The Massive Extent of the Toiyabe National Forest

The Toiyabe National Forest administers almost all of the Pacific Crest Trail along the Northern Sierra between the Yosemite National Park boundary and Carson Pass.

From the Carson Range bounding the Eastern side of the Lake Tahoe Basin, through Carson Pass, Ebbetts and Sonora Passs, the Toiyabe National Forest administers the Eastern parts of the Mokelumne Wilderness, the Eastern Eastern Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, and composes the Eastern boundary of the Emigrant Wilderness between Sonora Pass and the Yosemite boundary.

The Toiyabe National Forest boundary continues South along the Eastern Sierra Crestline around Yosemite, administering the Hoover Wilderness, which makes up the Eastern boundary of Yosemite. The Toiyabe bends East around the top of Yosemite.

The Toiyabe National Forest directly administers almost all of the trail that the Pacific Crest Trail backpacker will travel through South of Lake Tahoe to Yosemite. If you are not in the Toiyabe between these points, you will be shortly, and you are always looking into the Toiyabe National Forest every time you glance far Eastward, from anywhere between Carson Pass and Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.

The extent of the Toiyabe National Forest is indeed massive.

Entering the Sierras from the East between Carson Pass to Yosemite

The Toiyabe National Forest

The Toiyabe National Forest is vast. The Toiyabe covers almost all of the Eastern Sierra trail sections that you will backpack on the Pacific Crest Trail between the Carson Pass South to Yosemite, excepting a couple of small bits. And there is a lot more to the Toiyabe than that. The Eastern entrances to the Carson Iceberg and Emigrant Wilderness are great start points for backpacking trips North to Lake Tahoe or South to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.

If you want to enter the Sierras from anywhere from the Sierra Crest down the Eastern flank of the Sierra for a local or long distance backpacking trip anywhere South of Lake Tahoe to Yosemite National Park, you've got to get a permit from one of the Toiyabe National Forest Ranger Districts.

This Toiyabe National Forest page is concerned with the Pacific Crest Trail as it travels through the Mokelumne, Carson Iceberg, and around the Emigrant Wilderness within the Toiyabe National Forest between the Carson Pass to the Northern boundary of the Yosemite National Park Backcountry at Dorothy Lake Pass.

The Toiyabe NF is massive!

If you are interested in hiking the Mokelumne, Carson Iceberg, and Emigrant Wilderness from the West, check out the Stanislaus National Forest page. The Stanislaus National Forest administers the Western halves of these wilderness areas, the Toiyabe their Eastern halves.

The Toiyabe NF: Administering the Eastern Sierras through The Carson, Ebbetts, and Sonora Passes, all the way down To Yosemite

Grand Context

When you backpack South out of the Tahoe Basin on the Pacific Crest Trail through the Carson Gap your view South is of the Mokelumne Wilderness. To the Southeast you are looking into the Toiyabe National Forest administered section of the Mokelumne Wilderness. To the Southwest you are looking into the El Dorado NF administered section of the Mokelumne Wilderness.

The Carson Gap is where the Pacific Crest Trail breaks off from the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to head Southeast towards Ebbetts Pass along the Eastern flank of the Sierras within the Mokelumne administered by the Toiyabe National Forest. The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail tracks Southwest to Lake Alpine along the Western flank of the Sierras Through the Mokelumne Wilderness administered by the El Dorado Natiional Forest.

South of Ebbetts Pass

Though the Mokelumne Wilderness ends just North of Ebbetts Pass, the Southbound backpacker on the Pacific Crest Trail will remain in the Toiyabe National Forest across Highway 4 to hike across the Carson Iceberg Wilderness to Sonora Pass.

South of Sonora Pass

The Toiyabe NF wraps around the Eastern Boundary of Yosemite as the Hoover Wilderness extending almost down to Highway 120, the Tioga Road.

The Toiyabe administers bits the Pacific Crest Trail as it tracks along the Eastern Boundary of the Emigrant Wilderness South of Sonora Pass.

Though the Southbound Pacific Crest trailhead at Sonora Pass is within, and posted by, the Stanislaus National Forest, the Pacific Crest Trail route South along the Sierra Crest crossing Leavitt Peak wobbles back and forth, bouncing between the Stanislaus and Toiyabe National Forests.

After descending the Southern side of Leavitt Peak, the PCT turns East at Kennedy Canyon into the Toiyabe National Forest and remains within the Toiyabe South to the Yosemite National Park boundary at Dorothy Lake Pass.

The Toiyabe National Forest continues South east of the Yosemite National Park to mark out Northeastern border between Yosemite and the Toiyabe administered Hoover Wilderness, almost all the way down to Highway 120, the Tioga Road.

Vast Extent of the Toiyabe National Forest

The Toiyabe National Forest is vast. It extends all the way down the Eastern Flank of the High Sierras from the Carson Range on the Eastern shore of Lake Tahoe through Carson Pass, Ebbetts. and Sonora Passes, then moves a bit East to make up the Eastern boundary of both the Emigrant Wilderness and the whole Northeastern and Northwestern boundary of Yosemite National Park.

