Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
Photo by Anshul Jain on Unsplash
Photo by Oleg Chursin on Unsplash
Photo by Hari Nandakumar on Unsplash
4 Days in Yosemite Backcountry: Cathedral Lakes to Sunrise Basin
This 4-day itinerary explores Yosemite's High Sierra backcountry, starting with a drive from the Bay Area to the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead on Tioga Road. Backpackers hike to Lower Cathedral Lake for the first night, cross the alpine Cathedral Pass at 9,700 feet on day two, and descend into the Upper Sunrise Lake basin for a second night at 9,400 feet. Day three brings a descent to Sunrise Lakes Trailhead, a hot meal at Tuolumne Meadows Grill, and a final night at the developed Tuolumne Meadows Campground. The trip wraps up on day four with a stop at El Capitan Meadow before the drive back to the Bay Area. Suited to hikers with moderate backcountry experience and a 4x4 SUV for trailhead access.
Built stop by stop, not written as an article.
Xavier starts with this location and helps you build your own version of the trip.
- Days
- 4
- Stops
- 17
- Driving
- 367 mi
- On foot
- 16.3 mi
- Overnights
- 4
- Level
- moderate
Published by Xploreum · August 2026
ARE YOU XPLORER MATERIAL?
The average Xplorer every year...
Sleeps outside 24 nights
Explores 1,800 miles
Covers 500 miles on foot, skis, bikes, boats and trails
Experiences a 120°F temperature difference
Discovers 18 new places
Does something for the first time 18 times
Sees the Milky Way 11 nights
Takes 6 people on their first adventure
Spends 240 hours away from notifications
Creates stories remembered for decades
The shape of it
How the route moves
4 days and 17 stops, covering 367 mi of driving, 16.3 mi on foot. Every distance comes from the route records behind this Xpedition.
Route overview, not navigation
Stops are shown at place level. Each leg is coloured by the travel mode we infer from the stops at either end, then drawn along that network: blue for driving and magenta for walking. The mode is our inference, not a confirmed record of how the route was travelled. A grey dashed leg is one we could not route, shown as a straight overview instead. This is an overview of the route, not a turn-by-turn track, and it is not suitable for navigation.
The itinerary
Day by day
All 17 stops, free to read. Every day is editable once the route is yours.
Photo by Hari Nandakumar on Unsplash
Into the High Sierra
- 173 mi drive
- 4 mi on foot
- Night: Lower Cathedral Lake backcountry camp
The trip begins with a roughly 3.5-hour drive east from the Bay Area to Yosemite. The first stop is the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center to pick up the wilderness permit and rent a bear canister, with park entry included. From there it's a short drive to the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead on Tioga Road, where the hiking begins. The trail to Lower Cathedral Lake runs about 4 miles one-way with roughly 980 feet of elevation gain, passing through granite meadows and pine forest beneath the striking profile of Cathedral Peak. Camp is set on granite at Lower Cathedral Lake, with time to filter water and watch alpenglow settle over the peak as evening arrives.
Bay Area DepartureDrive
Departure from the Bay Area. Refuel and grab refreshments before the approximately 3.5-hour drive east.
+171 mi along the route
Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness CenterDrive
Pick up wilderness permit and bear canister rental. Park entry included.
+2.5 mi along the route
Cathedral Lakes TrailheadDrive
Trailhead parking on Tioga Road. Pack up and hit the trail.
+4 mi along the route
Lower Cathedral LakeHike
Classic High Sierra lake beneath Cathedral Peak. 6.4 km one-way, 300m gain through granite meadows and pine forest.
Lower Cathedral Lake Backcountry Camplodge
Backcountry camp on granite at Lower Cathedral Lake. Set up, filter water, watch the alpenglow on Cathedral Peak.
Photo by Des Récits on Unsplash
Cathedral Pass to Sunrise Basin
- 7.3 mi on foot
- Night: Upper Sunrise Lake backcountry camp
After breaking camp and filtering water, the day starts with an early push toward Cathedral Pass. The climb covers about 2 miles from camp with 920 feet of gain, crossing meadows and granite slabs to reach the high alpine pass at 9,700 feet elevation. From the pass, the route descends through lodgepole forest toward the Upper Sunrise Lake basin, a stretch of about 5.3 miles that includes 560 feet of gain and 1,150 feet of descent. Camp for the night is set at Upper Sunrise Lake, elevation 9,400 feet, with plenty of time to rest and explore the surrounding basin after an early arrival.
