Tower Peak across Emigrant Meadow. Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Your Backpacking Guide to the High Sierras West West Walker River Bridge.
Banner: Kennedy Lake South of Sonora Pass in the Emigrant Wilderness. Viewed from Big Sam, heading South into the Emigrant Basin
Tower Peak

View from PCT of Kennedy Creek below Kennedy Lake flowing down West Flank to TYT at Summit Creek above
Kennedy Meadows Pack Station.

West West Walker

 

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Backpacking
Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney

Section 4

TRAIL GUIDE INDEX

Backpacking South
across

Emigrant Wilderness
&
The

North

Yosemite Backcountry
to
Tuolumne Meadows

PCT -&- TYT
TRAIL GUIDE INDEX


 

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Sonora Pass
PCT
&
Saint Marys Pass
TYT
in the
Highway 108
Corridor

to
Tuolumne Meadows
PCT, TYT, & JMT
at
Highway 120

 

 


Guide Index
North
Highway 4 Corridor
Guide Index
South
Tuolumne Meadows
to
Yosemite Valley
Guide Index
South
Tuolumne Meadows
to
Reds Meadow

 

 

 

 

TWO
TRAILS SOUTH

 


The
Tahoe
to Yosemite
Trail

TYT
TRAIL GUIDE
INDEX

 



Kennedy
Meadows

to
Bond Pass

DISCUSSION

 

 

 

TYT
Trail Guide
Guide Pages

 

Emigrant Wilderness
Trail Guide Pages

 

North Yosemite Backcountry
Trail Guide Pages

 

 

 

 

TRAIL MAPS

TYT
Backpacking Maps

 

 

 

TRAIL MILES

TYT
Trail Miles

and
Elevations

 

 

 

RESUPPLY

 

North
Kennedy Meadows
Pack Station

 

South
Tuolumne Meadows Facilities

 

Backpacker
Resupply Resources

 

This
Page:

Highway
108
Trailheads
to
Highway
120

ALL RESOURCES

The
Pacific Crest Trail

PCT
TRAIL GUIDE
INDEX

 



Sonora
Pass

to
Tuolumne Meadows

DISCUSSION

 

 

 

PCT
Trail Guide
Guide Pages

 

Emigrant Wilderness
Trail Guide Pages

 

North Yosemite Backcountry
Trail Guide Pages

 

 

 

 

TRAIL MAPS

PCT
Backpacking Maps

 

 

 

TRAIL MILES

PCT
Trail Miles
and
Elevations

 

 

 

RESUPPLY

 

North
Kennedy Meadows
Pack Station

 

South
Tuolumne Meadows Facilities

 

Backpacker
Resupply Resources


 
 
 

Highway 108
Sonora Pass Road

Also See

ALL
SONORA PASS
TRAILHEADS:
Trail Guide Information
NORTH & SOUTH

 


On this page
TRAILS SOUTH

Highway 108
Sonora Pass Road
to
Highway 120
The Tioga Road


Highway 108 Corridor
South PCT & TYT

Schematic backpacking map of Emigrant Wilderness.
BIG VERSION

MAP STUDY
Not sure which route you want to hike?
Consult the
SONORA PASS REGION TRAILS MAP
comparing these two routes
hiking South into Sonora Pass and our
MAIN TWO
TYT-PCT OPTIONS
South from Highway 108 backpacking
across Emigrant Wilderness down to Hetch Hetchy via multiple routes, up to Twin Lakes through Kerrick Canyon, or all the way down to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.
PLANNING

The 2016 Trails & Trail Culture Report planning a trip across Emigrant Wilderness into North Yosemite discusses our many routes, trips, and trails options we have:

Emigrant and North Yosemite
Backpacking, Hiking Trip, & Loop Options

Hiker's report trips in the Trails Forums, such as
Steve's North Yosemite Backpacking Loop
are valuable sources of trail information and hiking ideas.

