Tuolumne Peak

Tuolumne Peak rises to 10,845 feet in Yosemite's high country, a twin-summited granite peak connected by a rugged ridgeline to its taller neighbor, Mount Hoffmann, about 2.5 miles to the southwest. Unlike most named summits near Tioga Road, there's no maintained trail to the top — reaching it means leaving the trail system and picking your way cross-country over open granite, talus, and a stretch of old decommissioned trail. That makes this a destination for experienced scramblers and peak-baggers, not a casual afternoon walk.

Getting There

The standard approach starts at the May Lake Trailhead, reached via a narrow paved spur off Tioga Road. Most hikers follow the maintained Glen Aulin-May Lake trail north along the lake's east shore before striking out cross-country up open slopes toward the summit ridge. Many parties link Tuolumne Peak with Mount Hoffmann in a single loop, traversing the connecting ridgeline between the two summits.

What to Expect

• Distance: roughly 10 miles round-trip when combined with Mount Hoffmann
• Difficulty: Class 2 scrambling — steep, loose terrain and route-finding, with no trail markers
• Terrain: a narrow, exposed ridge section above a glacial lake that some parties choose to bypass

The payoff is a wide-open view over Tuolumne Meadows and the surrounding high country granite, with far fewer people underfoot than the more popular Mount Hoffmann summit alone. Bring a topo map, sturdy footwear, and start early — this isn't a route to begin late in the day, and the access road itself closes each winter with snowfall and typically reopens in late spring.