Tuolumne backpacking with kids

[SierraJ1]

Looking for suggestions.

3 kids ages 8 to 12 (they have backpacked near Mammoth Lakes and the Cascades already)
3 night trip in Tuolumne in mid August.
10 to 20 miles.
Prefer camping in solitude.
At least one lake or waterfall (for incentive)
Ideally a loop
I know I'm asking a lot! Especially the solitude part!

Though not a loop, I'm leaning towards Ten Lakes in and out. Or the Waterwheel Falls in and out. Or possibly Ten Lakes May Lake loop though that seems a bit aggressive.

I have researched a little bit but I have never backpacked in Yosemite so please assume I know nothing! Thank you!

[LMBSGV]

Since your trip is August, there are two possibilities I thought of. One is taking the Rafferty Creek Trail to Townsley Lake, which is the lake above Fletcher Lake by Vogelsang. While Fletcher is over-crowed that time of year, you might find more seclusion at Townsley. You can make the trip a loop by following the trail past Evelyn Lake down to Lyell Canyon and camp the last night near the Ireland Junction. While that is also over-crowed, it’s possible to find a semblance of solitude by looking for a campsite a little beyond the junction on the way toward Donahue Pass. You can then return to Tuolumne on the JMT.

Another semi-loop possibility is Young Lakes. Take the Glen Aulin trail to near Delaney Creek where there is the junction to Young Lakes. You can make it a semi-loop by returning via Dog Lake.

[Dave_Ayers]

Does it have to be Tuolumne? No solitude there. Consider 1000 Island Lake from Agnew Meadow. You could head out on the River Trail which has campsites along it if the kids get tired. You can get solitude if you camp at the west end near the tarns. You could return via the JMT and make it a popsicle.

And there are lots of ways to make loops in Emigrant Basin and the climbs are usually not bad for kids. See https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_ME ... 057634.gif for planning mileages.

[SierraJ1]

Thanks. Gonna look more into the Townsley Lake-Lyell Canyon. As well as Young Lakes-Dog Lake.

Emigrant Basin is a bit too far since we're coming from SoCal. Already been to Agnew Meadows area.

Appreciate any thoughts on Ten Lakes-May Lake too.

[wildhiker]

There is plenty of solitude available out of Tuolumne Meadows if you are willing to get off the main trails a bit to camp.

First of all, although Ten Lakes are nice, they are every bit as crowded as any other trail out of Tuolumne Meadows and the scenery, in my opinion, is inferior to that of trails leaving directly from the meadows.

You will find outstanding scenery and lakes in the Tuolumne Pass-Fletcher Lake-Evelyn Lake-Ireland Lake-Lyell Fork area. You can find camping solitude by looking just a bit off trail. For example, camp along Emeric Creek below Boothe Lake instead of at Fletcher or Boothe Lakes in the Tuolumne Pass area. Camp at the tarns along the outlet creek of Ireland Lake - a really dramatic area. Down in the Lyell Fork canyon, if the river is low enough to safely ford, camp on the other side. I took my three children on a multi-day backpacking trip in this area when they were 6 to 11. The big problem now is getting wilderness permits. You should try to reserve a permit in advance.

Young Lakes also works well as a base camp. One day in, one day out, and the rest of the time to explore the lakes and cross-country up the basin or up onto the ridge of Mount Conness.

Another excellent base camp area is Upper Sardine Lake just over Mono Pass. This is high open alpine country.
Once you setup camp, you can wander cross-country over alpine meadows everywhere in the upper Dana Fork basin to visit lakes and get up onto the ridges for great views. Your kids will also find the old miner's cabins at Mono Pass interesting. And there is a knockout view down Bloody Canyon to Mono Lake and the desert from Upper Sardine Lake. It is usually easy to get wilderness permits for this Mono Pass trail.

-Phil

[Dave_Ayers]

The climb up Rafferty Creek to the back side of Fletcher is about 8 mi with about 1750 feet of climbing and a 1st night camp at over 10,000 feet. You'll want to have confidence that your kids can handle that hike in one day as there really isn't decent camping at intermediate points along Rafferty Creek. Boothe Lake is around 3/4 mi. shorter and slightly lower, so not a huge help. You'll also want to have some confidence that your party can handle that much 1st day altitude. Kids are more susceptible to AMS than older folks, so know the signs and consider spending a night at altitude 1st or perhaps going in reverse and camping at the Lyell/Ireland Creek Trail junction at ~8,900 feet the 1st night.

It's ~14.5 mi. from Ten Lakes to May Lake. I don't recall any decent camp area in between that would allow you to do about 10 mi. per day to make that work. To me it sounds ambitious for an 8-year old and you'll be skipping the top two reasons to do that hike (climbing Tuolumne Peak and Mt. Hoffman). And you'd need to double shuttle - one back to TM and then forth via YARTs/Hiker's Bus to White Wolf to get back to your car (assuming you'd start at White Wolf to have a shuttle connection).

Waterwheel sounds OK. You could do a semi-loop by heading in from TM and back Murphy Creek or vice-versa. You could shorten it a bit if you take the use trail near Pothole Dome (half-mile walk from the Cathedral shuttle stop). The Murphy Creek traihead is about a ~2/3rd mile pleasant walk along Tenaya Lake shore to one of the shuttle stops.

[markskor]

Not Tuolumne but close.
Way back when, took my 2 sons (8 & 14), down the Yosemite Creek trail from 120. Left car at trailhead - All backpacked the 1 - 2 miles down to first campground. Maybe not the big miles, next day but lots of great swimming holes - mostly all downhill trail... about 6 miles to a nice camp just atop the big falls. A little crowded in the day but, we were the only ones staying over at night. Spent a zero day up there - a hot summer day granite-basking in the big pools with my sons - magic...full moon at night too. Down the falls trail next, camped at Valley BP. The next morning, Curry Breakfast...I took the AM bus back up to car, and was back to pick them up by noon at the arch.

[SierraJ1]

Thank you so much for the tips and warnings.

I think we're going with Young Lakes-Dog Lake loop, most likely just base camping at Young Lakes and day tripping in the area. We rock climb too so if there's opportunity to scramble with a kid and tag a peak, that would be a bonus.

Will be researching the side trips in the Young Lakes area now. Again tips appreciated but even if we just play in the lakes and enjoy the scenery it's all good!

[wildhiker]

Its an easy cross-country hike from the Young Lakes north up to Roosevelt Lake.
-Phil

[balzaccom]

I'd add one more note here. You may have trouble getting a permit for one of these hikes with a larger group, particularly on a busy weekend date If so, look at Saddlebag Lake/20 Lakes Basin as an option (no trail quotas there, and lots of lakes, many with fish) or Emigrant Wilderness or Hoover Wilderness just to the north. Lots of options, no quotas, some good fishing...