Also see
Western Emigrant
Trails Forum
Also see
North Yosemite
Trails Forum

Also see
Backpacking
Planning Forum


Top of Page
 

TYT & PCT
Trail Guide Pages

in
Emigrant Wilderness
&
Toiyabe National Forest

Routes South



Two
Different Entrances

Into the top
of
Jack Main Canyon

Kennedy Meadows Trailhead

Trail Guide Pages
South
TYT

Kennedy Meadows
Pack Station



South
to
Jack Main Canyon

Across
Emigrant Wilderness

 

1
Kennedy Meadows
Trailhead

to
Relief Reservoir

 

 

2
Relief Reservoir
to
Brown Bear Pass

 

 

3
Brown Bear Pass
thru
Bond Pass
into
Jack Main Canyon

 

 

 

 

 

South
across

Emigrant
Wilderness

Two
Alternative
Routes Trail Guide Pages
Connecting
the
PCT to TYT
via


Tungsten
Road



&/OR



Kennedy
Lake



#1
PCT

South
to
TYT:
(North to South)



PCT
Junction
atop

Kennedy
Canyon

over
Big Sam
to
TYT
@
Grizzly Peak

 

 

#2
East to West

PCT to TYT
via
Kennedy Lake


Sonora Pass Trailhead
Trail Guide Pages
South

PCT

Sonora Pass
Trailhead

 



South
to
Tuolumne Meadows

Toiyabe National Forest

 

1
Sonora Pass
Trailhead

to
Latopie Lake

 

 

2
Latopie Lake
to
Kennedy Canyon

 

 

3
Kennedy Canyon
to
West West Walker Bridge

 

 

4
West West Walker Bridge
thru
Dorothy Lake Pass
into
Jack Main Canyon


 

The
Reunified
TYT & PCT
Continue South Together
in
Jack Main Canyon
below

 

BUT FIRST,
A
ROUTE NOTE
TYT-PCT


Two
VERY Different Routes

South
into
and

South
out of
The Highway 108 Corridor



Emigrant into North Yosemite
The very different routes of the Southbound TYT and PCT to Highway 108 come to a point of near-convergence passing Southbound through their respective Saint Marys and Sonora Pass Trailheads onto Highway 108, with the PCT on the Sierra Crestline, and the TYT just a bit West of the Sierra Crestline, respectively.

The 2 PCT & 1 TYT trailheads on Highway 108 at Sonora Pass are separated by about three-quarters of a mile. The two PCT trailheads bracket Sonora Pass while the single Northbound trail of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, coming South from Lake Alpine on Highway 4, ends at the Saint Marys Pass Trailhead on Highway 108 just about a mile West of Sonora Pass.

To continue South, the hiker on the PCT just has to cross the Sonora Pass Highway to continue their hike. Not so for the Southbound hiker on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail. The Southbound TYT hiker encounters Highway 108 at the end of a short but inconspicuous dirt road on the North shoulder of Highway 108 located about three-quarters of a mile West of Sonora Pass.
But, rather than crossing Highway 108 to continue their Southbound hike, the Southbound trailhead of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail is offset by about eight miles to the West of Saint Marys Pass down Highway 108, then another mile out to the end of the road leading to Kennedy Meadows Pack Station. That's where the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail continues South from Highway 108.

 

TYT & PCT
SOUTH OF SAINT MARYS PASS

The TYT and PCT part company again South of Highway 108 as quickly as they came together approaching 108. The TYT and PCT proceed South from Highway 108 along their very different routes across and around Emigrant Wilderness, respectively, only to reunite again just South of where they both enter the far Northwestern corner of Yosemite National Park at the top of Jack Main Canyon from their very different directions.

 

PCT South
The PCT crosses Highway 108 continuing South along the Sierra Crestline. The PCT continues South along the Sierra Crestline following the boundary tracing out the Western edge of the Toiyabe National Forest against the Eastern edge of the Emigrant Wilderness across the crest of Leavitt Peak.

Dropping off the South flank of Leavitt Peak the PCT turns East off the Sierra Crestline into the Toiyabe NF at the top of Kennedy Canyon. From that point the PCT drops elevation and its route wraps around the Sierra Crestline where it crosses The High Emigrant Basin, which is wedged-in just below the West Flank of the Sierra Crestline.

The line of the Sierra Crest continues running South across Emigrant Wilderness beyond the point where we Southbound PCT hikers turned East down Kennedy Canyon. The route of the PCT deflects off and around the Sierra Crest at the top of Kennedy Canyon, only to climb back to, and cross the Sierra Crestline passing through Dorothy Lake Pass into the North Yosemite Backcountry.

 

TYT South
From the Saint Marys Trailhead TYT hikers either hitch-hike or walk 9 miles West down Highway 108 to the mile-long rough paved road out to our Southbound TYT Trailhead on the South end of Kennedy Meadows Pack Station. I suggest hitch-hiking. The TYT continues South through Kennedy Meadows Pack Station to climb back to the Sierra Crest via two fantastic granite and volcanic canyons.

