Jason C.

DO NOT take this hike lightly. This was a very strenuous and challenging hike. Remember if you're not use to the elevation the air is thinner. Don't be afraid to take breaks. We started right by Tenaya lake. We parked at the 'Sunrise' parking lot. Get there early When you cross the wooden bridge you will see signs for Cloud's (7.4 miles away) You will see two cross roads on the way there. One about 5..4 miles away and another 2.5 miles away before reaching the cloud's rest. Follow signs towards cloud's rest (stay to the right for both) When you see a lake you are half way there. The most difficult part of the hike I would say is The steep elevation gain on the switch backs about 1.5-2 miles in. GPS the directions before heading there. You will more likely lose reception on the way. Also if possible try to have some keep GPS on your next location. We had to drive into the valley to get reception. to figure out how to get to our hotel in maripost Parking - Sunrise Parking lot (navigate to Tenaya Lake) Preparation - Lots of water and snacks. duration- 8 hours total. 3.5h up and 3.5h down with a one hour break at the peak.

Christopher L.

One of the most epic hikes in Yosemite with huge 360 panoramic views! This is a popular hike, but not as popular as the ones in Yosemite Valley since it's a further drive by around 30 - 45 minutes. It gives amazing views from a perspective that most people don't see which is from the Eastern side of Half Dome and you see into Yosemite Valley. You can even see people climbing up the chains on Half Dome if you look close enough! It's a long hike, but not as strenuous as some other ones. The elevation gain is modest and most of the path is shaded from the sun and flat. It does still take roughly 7 - 8 hours though to hike! Make sure to bring lots of water and snacks! It's not too busy while you hike, but once you get to the top there are a decent amount of people - you can also approach this from two directions, either from Yosemite Valley or Sunrise Lakes Trailhead. When we arrived at 8am the parking lot was full and there were already a decent number of cars parked on the side of the road (which is also open to parking). We were parked a couple minutes walk from the trailhead. You shouldn't have trouble finding parking because there's a lot, you just might have to walk a bit to the trailhead. The trailhead also has bathrooms, and food storage! I don't remember seeing any water refill stations or bathrooms on the hike so be prepared!

Janet D.

Activity Type: Hiking Nearby City: Curry Village Length: 12 total miles Elevation Gain: 1,800 feet Trail Type: Out-and-back Skill Level: Strenuous Duration: 7 hours or overnight Season: Late spring through fall Trailhead Elevation: 8,125 feet Top Elevation: 9,926 feet Local Contacts: Yosemite National Park **********Geographically CR sits in the middle of Yosemite*********** This summit not only has the loftiest name of the mountains that overlook Yosemite Valley, but it also has the most commanding view over the grandeur that is Yosemite. Half Dome sits well below the apex of Clouds Rest, and the jaw-dropping 360degree view encapsulates some of the finest vistas in the entire Sierra Nevada Range. Toward the trailhead, Tenaya Canyon adorns a tableau that resembles an ethereal painting more than reality. One might expect to see the colossal hand of god reaching down to create brushstrokes when staring into the east toward the canyon, the high Tuoloumne area, and Tenaya Lake.

Christina W.

Definitely a bucket list type of hike that can be done on multiple occasions because the elevation gain isn't as intense as Mt. Baldy (aka Mt. San Antonio in SoCal). No permit needed, but you can see Half Dome from the summit, so close enough? :P A great workout during the summer if you're up for it, and it can definitely be done in 6-8 hours depending on how much you stop for photos! We started our ascent around 8:15am and summited by 12pm, had a quick lunch before taking a bunch of photos. We started our descent around 12:50 and finished the hike by 3:40pm, so it's definitely manageable, even during summer heat. The descent felt more rocky than the ascent, which can be a bit rough on your feet without trekking poles. I'm still not quite as agile with my BD poles, and ended up having better footwork without them. The summit does get quite crowded during peak season, so it's best to start early and beat the heat too. The trail is quite shaded in multiple parts, which I appreciate! I wish I could round this up to a 4.5/5 rating because although the view is nice, it's not part of my top favorite hikes. I would recommend this as a repeat hike for the nice workout, or if anyone else is down for an easier hike compared to Half Dome. The view at Glacier Point is just as good if you're looking to drive to a somewhat similar viewpoint instead. For the same amount of time, I'd rather hike Hallasan (Jeju Island, South Korea) if I was abroad.

