Parking
Start at Tamarack Flat Campground, reached by a narrow three-mile access road off Tioga Road. Finish at Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley. Arrange a pickup or separate vehicles before starting; the route does not return to the trailhead.
Overview
About Tamarack Flat to Yosemite Valley Trail
Why go
- Crosses the north rim from Tamarack Flat to Yosemite Valley in one day.
- Combines views from El Capitan, Eagle Peak, and Upper Yosemite Fall.
- Moves from high forest and meadowland to a long waterfall descent.
Heads up
- A strenuous 17-mile day with about 3,500 feet of cumulative climbing.
- Point-to-point logistics require a prearranged pickup or separate vehicles.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation4,091–7,723 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureDome Fire closes Glacier Point Road and trailsGlacier Point Road is temporarily closed because Dome Fire smoke reduces visibility and to allow firefighting operations; some trails south of the road are also closed.Official details
- CautionMist Trail access limited during October repairsThe Mist Trail between its John Muir Trail junction above the Vernal Fall footbridge and the top of Vernal Fall has limited access through October for repair work.Official details
“You're approaching Tamarack Flat, a forest tent campground near Tamarack Creek. Choose it for a wooded camping base, with Yosemite Valley about forty-five minutes away by road.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Yosemite, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Tamarack Flat Campground0:00 / 0:32
“You're approaching Tamarack Flat, a forest tent campground near Tamarack Creek. Choose it for a wooded camping base, with Yosemite Valley about forty-five minutes away by road.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Lizard Doing Push-Ups
- Black Bears in Brown Coats
- A President Under Forty Blankets
- Wooden Eggs on the Cliffs
- 125 audio storiesacross Yosemite’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Peregrine Falcon, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 141 trails, 99 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Trail guide
Hiking Tamarack Flat to Yosemite Valley Trail
A north-rim crossingThis is about 17 miles one way from Tamarack Flat Campground to Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley.
This is about 17 miles one way from Tamarack Flat Campground to Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley. The route follows the Old Big Oak Flat Road corridor and several connected paths across the north rim, reaching the summit of El Capitan and the Eagle Peak overlook before heading to the top of Upper Yosemite Fall. It then descends the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail to the Valley floor. The distance includes short out-and-back spurs to El Capitan’s summit and the Eagle Peak overlook. Allow about 10 to 12 hours, including time for the views; this is a strenuous full-day hike with about 3,500 feet of cumulative climbing.
Arrange the finish firstThis is a point-to-point route, not a loop.
This is a point-to-point route, not a loop. You finish at Camp 4, far from the Tamarack Flat start, so arrange a pickup or separate vehicles before setting out. Tamarack Flat is reached by a narrow three-mile access road off Tioga Road, and access is seasonal with the high-country road. The walk is not a way back to your car.
Find the route across the rimFrom Tamarack Flat, follow the old road corridor east, then turn onto the El Capitan Trail.
From Tamarack Flat, follow the old road corridor east, then turn onto the El Capitan Trail. The mapped itinerary reaches El Capitan’s summit before continuing across the rim. Take the short spur to the Eagle Peak overlook, return to the main route, and continue north through forest and meadowland toward Yosemite Falls. Because this long route joins several paths and an old road, carry an offline route map and check it at junctions.
El Capitan and Eagle PeakThe summit and overlook are the big pauses on the high rim.
The summit and overlook are the big pauses on the high rim. El Capitan looks down over Yosemite Valley; Eagle Peak opens a broad view across the Valley toward the high country. The detours add distance, but they are the reason to take this cross-rim itinerary instead of treating it as a fast descent to the Falls.
Down from Upper Yosemite FallAt the top of Upper Yosemite Fall, the route turns south and joins the long switchbacks of the…
At the top of Upper Yosemite Fall, the route turns south and joins the long switchbacks of the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail. After the quieter rim paths, this is a sustained, steep descent into the busy Valley. Take your time on the switchbacks, and keep the waterfall and granite wall in the frame if you stop for a photo; the rock gives the cascade its scale.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yosemite
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
