pros – More options for hotels or camping.
Cons – Other trails are far away & heavy traffic
Hiking options:
Mariposa Grove (might be closed, check current conditions).
Chilnualna Falls
Glacier Point Rd – Sentinel Dome & Taft Point, Ostrander Lake, Mono Meadow, etc


East Entrance (Mammoth Lakes or other)
Pros – Lot’s of options for camping or hotels in Mammoth. About an hour from Tioga Pass. Good hiking in Mammoth too
Cons – Very far from Yosemite Valley & other trails
Hiking options off Tioga Rd:
Clouds Rest – Best day hike off Tuolumne
Mount Hoffman – Another solid hike with amazing views of the park
Lembert Dome – Relatively quick & easy hike with great views
Pothole Dome – Another quick & easy hike
Upper Cathedral Lake – Spectacular area


West Entrance
I don’t have experience with this. Far drive for the most part.
Hiking options – Hetch Hetchy


Here is an out of the box option but depends on who you're going with. You can get a basic backpacking permit off Tuolumne Meadows like Lukens Lake or May Lake. You can park at the TH (Put all food in the bear locker) and then hike in a mile & camp. Then hike back to your car the next morning and you're off to hike! You can then spend a night in the backpackers camp in Tuolumne Meadows on the night before & after your backpacking permit. It's five bucks per person & prime hiking is nearby.

Good luck & post up any questions you have

Wow...Thank you John. I will use this information as my quick guide to Yosemite. I favor the east entrance and will spend a majority of time (3 hike days) over there (place booked in June Lake), then will make the one "long drive" to Yosemite Valley. Spend the last night at a different place and do some hiking on that side for my final 1-1/2 days of hiking. Clouds Rest, Mt Hoffman, Upper Cathedral look like solid bets...I like the suggestions for a few short ones as well. I'm sure there will be extra time to squeeze in some short hikes. I really appreciate the time and thought you put into preparing this overview of the park and your experiences.