We then took the relatively short side trip up to the top of Half Dome. Re: Tenaya Lake-Clouds Rest-Half Dome-Yosemite Valley by balzaccom » Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:00 pm The Yosemite Conservancy "built" the trail to Mt. We headed down on Friday night and stayed the night in Tuolumne Meadows. It’s mind-boggling to picture myself as an even tinier dot traversing those ridges just a few days ago. This sign doesn’t mention Clouds Rest, but you’re still in the right place. The lot itself is small and many people park on the shoulder of the road. The trailhead for Clouds Rest is at Sunshine at Tenaya Lake. We will hike 18 miles one way from Tenaya Lake up and over Clouds Rest and down to Yosemite Valley via the Half Dome trail. september is the best month. It starts with the first 2.7 miles of the Sunrise Trail, followed by 2.3 miles of the Forsyth Trail, and finally the actual Clouds Rest Trail for 2 miles. Clouds Rest Trail from Tenaya Lake is a 12.3 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Mariposa, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. This is a strenuous hike with an 1800 foot climb to Cloud's Rest, elevation 9926 feet. I've done Tenaya Lake > Clouds Rest. Sunrise Trailhead: 8151' Clouds Rest summit: 9931' Seasons: I was getting a little bit depressed with the idea of spending the night at not so scenic lake/pond, besides I have never been to sunrise lakes so I can scratch this off my list. Clouds Rest is more commonly approached from Tenaya Lake (you can read more about that hike here). The car park here is pretty small and you will inevitably have to park on the road unless you arrive early. It's a much better view and far less people. Yes, you need someone you can trust to guide you, but there is … Tackling The Rest from Tuolumne seems like an easier trek. The "younger" brother of the world famous Half Dome, Clouds Rest is in fact a solid 1,000 feet taller despite receiving significantly less attention. To get to the Clouds Rest trailhead, take the Tioga Road (Highway 120) east from the Crane Flat gas station for approximately 50.0 km to the southwestern edge of Tenaya Lake. Hike straight. Slept 2.5 hours in the car before starting out on the trail. The hike goes over Clouds Rest which has spectacular views. At this point, You’ll be hiking with a gaggle of fellow happy hikers from all over the world, just as eager to answer the call of the mountain as you are. Hoffman about five years ago, over the route of the existing use trail. thanks again The hike clocks in … The bus leaves HD Village at 8am and the hike actually begins at 10:15 at the Cloud's Rest Trailhead on the south side of Tenaya Lake. Start out at the Tenaya Lake Trailhead, where you can head directly onto the trail for Clouds Rest or you can branch off after 2.7 miles to Sunrise Lakes.This allows you to break up the hike, spend a night relaxing and help you have an early start back on the trail. Title: Tenaya Lake – Sunrise Trailhead – Clouds Rest Trail Author: Bob Last modified by: Bob Created Date: 5/8/2010 12:48:00 AM Other titles: Tenaya Lake – Sunrise Trailhead – Clouds Rest Trail The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. 07/15/2021 - 07/18/2021 Your guide The view of Cloud's Rest (left) and Half Dome (right) from the overlook at the end of the short trail at Olmsted Point. It opens up to spectacular views of Tenaya Peak, Tenaya Lake, and Mount Conness. The nearby parking is a bonus. This is a strenuous, no joke hike though, so don’t take it lightly if you choose to do it. CLOUDS REST TRAIL QUICK FACTS. Although there are many peaks in the park having far greater elevation, Clouds Rest's proximity to the valley gives it a very high degree of visual prominence. Leaving the parking area at the west end of Tenaya Lake, cross the lake's outlet (can be deep in spring, dry by late summer). Getting There SUNRISE LAKES (TIOGA ROAD) TRAILHEAD (8,160'): This trailhead is on CA SR-120, aka Tioga Road, on the southwest side of Tenaya Lake, 7 miles west of Tuolumne Meadows.There is ample parking here on the side of the road, however, on summer weekends it can get crowded. It's awesome and I totally suggest doing it. Tenaya Lake is an alpine lake in Yosemite National Park, located between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows.The surface of Tenaya Lake has an elevation of 8,150 feet (2,484 m). Edit: if you want to do an overnight (and get a permit), staying at the top of Clouds Rest is … Yet, I reached the summit of Clouds Rest with the help of two friends who walked me through the ridge. Enjoy 360-degree views of Yosemite, including Half Dome, North Dome, Sentinel Dome, El Capitan, Glacier Point, Cathedral Rocks, Pinnacles, Vogelsang, Tenaya Lake, Olmstead Point, Fletcher Peak, Cathedral Peak, and Unicorn Point. Clouds Rest : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering. The fastest way to hike Cloud’s Rest starts from the Sunrise Lakes trailhead on Tioga Road near Tenaya Lake on the southwest end and 7 miles west of Tuolumne Meadows. I am afraid of heights. Its possible to do before Tioga Pass opens but you’ll have to start from the valley in addition to dealing with icy condit A few months ago I was looking on AllTrails.com and it looked like it was possible to avoid the sharp ridge just before the summit by traversing the east «face» of Clouds Rest and join the trail from the Yosemite Valley. I started researching sunrise lakes to clouds rest as you suggested and it looks much scenic and nicer than henrys lake. We stayed at the summit for around an hour and