Piute Pass- North Lake trailhead

The drive from Mammoth to Yosemite Valley is about 2 1/2 hrs.

So a 5 hour round trip doesn’t leave you much time in Yosemite

if you come back the same day.

If it was me I’d drive from SFO to Yosemite first and sightsee

there with maybe an overnight in Tolumne Meadows to acclimatize a bit.

Then drive on over and down to Bishop and get your Permit. Then up the hill to North Lake to camp at the Camp Ground overnight to start your hike the next morning.  BTW You will have to leave your car at the Parking Lot about a mile below the CG.

The North Lake to South Lake Loop was the first real Back Pack I did back in the early 70’s.  It’s a beautiful hike.  You will see much more than hanging around Humphrey’s Basin for 4 days.

Larry Swearingen

Great information and Thank you Larry. I didn’t realize it would take quite so long to get to Yosemite. I might have that for another trip and drive straight from SFO to Mammoth and then the campsite the next day/ night.

larry is right on.

north lake campground can be busy, but there are quite a few campgrounds along the road’s to north and south lake. one even takes reservations.

not to toot my own trip report horn, but i did the north lake/south lake loop last september with a diversion through humphrey’s basin. it was a great route and sounds like it just might be what you are after? it’s here.

have fun.

Thanks Ben. I read your report many times (including last night). Once I get the maps I will firm up a plan. Another option might be to head off trail south after piute pass and still link up with the JMT to finish the “loop”

i’m not sure where you mean re: ‘head off trail south after piute pass.’ there are a ton of great lakes south/southwest of the pass, but actually getting over the glacier divide to hook back up with the JMT might be a tall order for a first off trail adventure.

if you skip humphrey’s/piute pass altogether, there’s lamarck col/darwin bench.

you actually have a lot of options for off trail action all along the north/south lake loop. humphrey’s, lamarck/darwin bench, mcgee lakes, davis lake, dusy basin…

Thanks Ben. I guess I should have realized that but have only looked at the area briefly on CalTopo. Once the map arrives I’ll plan something out and post here to get feedback. I appreciate your input.

If you have a yen to try your hand at some off-trail wandering, Humphreys Basin is a great place to do it, as is French Canyon right to the north, which can be got at on trail via Hutchinson meadow or off trail via a few passes over the intervening ridge. Both have very open terrain, easy walking and navigation. Qualitative comparisons of one route over another are totally dependent on taste, so I won’t try to make any. But rest assured, you cannot go anywhere via Piute Pass that is not gorgeous. As to North Lake/south lake loop versus wandering around Humphreys and/or French Canyon and environs, really just different styles of trip. One is from here to there, the other is wandering. Just depends which of those most suits your taste and your mood.

You’ll be driving right through Yosemite to get from SF to Bishop, so it’d be best to plan it during the day so you at least get to see the park through the windshield.  120 is one of the most beautiful drives in the country.  I second the recommendation to camp in Tuolumne Meadows or Saddlebag Lake (even higher) the first night to acclimate and then just drive/get permit/start hiking the second day.  I did the North Lake/South Lake loop a few years ago.  Amazing hike!  I also completely agree with the advice about doing a trail hike vs. off trail…totally depends on what you’re looking for.  Another option if you’re looking for some off-trail fun would be to climb a couple peaks in Evolution Basin. I’ve heard they’re mostly class 2 and pretty easy to scramble up.

I think Reno, NV is a 3 hour drive to Bishop compared to more like 6 hours from SF. It might be worth flying into.

Thanks everyone for their input.

Matt- I thought about Reno (and was not dead set on SFO) but based on what Owen is saying above, it might be worth going through SFO just to experience the drive and see Yosemite since we likely won’t be able to spend any time their otherwise.

Owen– Thank you for the suggestion to camp at Tuolumne Meadows. Do you know how tough it is to get walk-in permits in the summer (Sunday August 6th would be the exact day)? My thoughts now are to camp their Sunday night, go get my permit Monday morning, camp at the trailhead on Monday night, and start the hike on Tuesday AM.

Another question (which I know has been beaten to death) is: Should I line up a shuttle from South Lake to North Lake for the day of exit or try my luck with hitchhiking?

Thanks again for all the feedback.

Just my $.02 but I think time spent driving through Yosemite (heavy traffic) and hitting a couple spots (tourists) can be spent in better ways.

If you are going to shuttle do it on the first day so that you are hiking to your car. That way it doesn’t matter if you are early/late. Also you can try to hitch on day 1. Also assuming you have seen that you can walk on trails from South Lake to Lake Sabrina and then I think you road walk to North Lake. The turn off is right below Sabrina, I’d think you could catch an easy hitch there… Lots of locals in pickup trucks. I’d be surprised if one of them didn’t let you hop in the back.

