About
Length (round trip)2.6 mi
ShapeOut-and-Back
DifficultyHard
Elevation gain1,300 ft up
Typical time2 hr
TrailheadHetch Hetchy Road
SurfaceVery steep rough path
Best seasonWaterfalls peak in May and June. Tioga and Glacier Point roads open late May or June and close with the first big snow.
DogsNot allowed
What you'll see 🌊 River or creek🌼 Wildflowers

This short, steep hike down to the Tuolumne River in Poopenaut Valley is a great spot for wildflowers in spring. Be aware that this is a steep hike on the return trip to the parking area. If you hike down, you must be able to hike back up! Parking is very limited. Distance: 2.5 miles (4 km) round-trip Elevation gain: 1,229 feet (375 m) Time estimate: 3-4 hours Tips & Hours Unlike other areas of Yosemite, the road to Hetch Hetchy is open from sunrise to sunset only. Hetch Hetchy trailheads are not reachable by vehicle when the road is closed. From November through March, the Hetch Hetchy Road may be subject to closures or chain requirements due to ice and snow. Call 209/372-0200 (press 1, then 1) for current road conditions. Pets are prohibited on all hiking trails. Swimming and boating are prohibited in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in order to maintain a clean source of drinking water.

Tips
Thirteen hundred feet down in just over a mile, and every foot of it back up. Spectacular spring wildflowers. Good fishing at the bottom.
Location

Hetch Hetchy Road

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Trail data: USGS National Map / PAD-US, the National Park Service, state agencies, and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Access and conditions change — check with the managing agency before you go.