The Trail Guide Pages Listed Above
Our list of trail guide pages above cover the divergent routes of the TYT and PCT through the first part of their divergent routes across/around the Emigrant Wilderness as we are backpacking South from Highway 108 into the North end of Yosemite.

 

The Trail Guide Pages Listed Below
The trail guide pages of the unified TYT and PCT across North Yosemite to Tuolumne Meadows follow below.

Below the Below
Below the trail guide pages you will find links to the maps, miles and elevations figures, resupply information, and videos too! Your input is vital.

Post your reports and comments through the forums.

 

TRAIL FORUMS
TYT
Carson Iceberg Wilderness
PCT
Crestline Route

 

Top of Page

North Yosemite Backcountry
Trail Guide Pages

TYT and PCT
REJOIN
atop
Jack Main Canyon

to
Tuolumne Meadows
The North Yosemite Backcountry

The Southbound Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trails join just below the top of Jack Main Canyon to share most of the remaining 54 miles of trail South to Tuolumne Meadows. The exception is the TYT divergence around Tilden Lake where the PCT loops around Wilmer Lake.


TYT-PCT
"Reunification"
in
The North Yosemite Backcountry

 

4
TYT-PCT

Jack Main Canyon
to the
Tilden
and
Wilmer Lakes
Trail Junctions

 


The PCT and TYT routes
SPLIT
going around
Tilden and Wilmer Lakes

TYT loops around Tilden Lake
4a
TYT

The
Tilden Lake Loop
4b
PCT

Around
Wilmer Lake

The Tilden Lake Loop
is the last divergence of the
TYT and PCT.

South of Wilmer and Tilden Lakes the PCT and TYT routes are unified for the remainder of our hike South to
Tuolumne Meadows.

 


5
TYT-PCT


Stubblefield Canyon
to
Seavy Pass
6
TYT-PCT

Seavy Pass
to
Smedberg Lake
7
TYT-PCT


Smedberg Lake
to

Miller Lake
8
TYT-PCT


Miller Lake
to
Glen Aulin

9
TYT-PCT

Glen Aulin
to
Tuolumne Meadows


 

NEW
North Yosemite
TRAIL GUIDE PAGES
to
HETCH HETCHY
Side Routes
Off the
PCT-TYT

Lower Jack Main Canyon to Hetch Hetchy
Trail Guide Page

 

Tilden Lake to Hetch Hetchy via Tiltill Valley
and
Rancheria Falls
Trail Guide Page


Trail Guide Index

Top of Page

 

Highway 108
and

Highway 120
BACKPACKING RESUPPLY

 

 


North End South End
Kennedy Meadows Pack Station
Highway 108
Tuolumne Meadows
Highway 120


Backpacker Resupply Index

 

EMIGRANT WILDERNESS
&
TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST

7.5 minute
BACKPACKING MAPS

 

 

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail
MAPS

EMIGRANT WILDERNESS
South from Kennedy Meadows Pack Station
to Yosemite Boundary at Bond Pass

TYT
Kennedy Meadows
to
Bond Pass
Map Index


South

of
Kennedy Meadows
Pack Station

 



7.5 minute
topo hiking maps
South

Emigrant Wilderness
Hiking Maps

TYT
Kennedy Meadows

to
Relief Reservoir
TYT
Relief Reservoir

to

Brown Bear Pass

 



TYT
Brown Bear Pass

into
Jack Main Canyon
via
Bond Pass


Pacific Crest Trail
MAPS

TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST
South from Sonora Pass
to Yosemite Boundary at Dorothy Lake Pass

PCT
Sonora Pass
to
Tuolumne Meadows
Map Index

South
of
Sonora Pass

 

 

7.5 minute
topo hiking maps
South

Emigrant Wilderness
&
Toiyabe National Forest
Hiking Maps

PCT
Sonora Pass

over
Leavitt Peak

 

 

Toiyabe National Forest
Hiking Maps

PCT
Leavitt Peak

to
Bond Pass Junction
in
Jack Main Canyon
via
Dorothy Lake Pass


Fantastic local Backpacking Options
Note how the TYT and PCT routes each explore very different routes South from Highway 108, and converge in the Northwestern Corner of Yosemite at the top of Jack Main Canyon.
This configuration of routes across/around the Emigrant Wilderness is the basic outline of a grand backpacking loop around the Emigrant Wilderness. Hike the PCT South to the TYT in the top of Jack Main Canyon and then follow the TYT North to return through the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness.