a half during which we ate, clicked countless pictures and gazed at the Yosemite valley. From Tenaya Lake . Keep going straight. This challenging, three-day, 17-mile through-hike from Tenaya Lake to Yosemite Valley features jaw-dropping views, including from the summit of Clouds Rest. Right after that junction you’ll see a trail sign mentioning Clouds Rest (but it’s not 7.1 miles from here). Retrace steps back to Tenaya Lake and the Sunrise Trailhead. We plan this hike as training and acclimatising hike before Mount Whitney. Hiking before dawn kept the three of us cool and we were rewarded with a stunning sunrise to the east. Tenaya Lake to Yosemite Valley via Cloud's Rest and Half Dome Note: Because of the shuttle and of the snow, the one-way hike is feasible only between July and September. Distance and level of difficulty are not a factor, though we would like to keep the round trip at under 25 miles. The Clouds Rest Trail winds its way through wildflower-covered meadows, forests and rocks before it starts the steep switchbacking (at times stair step) climb. Most folks opt for this trail because it is well-marked, is easily accessible, and offers the quintessential Cloud’s Rest experience. One last side trail to the left going to the Tenaya Lake Loop Trail. Thanks again spursfan for your help. Hiking from Tenaya Lake to the Yosemite Valley is a spectacular hike. If you know about this hidden gem however, you're in luck. Last views of Cloud's Rest: Last views of Cloud's Rest: Scalpel-like mountain: Concave domes of Little Yosemite Valley Topographic profile of the Tenaya Lake – Clouds Rest Trail Tioga Road/Tenaya Lake. Tenaya Lake to Clouds Rest Trail This first mile-or-so part of the trail is sweet, mellow and easy. Reach the Clouds Rest summit (9,926 feet). But because Tenaya canyon is so dangerous (countless hikers have lost their lives in the canyon) the best time to hike this way is end of summer, i.e. Once re-connected to the Clouds Rest trail you begin a brief descent before you come across the only lake on the CR Trail. The last mile zigzagged up Cloud’s Rest and offered expansive views over the valley. Sitting at over 1,000 feet above Half Dome, Clouds Rest is one of the quintessential hikes in Yosemite National Park. Type of Trail: Out & Back How long is the hike to Clouds Rest: ~12 miles (Check out Section 4 ‘Clouds Rest Hike Map, Itinerary, & GPX File’ for more details.) Since the hike starts and ends at the serene Tenaya Lake, we recommend having a post-hike picnic and beer at the lakeside. TL;DR Clouds Rest is a wonderful day hike if you’re looking for something long (14.5mi) with rewarding views of the valley and Half Dome at 9,931 ft. Start early to beat the heat during the summer. After acclimatizing at Raisin Lake for two days, we were rested, relaxed, and excited to begin (like, truly begin) our backpacking journey from Yosemite High Country to Yosemite Valley. Sunrise Trailhead off of Tioga Road, just south of Tenaya Lake: Time Required: 7-10 hours to summit of Clouds Rest and back: Length: 13 miles to Clouds Rest and back: Elevation Change: Roughly 2000-feet of elevation gain in two separate pushes with a 400-ft descent in between. At about 2.5 miles, you'll reach an intersection with the Sunrise Lakes Trail that heads off to the east. Another friend was meeting us for this leg of the trip, so our threesome soon became a foursome. Four weeks ago, I tried to summit half dome and gave up half way to sub-dome since I could not handle the height. Clouds Rest is a better summit than Half Dome in my opinion. As if by design, a boulder sits plunk in the middle of the flat, offering a place to lounge and soak in the view. We hung out at the summit of Clouds Rest for an hour and a half before hiking back to Tenaya Lake and … The Sunrise Trail begins by the west side of Tenaya Lake at the center of the most scenic stretch of the Tioga Road, and is one of the more popular trailheads in the Tuolumne Meadows district. Tenaya Lake. Rest assured, though, that things get considerably easier after this point. We are interested in doing an overnight on Cloud's Rest and I have a few questions that I haven't been able to solve through the magic of google.. What is the best/most scenic route to Cloud's Rest? Be very careful where you choose as people drive incredibly fast round the corner here, so try to pick somewhere along the straighter part of the road! There were a lot of big crows at the summit who were looking for food and were not scared to come near us to steal anything edible. Clouds Rest Elevation: 9,926 feet Trail to Summit: The Clouds Rest Trail via Tenaya Lake is the most direct route. Clouds Rest Trail from Yosemite Valley is a 20.5 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Yosemite Valley, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. View of the Tenaya Lake from the Clouds Rest summit. Hikers start at higher elevation than Happy Isles, and the mileage is more gentle. If I squinted, I could see the little blue dot that was Tenaya Lake, the start of our hike way, way out there. Sure, it doesn’t have the grandeur that Half Dome has, but having been up both of them, I can say that the view from Clouds Rest is the better of the two. Clouds Rest is a mountain in Yosemite National Park east northeast of Yosemite Village, California. This is probably one of the best ways to climb Half Dome because you … The lake basin was formed by glacial action, which left a backdrop of light granite rocks, whose beauty was known to the Native Americans. 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