Lower Cathedral Lake Backcountry Camplodge
Break camp, filter water, and pack up. Early start for the pass crossing.
+2 mi along the route
Cathedral PassHike
High alpine pass at 9,700 ft elevation. 3.2 km from camp, 280m gain through meadows and granite slabs.
+5.3 mi along the route
Upper Sunrise LakeHike
Descend from Cathedral Pass through lodgepole forest to Upper Sunrise Lake basin. 8.5 km, 170m gain and 350m descent.
Upper Sunrise Lake Backcountry Camplodge
Backcountry camp at Upper Sunrise Lake, elevation 9,400 ft. Set up early, rest, and explore the basin.
Photo by Cloris Ying on Unsplash
Descent and Recovery
- 8.3 mi drive
- 5.1 mi on foot
- Night: Tuolumne Meadows Campground
The day begins with breaking camp at Upper Sunrise Lake and preparing for the descent back toward Tioga Road. The hike out to Sunrise Lakes Trailhead covers about 5.1 miles with a descent of roughly 1,800 feet, winding through granite domes and forest. At the trailhead, it's time to drop packs, rest, and prep the vehicle before heading to Tuolumne Meadows Grill for a well-earned hot meal, burgers, fries, and ice cream after two and a half days in the backcountry. The night is spent at Tuolumne Meadows Campground, a developed site with flush toilets, bear boxes, and picnic tables for a comfortable final night before heading home.
Upper Sunrise Lake Backcountry Camplodge
Break camp at Upper Sunrise Lake. Pack up and prep for the descent back to Tioga Road.
+5.1 mi along the route
Sunrise Lakes TrailheadHike
Descend from Upper Sunrise Lake to Sunrise Lakes Trailhead on Tioga Road. 8.2 km, 550m descent through granite domes and forest.
Sunrise Lakes TrailheadDrive
Reach the trailhead parking. Drop packs, rest, and prepare the vehicle.
+8.1 mi along the route
Tuolumne Meadows Grillmeal
Hot food and cold drinks after 2.5 days in the backcountry. Burgers, fries, and ice cream available.
+0.2 mi along the route
Tuolumne Meadows Campgroundlodge
Developed campground with flush toilets, bear boxes, and picnic tables. Final night before the drive home.
Photo by Nate Foong on Unsplash
Return to the Bay
- 186 mi drive
- Night: Home
The last day starts with breaking camp at Tuolumne Meadows Campground and packing the vehicle, including returning the rented bear canister to the Wilderness Center if needed. On the way out, a stop at El Capitan Meadow offers a classic view across to El Capitan's 3,000-foot granite face, a fitting final Yosemite moment. From there, it's an approximately 3.5-hour drive west through the foothills and Central Valley back to the Bay Area.
Tuolumne Meadows Campgroundlodge
Break camp, pack the vehicle, and prep for the drive home. Return bear canister to Wilderness Center if rented.
+14.9 mi along the route
El Capitan MeadowViewpoint
Classic viewpoint across the meadow to El Capitan's 3,000-foot granite face. Final Yosemite moment before the exit.
+171 mi along the route
Bay Area ArrivalDrive
Return to the Bay Area. Approximately 3.5-hour drive west through the foothills and Central Valley.
4 days does not quite fit?
Take this route as your starting point and reshape it around your dates, your pace, and the stops you care about most.
WHAT XPLORERS ARE SAYING
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I took a look at the program and found it quite cool to use. I did not give it a lot of prompts and it gave me a really neat place to hike in my home state. I think it works really well.
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Before you go
What this route assumes
Only the fields this route actually holds data for.
Where you sleep
Overnight areas in route order: Lower Cathedral Lake backcountry camp, Upper Sunrise Lake backcountry camp, Tuolumne Meadows Campground, Home. Xavier pairs each with live lodging options once the route is yours.
Vehicle
Built as a 4x4 suv route, multi-day backpacking and camping. Xavier adapts it to what you actually drive.
Level
Paced for moderate travelers. Days can be split or merged to change the load.
How this Xpedition was built
Assembled from structured route and waypoint records, not written as an article, and reviewed before publication. Confirm conditions, closures, and permits before you travel.
- Route structured
- Distances calculated
- Reviewed before publication
- Published August 2026
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Make this Xpedition yours.
Dates, pace, lodging, vehicle, and who is coming can all be rebuilt around you, starting from this exact route: 4 Days in Yosemite Backcountry: Cathedral Lakes to Sunrise Basin.
You keep
- The full 4 day route, editable day by day
- Distances and pacing recalculated around you
- One conversation to change anything