This stretch of trail has a lot of intricate old tail work (steps, etc.) although much of it has crumbled over time. Soon enough we have our first big push of the hike as the trail ascends roughly 1000 feet to gain the ridgeline east of Tenaya Canyon. The first 1.5 miles of the hike are pleasant and mostly level as the trail wanders south through the forested landscape of rolling granite formations. (Rocks have been put in place to help with the stream crossing, but in spring melt conditions, you are still likely to get your feet wet.) You will pass two trail junctions very early in the hike make sure you follow the signs to Cloud Rest and or Sunrise High Sierra Camp. Summer to autumn (whenever Tioga Road is open for the season and the route is not covered in snow)įrom the parking lot, follow the trail south and cross Tenaya Creek. Roughly 2000-feet of elevation gain in two separate pushes with a 400-ft descent in between. Sunrise Trailhead off of Tioga Road, just south of Tenaya Lakeħ-10 hours to summit of Clouds Rest and back Extra parking can be found along the sides of the road but look out for any 'no parking here' signs. The small parking lot on the south side of the road is well-marked but is almost always full. The Sunrise Trailhead is located along Tioga Road, roughly 1.4 miles east of Olmsted Point at the south end of Tenaya Lake. The final push up the narrow and exposed ridgeline is a thrilling experience. A hike in from Tioga Road to the north makes for a more reasonable day hike through some beautiful wilderness scenery. While it is possible to hike from Yosemite Valley up to the summit of Clouds Rest, the strenuousness of the 16-mile round trip with 6000' of elevation gain will discourage all but the strongest hikers. With an elevation over 1000 higher than Half Dome and massive bare walls that slope thousands of feet down into Tenaya Canyon, Clouds Rest is an impressive peak that can be seen from all over the park, including Tunnel View and Olmsted Point.

Yosemite clouds rest trail map