Shingo M.

A group of us (ages 16-45 years) hiked to Clouds Rest from Tenaya Lake on 07/02/17. Definitely one of the best hikes I've done in a while. The only issue we had was occasionally going off course due to the snow. I'm thinking we added a mile to our hike due to getting lost (thank God for GPS haha). From the trailhead, we had to cross a stream which was waist deep. Embrace the cold water because there's no other way around it. Also, there's still quite a bit of snow up there so wear the right gear. Pack enough food and water. I had about 2.5 liters of water and a Gatorade, luckily I had just enough left to last me the whole hike. I need to invest in a water filter next time because my backpack was heavy. Overall, the views from the top was well worth the pain and headache of getting lost. I ate my Spam musubi, kicked off my shoes and took a nap. Note: We started our hike at 8:30 am and got back at 9:00 pm. We took our time to enjoy the scenery and took a bunch of photos.

DD B.

I'm done with Half Dome. I've had enough of the crowds, the long lines, the hordes of out-of-shape people in tennis shoes who have no business attempting this hike (yeah, harsh, but just wait until you're stuck for 45 minutes halfway up the cables because you're behind someone who can't move because their frat boy boyfriend talked them into doing this, and now they're frozen in fear). I won't be doing Half Dome again unless I manage to get there on a day when the crowds are gone. Besides, there are SO many other parts of Yosemite to explore... Cloud's Rest is an excellent alternative. You start off near Tenaya Lake in Tuolumne at about 8,000 feet, and it's 7 miles to Cloud's Rest (yup, 14 miles round trip), gaining almost 2,000 feet along the way (Cloud's Rest itself is just under 10,000 feet). Lots of people backpack it, but it can be easily done as a day hike if you're fit and don't have a problem hiking at that altitude. I found the hike to be challenging, but nowhere near as hard as Half Dome. There are a few strenuous climbing parts, including some seemingly endless switchback sections in both directions, but long stretches of the trail are flat. The best part? It's not at all crowded, and when you get to the top, the views are incredible, and you're actually looking down on Half Dome. Bring binoculars and marvel at the line of people making their way painfully slowly up the cables. Warning: if you're afraid of heights, the last part is a little scary, as you're walking along these big boulders with loooong drops on either side of you. My advice for this part: just watch your feet, don't look to either side, breathe, and take it one step at a time. But even if you stop short of this point, you'll still get to take in some beautiful views. Bring lots of water - there's are a couple of streams along the way from which you can filter water, but it's mostly pretty dry. If you have trekking poles, bring 'em - your knees will thank you. Post-hike, I recommend a dip in Tenaya Lake. Yeah, the water's cold, but it feels great!

Jennifer H.

One of the best hikes of my life. It's a long 14 mile hike if you start at Tenaya Lake so make sure you start early. The trail starts at the West End of the lake so make sure you look for signs on your right side if you're coming from Yosemite Valley. We left curry village at 530 and started our hike roughly around 7. The hike is relatively flat the first 1.5 mile. After, you're going to be climbing a mountain of rocks or stairs (made of rocks). This is going to get your heart pumping. It's basically a mile to 1.5 mile 1000 ft incline, kinda like a stair master workout. It's gonna be hard for those that are novice hikers (such as me) so make sure you take breaks. Don't get discouraged though!! It's definitely doable. To note, the view from this area is beautiful. After this part, you're gonna have a slight descend to a beautiful meadow area. It's relatively flat at this area. Along with the meadow, you'll be crossing picturesque creeks, streams, lakes, flowers, etc. This part was probably about 2 miles. I thought this part of the hike was the most beautiful (besides getting to the top). However, make sure you bring mosquito repellent!! You'll be crossing a total of about 5-6 bodies of water and there WILL be mosquitos. Luckily for me, I went during the end of summer where most of the water was gone. To note, bring toilet paper since you will be needing to, uhh, do your business somewhere along the hike. Remember, you will be hiking 14 miles and you'll be downing water at the same time lol. After, it will another 2 miles of a gradual incline. This part was not as brutal as climbing the rocks I felt like. Good thing was that it was gradual. Bad thing was that it wasn't too shady and it was HOT!! Finally, you reach the Cloud's Rest foot trail. At this point, it's basically a 1/4 mile scramble to the summit. It's gonna be hard for those that have a fear of heights since on either side of those rocks is just a 9000 ft drop. But it's definitely doable. It's all about mentality. Just make sure you prepare yourself ahead of time. Initially, the foot trail is about 25 foot wide. It's a bunch of flat rocks. It gradually gets more narrower at parts that is probably about 5 ft in width. Just make sure you take your time and watch your footing. If you want to relive the moment, wear a GoPro!! I did that and I enjoyed watching the video over. After you reach the summit, it's a relatively flat area about 50 feet in width. And boy, the view here is magnificent. You see EVERYTHING. And you feel accomplished. It took us about 4 hours to the top. And 3.5 hours down. We spent an hour at the top eating lunch. Make sure you bring A LOT of water. The way down was kinda brutal on my knees. Especially when you reach the rocks. My knees started killing me. And I decided to wear my trail runners so my feet was dying from the jagged rocks. So make sure you wear hiking shoes that offer a lot of support. Overall, one of the best experiences of my life. Definitely enjoyable. And it's not crowded at all!!

