Trip Highlights:
For the hiker wanting to see it all, this Yosemite backpacking adventure offers stunning views of the park's most famous landmarks from rarely seen perspectives. Experience the adrenaline rush of peering over the sheer 3,000 foot face of El Capitan –the mecca of rock climbers around the world. Feel the mist of the roaring Yosemite Falls as you stand over the water plunging nearly 1,500 feet to the pool below making it one of the tallest free-falling waterfalls in the world. Have lunch while gazing down on the granite bubble North Dome and relax while watching the sunset on the valley from Eagle Peak. This is a bucket list backpacking trip that lets you get up close and personal with scenes most people only see on postcards in the gift shop.
Length
Price
Per Person
All 2025 dates remain tentative until confirmed 22-23 weeks in advance.
Yosemite Reservations: Participation in Lasting Adventures programs, trips, and/or tours includes entry during any time period when reservations are needed to enter Yosemite.
All dates remain tentative until permitted 22 weeks in advance. Please refrain from making travel arrangements outside of this timeline. We will contact you if we are unsuccessful in obtaining your dates. Feel free to contact us if you would like to confirm.
For a detailed map with elevation profile of the tentative itinerary, click here: Map.
Day 1: Meet your guide in Curry Village at 4 pm. While staying in the Yosemite Valley backpacker’s camp you will get acquainted with the group, gear and trip logistics. Once camp is set up, you are free to explore short Yosemite Valley hikes per the recommendation of the guide. Camping in the Yosemite Valley Backpackers Campsite. Yosemite Valley is at roughly 4,000′ in elevation. Today’s Mileage: 0 mi / +0′, -0′
Day 2: After breakfast and packing up the campsite, we will shuttle to the trailhead near the Yosemite Lodge where we will hike 3.2 miles up one of Yosemite’s most classic trails out of the Valley gaining ~2,500 feet ascending to the top of Yosemite Falls. This trail, despite being a strenuous climb, provides excellent views of Half Dome, Glacier Point and Yosemite Valley. From the top you will have the opportunity to watch the falls plummet thousands of feet to the pools below. From here, we will hike about another half mile and set up camp next to the babbling Yosemite Creek at an elevation of about 6820′. Today’s Mileage: 3.2 mi / +2,820′, -0′
Note: For Day 2, during hot weather spells we may switch the starting location to a high-elevation location on Tioga Road, making the first day ~7 miles of mostly downhill.
Day 3: Wake up to a delicious breakfast, before packing a considerably lighter day pack and hiking up about 800 feet over 4.7 miles to El Capitan where you can experience the summit of the world’s largest granite monolith without taking the hard route climbing up the face. If you’re lucky, you may even see one of Yosemite’s world famous rock climbers topping out after days on the wall. After lunch at the top, we will descend 4.7 miles back to our camp and maybe even head over to Eagle Peak for sunset if time allows. Today’s Mileage: 9.4 mi / +800′, -800′. Additional mileage of 1.1 plus 370′ elevation change for the optional hike to Eagle Peak.
Day 4: Today will be our longest day as we will leave camp in the morning and climb up to Yosemite Point—a famous viewpoint within the park showcasing Half Dome, the Valley and the dramatic Clark Range. We will then hike 5 miles ascending ~1,000 feet along the rim of Yosemite Valley and enjoy ever changing views of the granite below. Finally, we will continue another 5 miles along Indian Ridge past Basket Dome and Indian Rock to the Snow Creek Junction then down to our campsite where will catch the sun setting on the looming face of Half Dome. Our campsite tonight is at approximately 6,720′. Today’s Mileage: 10.5 mi / +1,720′, -1,700′
Day 5: We will descend 2.5 miles and about 2,600 feet in the final morning. Along the way you’ll get spectacular views of Half Dome before arriving at the Valley floor. We will then hike along the Tenaya Creek past Mirror Lake as we make our way back to Curry Village. Typically we end this trip between 11 am – 1 pm. Today’s Mileage: 4.8 mi / +0′, -2,750′
NOTES:
REQUIRED FORMS
In addition to full payment, the final acceptance of any participant is subject to receipt and review of all the Required Forms. These forms are also attached to your confirmation email once you register online.
We will require an additional medical release for any guests on multi-day trips, any “Half Dome in a Day” hiker, or any guest who is currently under the care of a physician for any ongoing disease, illness, or any other condition/factor that may be a concern on the trip.
DIETARY CONSTRAINTS
Although we are able to accommodate many specific dietary constraints and choices, we prepare foods in a facility with peanuts, gluten, soy, and other major allergens and are not certified as an ‘allergen-free’ facility. We take steps to limit the risk of cross-contamination, but we cannot guarantee that the foods we prepare will be fully free of major allergens.
We have experience in accommodating a variety of dietary choices and concerns, including, but not limited to:
If we have questions or concerns about the information on your medical form, we will call you the day before your trip to ensure we are packing foods you are able to eat without issue.
TRADITIONAL BACKPACKING
Lasting Adventures runs “traditional backpacking” trips. This is done without using porters, stock, or other outside assistance. For this trip, you will be expected to carry your personal gear, a share of the group gear, and food in a backpack. The weight can be expected to be 30-50 lb. and no more than the recommended ⅓ of your body weight.
As needed, it is recommended that participants discuss their ability to fully participate in a backpacking trip with their doctor, including (but not limited to) the ability to carry heavy loads over long distances and strenuous and uneven terrain. Levels of difficulty listed on our website are relative and in no way an objective declaration of difficulty. A regular physical exercise program is recommended before going on your adventure.
