Yosemite Wilderness Permit — Mather Ranger Station (Hetch Hetchy)

Mather Ranger Station (Hetch Hetchy): what makes it different

Mather Ranger Station is the Hetch Hetchy trailhead for the long way up to Smith Peak, a lightly used climb through burn, forest and wet meadows that ends at a summit camp above Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. It starts at the entrance station itself, so it is the longer and gentler of the two Smith Peak approaches.^2,7,1

Getting to the start

The walk starts at the Hetch Hetchy entrance station, where the Park Service says the longer Smith Peak trail begins. Permits for this trailhead come through the Hetch Hetchy Entrance window. The trailhead has no toilet.^2,1

A 2005 report on the Calipidder blog says the group started at the ranger station. A 2011 post on Backpacking Light says the same for an overnight clockwise loop.^8,9

The first leg

The Park Service lists two ways up Smith Peak. The trail from the entrance station is 16 miles round trip with about 3,300 feet of gain. The trail that starts 6 miles past the station is 13 miles round trip with about 3,700 feet of gain, so the Mather start is longer but climbs less.²

Recreation.gov describes this division as a trail through forest, brush and meadows to Smith Peak. Its text for the Smith Peak division says that trail is shorter than the one from Mather but has more gain, which matches the Park Service numbers.⁷

The 2005 Calipidder report measured the way to the peak at about 8 miles one way with more than 3,000 feet of gain, passing Cottonwood Meadow and then Smith Meadow. The writer's loop came to about 18 miles because the return trail followed a creek and ran a couple of miles longer.⁸

Terrain and difficulty

Mixed conifer forest, old burn, brush and then open meadows, ending on a granite summit at 7,751 feet. The Park Service calls the 7,751 foot summit the high point of the area, with views over Hetch Hetchy and the northern backcountry.^2,3

The Park Service rates permit demand for Smith Peak as low. Both trip reports describe a quiet trail. The 2005 writer saw one day hiker in two days. The 2011 poster says the path is lightly used and overgrown in places.^3,8,9

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Mather Ranger Station (Hetch Hetchy), overnight wilderness: 25 people a day. 15 go through the lottery 24 weeks ahead and 10 are released first come, first served one week ahead, as the Park Service table prints them. Recreation.gov availability for this permit would not load, so the two figures are not added by a second source.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

Hetch Hetchy has its own camping rules. The Park Service says to camp at least four trail miles from Hetch Hetchy and at least one mile from any road. Washing and waste go at least 300 feet from streams and from the reservoir's high water line.⁴

Recreation.gov tells permit holders from this trailhead to follow Leave No Trace and says Half Dome is not available with it, so a Half Dome day hike needs its own permit. A bear canister is required for food throughout the Yosemite wilderness.^7,4

Hetch Hetchy supplies San Francisco's drinking water. The Park Service bans swimming and boating in the reservoir and keeps pets off the dam and the trails.²

Where it leads

Cottonwood Meadow, Smith Meadow and Smith Peak. Lookout Point is a 2 mile round trip with about 680 feet of gain from the entrance station, and the Backpacking Light poster treated it as a second highlight on the loop.^2,9

From the high country around Smith Meadow the trails continue to Harden Lake and the South Fork of the Tuolumne River. Recreation.gov lists those as camp areas for the neighboring Smith Peak and Cottonwood Creek divisions.⁷

What trip reports say

A June 2005 post on the Calipidder blog describes the climb in a wet year. The trail was unmaintained, with downed trees, mud in the meadows, and one stream crossing deeper than four feet. The group found a wider ford downstream. They camped on the summit, which has no water, and refilled at Smith Meadow on the way back.⁸

The same report found the summit camp sheltered from wind, free of mosquitoes, and quiet. The group saw bear tracks but no bear, and tents far below at Rancheria Falls. The writer called it one of their most comfortable camps.⁸

A July 2011 post on Backpacking Light by a poster with the handle bigsea describes a quick overnight clockwise loop. The poster skipped the summit camp because several groups were already up there, and camped near Smith Meadow. A reply said the knee-deep stream crossing near the meadow could probably have been crossed dry, and the poster found no dangerous high water.⁹

When to go from here

The Park Service table gives the Hetch Hetchy entrance window for 2026 as April 24 to October 18. Early season brings wet meadows and cold crossings, as the June 2005 report shows. By early July 2011 only one small patch of snow was left on the peak.^1,8,9

The Park Service pages disagree on when reservations start. The wilderness permits page, updated December 31, 2025, says reservations run from late April through October. The reservations page, updated June 22, 2026, says May through October. The trailhead table's April 24 date for Hetch Hetchy fits the first page.^5,6,1

Compare with nearby entry points

• Smith Peak (Hetch Hetchy): Smith Peak starts 6 miles past the entrance station and shortens the climb to 13 miles round trip. Its quota is 9 by lottery plus 6 week ahead, less than the 15 plus 10 here.^2,1
• Cottonwood Creek (Hetch Hetchy): Cottonwood Creek starts just inside the entrance station and the permit requires you to pass the Cottonwood Meadow and Aspen Valley junction before camping. Its quota is 12 plus 8 and it has no food lockers.^7,1
• Beehive Meadows (Hetch Hetchy): Beehive Meadows leads to Laurel Lake and Lake Vernon, 14.2 and 19.1 miles round trip, with a flush toilet and a quota of 21 plus 14.^3,1

Sources

1. Trailhead Information, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Day Hikes in Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Hetch Hetchy Area Trails, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Wilderness Regulations, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Wilderness Permits, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Wilderness Permit Reservations, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Yosemite National Park Wilderness Permits, Mather Ranger Station and neighboring Hetch Hetchy divisions, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Smith Peak overnight in Yosemite (south Hetch Hetchy region), Calipidder. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Smith Peak overnight from Mather Ranger Station, Backpacking Light forum. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Mather Ranger Station (Hetch Hetchy) permit