Unsolicited protip: it is pronounced sah-bry-nuh. Not Sabrina like the teenage witch if you know what I mean. I gor corrected on that one at the permit office.

i’d tend to agree with matthew.

120 is a great drive, but i don’t think there’s anything you’ll see coming over that road that is more impressive or beautiful than what you’ll find in kings canyon.

i’ve never flown to reno, but driving down 395 to bishop is beautiful as well. it’s also worth noting that while SFO is a great airport, renting a car there is – for some reason – a total nightmare.

just my opinion. 120 is cool too :)

Previous comments are quite good.  I will add a few additional comments:

You can pick up a NFS Wilderness permit at the Lee Vining or Mammoth Ranger Stations, which are on your driving route; do not have to drive to Bishop.  When driving south on Hwy 395 to the Bishop Creek drainage (North, South Lakes, etc.), turn west on Ed Powers Road, which is shorter than driving to Bishop.

If you want to spend one night at a lodge to acclimate before heading out, there are three lodges in the Bishop drainage: Parchers (near South Lake TH), Bishop Creek and Cardinal Resort.  Parchers used to offer a reasonably priced shuttle service from South Lake TH to North Lake TH.  As mentioned, nice to hike back to one’s car.  On weekends, the South Lake TH parking lot fills up as the day progresses; if so, park down the road.

Re Yosemite, in August there will be traffic in Yosemite, especially on the Valley Floor; Hwy 120 skips the Valley Floor and heads up to Tuolumne Meadows.  However, landing SFO, picking up a rental car and driving to/around Yosemite is a long day.  August 6 is a Sunday, which means more traffic than Monday the 7th.  Yosemite is beautiful, but so are all other parts of the Sierra.

Flying to/from Reno does not exclude Yosemite; can drive 120 to Tuolumne Meadows, possibly down to the Valley Floor and then reverse.  Or fly into Reno, out of SFO or reverse, if possible.  To/from SFO means two drives through Yosemite.  Could drive through Yosemite one way and take Sonora Pass the other direction.

Lastly, the North Lake/South Lake loop is beautiful and, in August, very popular (JMT hikers, etc.) so if possible, try to bag some off trail miles, regardless how few.

Sean – I wouldn’t count on getting a walk-up spot at Tuolumne Meadows Campground.  They do have a $6 per night “backpackers campground” which always has room if you’re willing to be polite and share space with neighbors, but you’re officially supposed to have a permit to backpack in Yosemite to stay there.

Saddlebag lake is higher than TM at 10k feet, which may put you higher than you want to be the first night, but it’s a great place to sleep for acclimating.  You could probably get a walk-up there easier than TM, too.

Another thing to consider with driving through Yosemite is that it’s $30 to enter unless you have a national parks pass.  You get a week with your entrance fee, so you would likely be driving back within that window, but it’s another thing to keep in mind as you plan your trip.

I like the ideas of flying into Reno.  It might be worth it to shorten your drive and not have to deal with the Bay Area so much.

As for the loop, I didn’t have any problems hitchhiking back to my car after the hike.  It took a little while, as it was three separate rides, but fairly easy.  YMMV..

Thank you Owen. I will consider everything once I start nailing down additional logistics.

You might also want to consider what we did:  stay at Parchers’s (or the Forest Service campground right down the road) and do an out and back day hike to acclimatize.  I think they charged us $80.00 to shuttle, and the wild ride and conversation was well worth it!

+1 on flying to Reno instead of Bay Area.

When you talk about visiting “Yosemite” you need to clarify which of the two different drive-in destinations you mean: the valley, or Tuolumne (aka highway 120, aka Tioga Pass). The valley is an unmatched scenic wonder, but it is very crowded in August and is a long way out of the way. IMHO, Tuolumne Meadows does not compete with the scenic beauty of the region you’ll visit while backpacking, and driving 120 across Tioga Pass can be a traffic jam in August.

If you fly to Reno, you can still drive up to Tuolumne Meadows if that is important, and it will be less time consuming than coming at it from Bay Area.

First-time visitors are usually amazed when they see Yosemite Valley for the first time.  Yes, there will be crowds  in August.  But it’s still worth a trip at some time.  Get up early to avoid some of the crowds, see the iconic places and then move on.  Over the years our guests we take to Yosemite have also thrilled with the views from Glacier Point.  Absolutely magnificent-all that granite for as far as you can see!

Traffic and crowds are a problem but if you’re not sure you’ll be that way again, then a quick visit to Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point can also bring lifetime memories.

Any early thoughts on what the snow might look like in early August on the Loop or is still too early to tell?