R02 TR: Yosemite Falls>Lukens Lake>Grand Canyon of Tuolumne>Tuolumne Pass>Merced Lake>Vernal Falls 5/15-21/2025
Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 10:31 am
Hi everyone!
Two of us just got back from a 7 day, 90ish mile loop from Yosemite Valley up Yosemite Creek to Lukens Lake, down Morrison Creek, up Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, and then Rafferty Creek, over Tuolumne Pass, down Emeric Creek, then Fletcher Creek, and then the Merced back to Yosemite Valley.
In the 5 days after Eagle Peak Creek and before Lake Merced we saw just two rangers and one PCT thru-hiker (solitude!). There were almost no mosquitoes (other than at Register Creek and the woods past Lake Merced), water crossings were manageable (crotch-deep or lower, though Register Creek was challenging), and the snow generally did not become an issue until about 7,500 feet on north slopes and 8,500 feet on south slopes. We used microspikes mainly between Luken Lake and Morrison Creek and then Tuolumne Meadows to Lake Babcock. The ranger told us to leave our ice axes in the car and they were not needed.
The route is here.
And the full write-up is here:
Yosemite Grand Loop
Here are some highlights:
Yosemite Falls
Lukens Lake
Morrison Creek Crossing
Sierra Newt
Register Creek crossing
Trail obstacle!
Waterwheel Falls
California Falls
Frozen and flooded trail at Glen Aulin
Tuolumne Falls
Tuolumne Ski Hut (yes, backpackers can stay here until the Tioga Road opens!)
Tuolumne Pass
Boothe Lake
Emeric Lake
Confluence of Emeric and Fletcher Creeks
Babcock Lake
Granite playground above Lake Merced
Long Mountain reflection in Washburn Lake
Merced Falls
Vernal Falls
Two of us just got back from a 7 day, 90ish mile loop from Yosemite Valley up Yosemite Creek to Lukens Lake, down Morrison Creek, up Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, and then Rafferty Creek, over Tuolumne Pass, down Emeric Creek, then Fletcher Creek, and then the Merced back to Yosemite Valley.
In the 5 days after Eagle Peak Creek and before Lake Merced we saw just two rangers and one PCT thru-hiker (solitude!). There were almost no mosquitoes (other than at Register Creek and the woods past Lake Merced), water crossings were manageable (crotch-deep or lower, though Register Creek was challenging), and the snow generally did not become an issue until about 7,500 feet on north slopes and 8,500 feet on south slopes. We used microspikes mainly between Luken Lake and Morrison Creek and then Tuolumne Meadows to Lake Babcock. The ranger told us to leave our ice axes in the car and they were not needed.
The route is here.
And the full write-up is here:
Yosemite Grand Loop
Here are some highlights:
Yosemite Falls
Lukens Lake
Morrison Creek Crossing
Sierra Newt
Register Creek crossing
Trail obstacle!
Waterwheel Falls
California Falls
Frozen and flooded trail at Glen Aulin
Tuolumne Falls
Tuolumne Ski Hut (yes, backpackers can stay here until the Tioga Road opens!)
Tuolumne Pass
Boothe Lake
Emeric Lake
Confluence of Emeric and Fletcher Creeks
Babcock Lake
Granite playground above Lake Merced
Long Mountain reflection in Washburn Lake
Merced Falls
Vernal Falls