The maps below show us we have the Tungsten Road and the Emigrant Pass Trails connecting the PCT with the TYT across the length of Emigrant Wilderness. These connector trails, including where the PCT and TYT come together in the top of Jack Main Canyon, give local hikers in the Emigrant-Toiyabe here lots of options to put together beautiful backpacking loops around the Highest Elevation portions of the Emigrant Wilderness and the adjacent Toiyabe National Forest.

Paper & Digital Maps for the Trails

Top of Page

 

 

NORTH YOSEMITE
TYT & PCT
7.5 minute detailed
BACKPACKING MAPS

 

 

SOUTHBOUND
TYT
& PCT
routes
Reunify at the Top of Jack Main Canyon,
split around Tilden and Wilmer Lakes, then rejoin once again
South of the Lakes between Bailey and Macomb Ridges:

7.5 minute
topo hiking maps
South

North
Yosemite National Park


1
TYT-PCT
Map


Jack Main Canyon
to
Tilden Lake
and
Wilmer Lake

(last PCT-TYT split)

PCT-TYT
Share route across North Yosemite

2
TYT-PCT
Map

Stubblefield Canyon
to
Bensen Lake
3
TYT-PCT
Map


Bensen Lake
to
Miller Lake
4
TYT-PCT
Map


Miller Lake
to
McCabe Lake trail junction
5
TYT-PCT
Map


McCabe junction
to
Glen Aulin

6
Hub
of the
TYT, PCT & JMT


Tuolumne Meadows Region
Backpacking Map

 

NEW
North Yosemite
TRAIL MAPS
Side Routes
Off
the
PCT-TYT

 

Lower Jack Main and Tilden Canyon
Trail Map
Rancheria Creek and Rodgers Canyon
Trail Map

 

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River
Trail Map

 

Bensen Lake Loop
Trail Map

 

Paper & Digital Maps for Trail Use

Top of Page

 

HIGHWAY 108
to
HIGHWAY 120

PCT & TYT

30 minute large scale
BACKPACKING MAPS

 

 

30 minute
topo hiking maps
South

Emigrant Wilderness
and
North
Yosemite National Park
30 Minute Backpacking Maps


1

Highway 108 TYT-PCT
across the
Sonora Pass Region
Trails Map


South to Yosemite
2

Sonora Pass
to

Bensen Lake
TRAIL MAP
3

Bensen Lake
to
Virginia Canyon
TRAIL MAP

4

Virginia Canyon
to
Tuolumne Meadows
TRAIL MAP


Paper & Digital Maps for Trail Use

Top of Page


HIGHWAY 108 to HIGHWAY 120

PCT & TYT

Miles
and
Elevations

 

 

 

TYT
Miles
and
Elevations

Kennedy Meadows
to
Bond Pass

Miles and Elevations
INDEX

 

PCT
Miles
and
Elevations

Sonora Pass
to
Tuolumne Meadows

Miles and Elevations
INDEX

Compare
TYT and PCT
Miles

 

The
Four
Main Highway 108 Trailheads

Emigrant Wilderness Hybrid
PCT to TYT

Kennedy Canyon to Grizzly Peak

Linking the Pacific Crest Trail to the Tahoe Yosemite Trail through The Emigrant Basin, to Bond Pass. The trail junction at Grizzly Peak in the High Emigrant Basin acts as a hub for trails from all compass points around the Emigrant Wilderness.
To the North is Sonora Pass, to the East is Leavitt Meadow and Leavitt Lake, to the West is Kennedy Meadows and to the South we find Tuolumne Meadows and Hetch Hetchy.Start at any of these trailheads and hike across the High Emigrant Basin to your destination trailhead.

Read, or add your own hiker's comments about this section of Trails and the Trail Segments it contains.

Route Options Discussion:
The Tahoe-Yosemite Trail

Resupply

Kennedy Meadows Pack Station
Full backpacker resupply facilities including showers, laundry, package service, and hospitality.
Tuolumne Meadows
Post office, store, sports shop, cafe.

Top of Page


TRAIL GUIDE INDEXES
North & South

North
TYT-PCT
Trail Guide
Index


Highway 4
to
Highway 108

South
JMT-PCT
Trail Guide
Index

Tuolumne
Meadows

to
Reds Meadow


South
JMT
Trail Guide
Index


Tuolumne
Meadows

to
Yosemite Valley

Back to the
Trail Section Index
Back to
The Trailhead

Contact
Alex Wierbinski

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Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney

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