TRIP ITINERARIES
All trips are subject to itinerary changes for various reasons, including, but not limited to permitting, weather, forest fires, park or public land closures, and/or road closures. In most situations, we will offer an alternative itinerary of equal value and quality or a credit equal to the total amount paid through the end of the following season. Payments are non-refundable for itinerary changes. If a trip is canceled before its start date due to circumstances beyond our control, a credit equal to the total amount paid will be issued.
STAFF SCHEDULES
Due to the nature of backpacking, our guides work long hours. To provide the best possible experience to our guests and guides, we limit the number of hours our guides work to 15 hours per day. Guides will not be required to be available from 9 pm to 6 am unless the group agrees to a different period before this standard break.
During time off, our guides will be available for emergencies but should be allowed to rest and not be considered available for other purposes outside of working hours. Please don’t request non-time-sensitive assistance from guides during this period. Our guides are also entitled to take 10 minutes every four hours and 30-minute meal breaks every 5 hours, between 6 am and 9 pm. We appreciate your cooperation with these scheduling requirements.
COUPONS
See our Coupon Use Terms and Conditions.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
For your protection and ours, we strongly recommend the purchase of Travel Insurance, which can provide you with coverage for trip cancellation/interruption (including COVID-19), travel delay, medical expenses, emergency assistance, airfare, and baggage loss/delay to protect your financial investment. We recommend those with “cancel for any reason” clauses included. See reviews of some of the best Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance Options presented by Forbes or Squaremouth. Othe
Travel Insurance is the easiest and best way to protect yourself and our smaller non-profit organization against last-minute cancellations. We are happy to provide timely and accurate documentation for any insurance claim related to our trips when requested. Please remember that when canceling a reservation, you must first contact the company responsible for ensuring your reservation.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Full payment is preferred for all backpacking trips and youth programs/summer camps. During check-out, you may pay a 50% deposit at the time of booking and the remaining 50% at least 30 days from departure. If choosing this option, you can either complete payment on your own with the self-service link in the confirmation email, or you will be billed automatically at or shortly after the 30-day interval for the remaining amount. Final Lodging/Hiking package payments are due 45 days in advance. Any new multi-day booking made at/within 45 days in advance must be paid in full. Feel free to contact us directly to set up any other payment plan.
When registering online, expect to pay a booking fee of 3.0% (which is capped at $30) and a processing fee of 2.7% (no cap). These fees can be avoided when paying by check. For detailed information, see our Payment Options page.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICIES
Lasting Adventures reserves the right to cancel trips. If a trip is canceled due to circumstances beyond our control, a credit equal to the total amount paid will be issued. Lasting Adventures is not responsible for additional expenses incurred while preparing for the trip.
The following cancellation policy is only for trips booked directly through our official website, lastingadventures.com. If you have booked via a third-party website (such as TripAdvisor/Viator, bookyogaretreats.com, or 57Hours), the below policy does not apply, and you are held to the third-party’s cancellation policy.
Multi-Day Adventures/Summer Camps Cancellation Policy
48-Hour Risk-Free Cancellation Policy
Any reservation can be canceled within 48 hours of the initial booking, and we will grant you a full refund minus a 2.7% processing fee for credit card transactions. After 48 hours, our standard terms and conditions apply. To cancel, please email us at staff@lastingadventures.org or leave a voicemail at 800-513-8651. This policy does not apply if the booked trip occurs within 96 hours of the initial booking.
Fire/Smoke Cancellation Policy
Fire/smoke cancellations are considered circumstances beyond our control. If your chosen travel insurance does not cover fire/smoke cancellations, a credit equal to the total amount paid will be issued. If we cancel during your adventure with us, we will issue a non-refundable credit equal to the dollar amount associated with the number of days not used. In both cases, these credits will be lifetime/transferable but non-refundable.
Other Considerations
Departing From a Trip: Once a participant has joined a trip and the trip has begun, no refunds or credits will be issued, regardless of the reason for departure. Costs associated with assisting a participant with evacuating from the wilderness will be passed on to the participant. Travel Insurance is strongly recommended.
Minimum Participants: Our Guide Service multi-day trips have a two-person minimum. (Yoga trips have a three-person minimum.) Our Summer Camps have a four-person minimum. Should we fall short on these minimums, we will contact you 30 days before your scheduled start date with options that may include switching to another trip/date and/or a single-participant surcharge.
Infectious Illness Policy (including COVID): Any participant on any program/trip with any sign/symptom of a potential illness will not be able to participate, and no refund or credits will be given. Many forms of Travel Insurance cover these circumstances. We ask that you screen yourself and/or your child before participating and contact us to cancel if any sign of illness is present. Health screenings can be expected in all youth programs.
Half Dome & Other Summits: Reaching the top of a summit, such as Half Dome, is risky and can be made far worse by inclement weather. While we aim to get everyone to the top, summiting is not guaranteed. Lightning and rain can be deadly on exposed summits, and our experienced guides may have to call off a summit bid if weather conditions are unfavorable. You will not be allowed to summit using a Lasting Adventures permit should the experienced guide decide the conditions are not favorable.
TRIP CHANGE/CREDIT POLICY
Once you book a trip with Lasting Adventures, the value you paid is valid towards switching to another trip in the current or the coming year, pending available spaces on the new trip. Changes to your booking and conversion to credit must occur more than 30 days before your original start date. Changes within 30 days are subject to fees. Once changed to a lifetime/transferrable credit, credits are non-refundable and are a dollar-for-dollar value.
COUPONS
See our Coupon Use Terms and Conditions.
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All Lasting Adventures Backpacking trips require trailhead permits which we gain 22-24 weeks in advance through a lottery process. Should you register for a date that we are unsuccessful in gaining permits for, we will work with you to pick other dates or trips with full cancellation/refund always the final option.
