Tue · Aug 11
San Francisco → Yosemite
Options: Tunnel View, Valley Loop, Lower Yosemite Fall.
Sleep: Yosemite.
August 11–16
Western Sierra
Wed · Aug 12
Yosemite
Pick one: Mist + Panorama, Yosemite Falls, or Four Mile Trail. Stargaze after dark.
Sleep: Yosemite.
Thu · Aug 13
Yosemite
Options: Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, or an easy Valley day.
Sleep: Yosemite.
Fri · Aug 14
Yosemite → Cedar Grove
Optional stop at General Grant Grove. Continue to Road’s End and sort gear.
Sleep: Cedar Grove.
Sat · Aug 15
Rae Lakes Loop
41.4-mile single-day run or fast hike. Start early and check current trail and river conditions.
Sleep: Cedar Grove.
Sun · Aug 16
Cedar Grove → Lone Pine
About 6 hours without stops. Break options: Kernville or Lake Isabella, Walker Pass, Fossil Falls.
Sleep: Lone Pine hotel or hostel.
August 17–21
Eastern Sierra
Mon · Aug 17
Lone Pine + Alabama Hills
Options: Mobius Arch, Movie Road, Whitney Portal, sunset, stargazing.
Sleep: designated dispersed campsite in Alabama Hills.
Tue · Aug 18
Bishop + Ancient Bristlecone Pines
Erick Schat’s Bakkery, then Schulman Grove. Choose a short grove walk or a longer bristlecone trail.
Sleep: Camp at Grandview Campground, or drive back through Bishop and continue north to Wild Willy’s / Long Valley.
Wed · Aug 19
Mammoth / Long Valley
Options: Little Lakes Valley, Big Pine Lakes, Convict Lake, Hot Creek, or an easy Mammoth day. Optional track workout for Tamsin at the Mammoth track.
Sleep: legal dispersed campsite near Wild Willy’s.
Thu · Aug 20
Mammoth options
Devils Postpile + Rainbow Falls, Mammoth Lakes Basin, June Lake swim, or another trail day. Check Reds Meadow road and shuttle access first.
Sleep: Wild Willy’s, or move north to legal dispersed camping near Panum Crater.
Fri · Aug 21
Big run or Mono Basin
Option A: Thousand Island Lake early, then June Lake swim. Option B: another Mammoth day, Obsidian Dome, Panum Crater, or Mono Lake.
Sleep: Wild Willy’s or legal dispersed camping near Panum Crater.
Run options
Little Lakes Valley to Gem Lakes
Runnable alpine-lake route; start early for parking.
7.3 mi · 1,062 ft
Big Pine Lakes Trail
Long, steep route to turquoise lakes below Temple Crag.
14.9 mi · 3,841 ft
Devils Postpile + Rainbow Falls
Shorter outing that pairs well with June Lake or Mammoth.
5 mi · 501 ft
Shadow, Garnet + Thousand Island Lake
Full-day loop. Start early; June Lake swim afterward only if time and energy allow.
17.4 mi · 3,133 ft
Easy stops
- June Lake
- Convict Lake
- Crowley Lake columns
- Hot Creek Geological Site
- Obsidian Dome
- Panum Crater walk
- Mono Lake South Tufa
Camping
- Alabama Hills: signed designated sites; free permit required.
- Grandview: near Schulman Grove; no potable water.
- Wild Willy’s / Long Valley: use a legal existing dispersed site.
- Panum Crater area: camp on legal dispersed land nearby, not at the day-use trailhead.
August 22–23
Return via Tioga Pass
Sat · Aug 22
Mono Basin → Yosemite
Options before Tioga Pass: Panum Crater, South Tufa, Obsidian Dome. In Yosemite: Tuolumne Meadows, Tenaya Lake, Olmsted Point.
Sleep: Yosemite or west of the park.
Sun · Aug 23
Yosemite → San Francisco
Optional short morning walk, then drive back. Leave buffer for Sunday traffic.