Echo Peak #1

Echo Peak #1 is one of nine granite summits in the Echo Peaks, a knife-edged cluster in Yosemite's high country near Tuolumne Meadows and Cathedral Peak. There's no maintained trail to any of them — reaching Peak #1 means leaving the trail system for a cross-country scramble over talus and granite, which makes this a destination for peak-baggers and scramblers rather than casual day hikers.

Route and Difficulty

Echo Peak #1 is rated a class 3 scramble, on the easier end of a massif that ranges from class 2 walk-ups to committing class 5 climbs on its more technical peaklets. It anchors the north end of the western line of summits (Peaks #1 through #4), which forms a narrow ridge that's knife-edge in places — a popular option for parties looking to traverse several summits in one outing.

Getting There

Access starts with the approach to Budd Lake, the same jumping-off point used for nearby Cathedral Peak and Matthes Crest, reached cross-country from the Tuolumne Meadows area. From the lake, there's no trail or signage into the Echo Peaks group — you're navigating talus and slab by sight, so route-finding experience matters as much as scrambling ability.

Know Before You Go

• The Echo Peaks massif tops out near 11,160 feet at its highest peaklet, with Peak #1 on the lower, easier end of the range.
• Summit views take in Cathedral Peak and Matthes Crest, two of the Cathedral Range's other well-known formations.
• This is off-trail wilderness travel — carry a map, know your route, and don't attempt it without scrambling experience.