David D.

I'm apprehensive to give such a great review of Clouds Rest because I don't want it turning into the zoo that Half Dome has become. I've done Half Dome 3 times, upper Yosemite Falls twice, and Eagles Peak. Clouds Rest via Sunrise Trail is by far the best because there is NO traffic and you're looking DOWN on all of the chumps waiting in line at Half Dome. I left from Tenaya Lake parking lot at 5:40am and thought I was lost by 5:45am. Why? I'll give you a hint... Hint: When you leave the parking lot you should wait to put your shoes/socks on after the 'treat'. Sunrise Trail has that 'treat' once you hit Tenaya and you'll have the options of: 1)Fording the River 2)Waiting for a ferry (kidding) 3)Inflating a raft and floating across (sort of kidding?) Seriously though, the water only goes up to your waist in the deep parts. **PENDING SNOW PACK*** if theres a lot of snow melting you're gonna have trouble. If the snow has melted you'll be fine and just have to duke it out with the africanized mosquitoes. It was really nice how the Sunrise Trailhead was at the parking lot. 7.5 miles up and 7.5 miles back, 15 miles round trip. I'm telling you it's worth every inch. The autonomy you get on the trail is incomparable. It was snowy (in July!) and I lost the trail a bunch of times. Take markers (stacked rocks) with a grain of salt because there were obviously people way more lost than I was. Just know your general direction (SW) and you'll do fine. I got up to CR in 3 hours and back down to Tenaya Lake in 2.5 hours. I'm in great condition and packed light. Hope you thought this review was helpful and good luck with your hike! Thanks for reading.

Ian L.

Just the highlights. Gorgeous Trail: The 14-15 mile round trip trek from Tenaya Lake to the top of Cloud's Rest was the longest hike I've ever done but I couldn't imagine more beautiful scenery than what I witnessed along every single mile. I finally understand why Yosemite draws people from all across the globe. People are awesome: Why can't all people be as friendly as the ones I met on the trail? I exchanged countless greetings, laughs, and encouragements from complete strangers along the entire hike. Maybe we were all delirious from the elevation gain but still .. this was pretty cool. I conquer all fears: I definitely had to stomach a few omg-I-might-fall-and-die feelings when I was hiking/crawling the last narrow rock ridge up to the end of the trail. It didn't help that there was a slight wind while I was making my way across. Getting over my fears and making it all the way was worth all the fears that ran through my brain =). Make sure you keep going even if you need to go super slow along this final stretch! Chillin' at the Top of the World: That is essentially what we did at the summit while checking out Half Dome and a 360 degree panorama of the Yosemite wilderness. We explored every nook and cranny while munching down our lunch of ham and turkey sandwiches. Unfortunately our only regret here was not taking a jumping picture before leaving but we decided we wanted to live to see dinner and our families back home. My mountain playground: After drinking all my water (3 water bottles and 2 sports drinks) and consuming my snacks (2 energy gels, 3 cliff bars, and 1 pack of sports beans) I did small stints of trail running along the way back which was ridiculously fun and energizing! I did kind of regret it though after I was struggling the last 2.5 miles (downhill switchbacks with a log of rocks) back to the parking lot. Nature Calls: Quoting my friend, "Taking [care of business] at the top of the world." after we drank too much water and didn't want to hike back to the treeline and come back. This involved finding a ledge on Cloud's Rest where people weren't looking and there wasn't much wind.

