Glen Aulin - May Lake Trail

The Glen Aulin - May Lake Trail is a high-country connector deep in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows backcountry, linking two of the park's historic High Sierra Camps. It's built for hikers who want granite basins, alpine river crossings, and a full day (or overnight) away from the Valley crowds — not a casual afternoon stroll.

From Tuolumne Meadows to Glen Aulin

Most hikers start at the Tuolumne Meadows trailhead and follow the Tuolumne River downstream toward Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp, a walk of roughly 5.3 miles one-way that drops from about 8,500 feet to 7,900 feet. Along the way the trail passes Tuolumne Falls and the White Cascade, a pair of 40-to-50-foot drops where the river fans out across open granite — striking to look at, and genuinely dangerous near the edge in high water, so stay well back from the slick rock at the top.

Connecting on to May Lake

From Glen Aulin, the route climbs into higher terrain toward May Lake, another High Sierra Camp set in a granite bowl below Mount Hoffmann. This stretch runs roughly 8 miles with about 1,900 feet of climbing, and the final switchbacks down to the lake are the trail's most technical footing. Many hikers turn this into a multi-day loop through Sunrise Camp back to Tuolumne Meadows rather than hiking it as a straight out-and-back.

Getting there and permits

• Both ends of the trail sit off Tioga Road, which is only open roughly late spring through fall depending on snowpack — check current conditions before you drive up.
• Day hiking needs no permit; any overnight stay in the wilderness requires a Yosemite wilderness permit.
• The two river crossings near Glen Aulin are bridged, but expect wet, uneven granite footing along much of the route.