A Northbound hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail will be remain within the Toiyabe National Forest from their Northern exit from Yosemite through Dorothy Lake Pass until they hike North through Carson Pass to enter the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The Toiyabe contines North from Carson Pass, administerning the Eastern Drainage of the Carson Range. The Carson Range is a spur of mountains off the main Sierra Crestline that makes up the mountains of the Eastern Lake Tahoe Basin.

There are two resupply possibilities for long distance hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail within the Toiyabe National Forest between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe

Kennedy Meadows is located on Highway 108 nine miles West of Sonora Pass. The Lake Alpine Lodge is located fifteen miles West of Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4.

To the North of the Toiyabe you can resupply at Echo Chalet, and to the South of the Toiyabe NF your next resupply spot is the Post Office at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.

PCT Options:

Dorothy Lake Pass or Bond Pass into Yosemite?

The Toiyabe encompasses all of your PCT hike South through the Mokelumne and Carson-Iceberg Wildernesses to Sonora Pass, where you briefly enter the Stanislaus NF administered Emigrant Wilderness.

This brief venture into the Emigrant Wilderness soon ends, as the PCT reenters the Toiyabe NF just South of Leavitt Peak, where a left turn at the Kennedy Canyon trail junction swings the PCT East, and then South to cross Dorothy Lake Pass into the Yosemite Backcountry.

It's a nice route, but the PCT route is the low elevation route to Yosemite.

I believe it is a mistake to follow the PCT route and exit the Emigrant Wilderness into Kennedy Canyon when coming off of the Southern shoulder of Leavitt Peak.

I suggest continuing South through this trail junction to climb Big Sam and enter the Emigrant Basin, which sits on the other side of Big Sam. It's a splendid place, though in Spring this granite bowl holds lots of water and acts as a massive mosquito bowl.

After a night next to Grizzly Peak Lake, I exit the Emigrant Wilderness over Bond Pass to enter Yosemite's Backcountry and rejoin the Pacific Crest Trail just South of Dorothy Pass.

Both Routes are beautiful, but I would rather see the unique pink granite of the Sierra Crest as it crosses the high altitude Emigrant Basin to enter Yosemite at Bond Pass, than dropping down in elevation and circling around this amazing feature to enter Yosemite following the Pacific Crest Trail through Dorothy Pass.

Because the Pacific Crest Trail and the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail routes compose two of the many route options you have between Lake Tahoe and Mount Whitney, I suggest that you plan on hiking the whole extent of the trails between Highway 108 (Sonora Pass Highway) at least three times. One trip on the Pacific Crest Trail, one trip on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, and one trip weaving together the finest parts of both, with your own explorations thrown in too.

But I am honestly happy the PCT goes around this gem, the High Emigrant Basin. It would be a lot more crowded up there if the PCT did not avoid this amazingly beautiful section of the Sierra Crest.

But I thought you should know these facts, though it may bring more traffic.

The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail Hiker: No Toiyabe for You!

The Tahoe to Yosemite backpacker will not enter the Toiyabe National Forest at all, but pass through the Western parts of the Mokelumne and the Carson Iceberg Wildernesses South of Lake Tahoe that are administered by the El Dorado and Stanislaus National Forests, respectively. The TY Trail runs through the High Emigrant to Bond Pass, and does not dip into the Toiyabe before entering Yosemite as the Pacific Crest Trail does.

Jump Ins

Eastern access to the High Sierras is spectacular and remote. The steep Eastern escarpment does not look anything like the Western Slope's forty miles of gently rolling rise from the Totally Flat Big Valley. The Western Flank rises gently upward through the rolling foothills which eventually transitions into steeply rising high ridges, finally terminating at the precipitous lava-bathed granite pinnacles of the Sierra Crest. The Eastern Escarpment of the Sierras is quite different.

The Eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada rises almost 5000 feet vertically out of the 5000 foot elevation valley that marks the Eastern limit of the range. Yes! Brutal, but beautiful.

Highway 395 traces the Eastern boundary of the High Sierras from the Kingsbury Grade, East of Lake Tahoe on the Carson Range spur of the Sierra, all the way down to, and past Lone Pine, which is the town at the base of Mount Whitney. It is an amazing road that is worth a trip to explore, if you've never driven it before.

Almost all of the trails entering the Sierra from the East between Tahoe and Lee Vining are administered by the Toiyabe National Forest.

My favorite places to Jump Into the Toiyabe NF for extended backpacking trips are through the Little Antelope Pack Station (n. of Walker. Trip: cross the Silver King Creek to the E Carson River up to Sonora Pass, and down the PCT to TM). Another is into the Emigrant Wilderness through Leavitt Pack Station, Highway 108, (summer) or through the Marine Base (winter). Twin Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows is also an excellent backpacking trip out of Eastern Sierras. (Bridgeport, Twin Lakes, to Kerrick Canyon & the PCT, to TM).