Pohono Trail (West to East) to Panorama Trail to Mist Trail
Two nights, three days, and 25+ miles of adventure
Starting at Tunnel View and ending at Happy Isles
Yosemite is by far our favorite national park we have visited, and we find ourselves returning every summer. While visiting the famous Yosemite Valley is beautiful, we believe the best way to experience the park is through backpacking with wilderness permits. On our recent trip to Yosemite, we started at Tunnel View and hiked the Pohono Trail, then connected to the Panorama Trail, eventually to the Mist Trail and back down to the valley. We absolutely loved this route because it takes you along the entire south side of the valley ridge-line, where you have incredible views of the entire Yosemite Valley!
Best time of year to visit Yosemite
The best time to visit Yosemite National Park is between June and September. For backpacking, we recommend late June to early August. This allows enough time for the snow to melt in order to keep the trails clear, while also witnessing the waterfalls gushing with water!
Where to park
We started our trek by parking one car at our final destination, in Yosemite valley near Curry Village. We then headed to our starting point at Tunnel View. If you do not have two cars, don’t worry! The transportation in the valley is great and easy to coordinate.
Learn more about the Yosemite shuttle service here.
Backpacking Overview
Day 1: hike Tunnel View to Dewey Point (4.5 miles); camp at Dewey Point
Day 2: hike Dewey Point to Taft Point to Glacier Point to Panorama Point (12 miles); camp near Illilouette Falls
Day 3: hike Panorama Point to Nevada Falls to Vernal Falls to Happy Isles (7 miles); finish in Curry Village
Itinerary
Day 1
Starting at Tunnel View, the incline starts pretty suddenly as you head up towards Dewey Point. This first day took 4.5 miles to reach Dewey Point, which was our destination for camping on our first night. We were quickly reminded of the true gift of wilderness camping. Dewey Point is a secluded area perched atop a ledge overlooking the valley. Given that permits are required to camp here, most of the day hikers had left by the time the sun was setting. There were very few backpackers camping so we were able to enjoy the sunset and sunrise all to ourselves! These views were truly breathtaking!
Day 2
The next morning we started east along the Panorama Trail towards Taft Point. Taft Point is a perfect spot to take the heavy packs off, enjoy a snack, and basque in the sunshine. Once rested, we were off again towards Sentinel Dome and then Glacier Point. This stretch of the Panorama Trail has arguably the best views of all of Yosemite. It took us along the ridgeline of the valley, with incredible views of Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. A few miles later, we were suddenly struck by the famous Half Dome. It really popped out of nowhere as we turned the corner! It never really feels like enough time spent at Glacier Point and admiring the grandness of Half Dome, but eventually we set off to our final destination for the night. We had a campsite booked at Illilouette Falls, but when we arrived there were hundreds of mosquitoes near the falls so we decided to push on. At this point, we had been hiking 12+ miles and our bodies were feeling exhausted. We decided to find reprieve at a seemingly solid campsite at Panorama Point. We were amazed that no one else was there! A view of Half Dome and a gorgeous ledge all to ourselves, we felt like the luckiest backpackers in all of the park. It was not until we returned home from the trip that we researched Panorama Point and learned that it is at risk for rock slides and is forbidden to camp at… opps!! It was definitely a good reminder to plan our campsites in advance.
The Panorama Trail connects to Nevada Falls and then the Mist Trail. We were lucky to be in Yosemite during the snowmelt of one of the record-breaking years. The rivers were overflowing with water and the falls were gushing. This made for an adventurous trip down the Mist Trail. We were so glad we remembered our raincoats and pack covers.
We finished the trail at Happy Isles and then celebrated with pizza and brews in Curry Village. This is a must for anyone completing a hike in the valley!
Highlights
The biggest highlight from this trip was discovering the beauty of Yosemite National Park through wilderness permits. The ability to camp where no day hikers have access to, and wake up to a sunrise over the valley, is something that not many people get to experience. We highly recommend exploring beyond the valley to truly experience what Yosemite has to offer.
Best viewpoints on this trail:
- Dewey Point
- Taft Point
- Glacier Point
- Panorama Point
- Nevada Falls
- Vernal Falls/ Mist Trail
Wilderness Permits
A wilderness permit is required to backpack and camp overnight in Yosemite National Park. There are weekly lotteries that are active 24 weeks in advance. Recreation.gov also releases additional permits that are available on a first-come, first serve basis seven days in advance. In the past, we have been able to secure a permit both with the pre-season lottery, as well as the week-of permits. Be persistent and we promise you it is possible to snag a wilderness permit!
Accommodation near the park
One of our favorite places to stay just outside Yosemite National Park is Sierra Meadows. They have great accommodation options from a small cabin that sleeps 2, to a larger cabin that sleeps 4 to 6. We have loved staying here the nights before or after our Yosemite trips and would highly recommend it!
Check out our route map on All Trails.