Dan B.

A hike I wanted to do since I first visited Yosemite last summer, I got to tick this off my list on June 26th. Touted as the premier viewing spot in the valley, this is a tough hike which we started at 10am from Tenaya Lake after passing Olmstead Point on the way (a great viewing spot in itself). The majority of the hike is through wooded areas, which is preferable on a hot day, and after a couple hours hiking you will start to see some fantastic views of Tenaya Canyon. We made it up in 3 and a half hours and came down in 2 and a half. I would rate it as strenuous on the way up and moderate on the way down. I wore running shoes which fared well on pretty even ground and took two canteens of water as well as 5 protein bars. The final ascent up the ridged spine to the summit gets quite hairy, being scared of heights I found myself getting lower and lower to the granite slabs beneath me, but it was worth every moment once I reached the summit and gazed upon the 360 degree view. Half Dome doesn't look too far away, yet the cable section and climbers are not nearly visible, while the view of Tenaya Lake in the opposite direction looks like a painting you just walked out of. I have included some pictures and would recommend this hike to anybody who is looking to do a day hike which provides uparalleled views of the valley and surrounding areas. I'll be hoping to do it again next year for sure!

Cheryl D.

A friend and I mustered up th to climb Cloud's Rest, a 14.5 round-trip hike, this past month. It's the beginning of July, we're 2 ladies in our 30's, I'm pretty fit and let's just say, my friend could have prepared a little better. We hike pretty much once a year when visiting National parks, so we're by no means avid hikers. This was the toughest hike we've done by far! We read reviews and watched YouTube videos to hype us up for the climb. After a morning of cold feet and indecision, we finally decided to go. It was late... around 1pm and people were coming down just as we were approaching the trailhead. Needless to say, we were very rushed. We climbed up, enjoyed the amazing view for a few short minutes and had to scramble down the mountain, racing the sun for daylight. The rush made hike 100x harder and definitely influenced the whole experience. It was long and hard, but I am so glad we did it!! I would love to do it again, but if I had the chance I would have done things very differently. I will include tips below so please read on. My friend, on the other hand, was so beat up by the end, that she pretty much wants to erase it from her memory. TIPS: - we had a hard time finding the trailhead from the parking. We parked in the Sunshine lot, but took a while looking around Lake Tenaya for the trailhead. Apparently, the trailhead begins about 1/2 a mile from the Lake. We couldn't find it on GPS and it wasn't marked on the NP map given at entrance. - leave early and don't get stuck racing back (I know it's a no brainer, but just saying) rushing caused a lot of hurt ankles and knees, especially with the switchbacks. - SWITCHBACKS FOR DAYS. There's a time at the beginning of a hike on pretty level ground through a forrest like setting. Then, the switchbacks start and don't end for a while. They are steep and mostly filled with gravel, which can be slippery. I like walking sticks to help take the weight off your knees, and help with balance, especially on the way down. - depending on what time of year your go, be mindful that you could possibly be hiking through streams and a lot of h2o. The melted snow from the mountains were pretty much dried up when we went in July, but YouTube videos taken just a few weeks prior showed hikers ankle deep in water. - you'll be hiking at pretty high altitudes. Keep in mind that any sudden change from low to high elevation could effect your overall health, making it difficult to breath, if your body hasn't already adjusted. We had just come from Death Valley, which in areas lies below sea level and, the next day, hiked at an altitude of over 10,000. Plus, we're from flat Florida. We felt it! - bring a lot of water (my friend and I both had 2L camel packs and 32oz sports bottles each. She drank it all and I had about I bottle left), energy bars, snacks and bug spray. I'm from Florida and I know mosquitos. These ones are killer! Be generous when spraying and keep on hand. There were times when all of a sudden, they're in kamikaze attack mode. Be prepared. - take your time and soak it all up at the summit. It's beautiful! Don't rush. Just breath it in. :)

Paul R.

The 13 mile trip from Tenaya Lake to Cloud's Rest flew by. Awesome day hike alternative to half dome if you aren't successful in obtaining half dome permits. Just be sure you get an early start if making the trip in the summer. Highly recommend.