California Yosemite National Park Hiking Adventure Tour

Your Guides

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The best people to immerse you in a destination are the ones who live there, which is why we feature local Adventure Guides on our trips. Here are a few that you might meet on this adventure.

Joel Clark

Never without his old battered hat, given to him by his grandfather, Joel Clark has an addiction to the wide open spaces of the West. He has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and charted his own cross-country trek across the Mojave Desert totaling some 8,000 miles. Joel is an experienced guide, leading adventure tours and horse riding expeditions through the canyon lands of Southern Utah for nearly 10 years. When he gets out his guitar around the campfire, bring a handkerchief because you're going to hear some soulful old cowboy songs.

Nicole Stratman

When Nicole was introduced to the world of guiding, she finally knew she had found her tribe. After spending time working in New Zealand and Australia, she returned home with a new world perspective and spent the next five years guiding internationally clients around North America. It brings her great joy to educate guests about geology, history and to find intriguing new spots along the journey. When she's not guiding, you can find her living on the road full-time with her fellow guide and partner, Jack, in their converted Dodge Promater, working with United By Blue national waterway cleanups, and skydiving with whoever cares to take the plunge.

Brad Indy Holmes

Growing up in the Adirondack region of upstate New York, Indy was embedded with the love of the outdoors and desire for exploration. Now married for over 30 years with two adult children out doing their own thing for nearly 5 years, he decided to change life plans and travel the country to look, learn, explore, and enjoy life on a new level. And level up he did! Indy has been able to hike all over the US including tackling the Appalachian Trail, take on class 5 whitewater rapids, and throws in marathons when he's able to. So far, he's completed marathons in 30 different states. Even with all these adventures, his desire to explore and journey to new places is continuously growing. Adding guests to his ventures only heightens the travel experience where he can share in his knowledge and love of the outdoors.

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                    [Headline] => Hike Mariposa Grove & Transfer to Yosemite Valley
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Welcome to Fresno, California. An MT Sobek representative will pick you up this morning from your pre-trip hotel. After an orientation meeting at a local park, transfer to Mariposa Grove for a stunning hike among a grove of more than 500 giant sequoias trees. Marvel at the most famous trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant. After a picnic lunch, continue to Yosemite Valley with a stop at Tunnel View. Settle into your home for the next 2 nights and meet for dinner. 
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Embark on a rewarding, mostly flat hike on the valley floor today, through lesser-traveled meadows, forests, and paths along the Merced River, past icons such as El Capitan, Sentinel Rock, Three Brothers, and Bridalveil Falls. Break for a trailside lunch along the way. There will be an opportunity to swim in the Merced River during an afternoon break. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon. 
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                    [Headline] => Walk Among Yosemite\'s Waterfalls & Giant Sequoias
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Check out early and climb 2,000 feet alongside Vernal Falls to admire the vista from the top of neighboring Nevada Falls. Return to Yosemite Valley in the early afternoon, then travel to your lodge, situated on the northern boundary of the park. En route, enjoy a late afternoon walk to gaze up at giant sequoias, among the oldest and largest living organisms on the planet! Check in to your room this evening and enjoy dinner at the lodge.
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Spend the day in Yosemite\'s high country. Begin your hike at 8,800 feet and enjoy a gradual descent through ponderosa pines, meadows, and along granite bluffs to marvel at the park\'s only intact arch. After a trailside lunch, hike to the top of North Dome (7,543\') on the North Rim of Yosemite Valley and delight in the eye-popping views of its most famous landmark, Half Dome, along with the valley floor 3,500 feet below. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon. 
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Admire the beauty of Tuolumne Meadows (8,600\'), one of the highest meadows in the Sierra Nevada range, on a day hike among its famous granite domes. Depending on conditions, the group will either follow an out-and-back trail to Cathedral Lakes (8 miles) or Mono Pass (7.4 miles). Both routes offer breathtaking mountain and meadow views, and are among the best hikes in the park. Return to your hillside lodge this evening. 
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Following breakfast at the hotel, take a 2.5-hour transfer to the airport and depart. 
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Accommodations

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Comfortable three-star, lodge-style accommodation in a five-star alpine setting. Includes the historic Ahwahnee Hotel.

Rush Creek Lodge

Comfortable Hotel

Rush Creek Lodge is a superbly designed property located at the West Entrance of Yosemite National Park. The décor is inspired by the breathtaking expanse of nature surrounding its 20-acre wooded hillside setting. All rooms have been thoughtfully designed and tastefully appointed with modern amenities like comfy beds, feather pillows, gourmet coffee brewers, games, and books. Relax after the day's adventures in the outdoor pool and hot tubs or cozy up around the fire pit for stargazing and s'mores.

The Ahwahnee Hotel

Luxury Hotel

The historic Ahwahnee Hotel (formerly known as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel) is located in the heart of the stunning Yosemite Valley. Constructed from steel, stone, concrete, wood and glass, the hotel was specifically designed to highlight its natural surroundings - featuring Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point. The Ahwahnee is a premier example of National Park architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. The accommodations are comfortably appointed while still providing an authentic National Park Lodge experience.

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