Yosemite Wilderness Permit — May Lake to Snow Creek

May Lake to Snow Creek: what makes it different

May Lake to Snow Creek starts at the May Lake trailhead and runs downhill toward Snow Creek and the north rim of Yosemite Valley, which Recreation.gov calls the shortest route between Tioga Road and the Valley. It is a quiet way to reach rim camps, with a small quota and a first camp that must be a mile south of the road.^6,1

Getting to the start

Permits come through the Big Oak Flat Information Station, and the trailhead has a vault toilet. For 2026 the Park Service takes reservations for this area from June 18 to October 14. Tioga Road trailheads have no vehicle access while the road is closed, usually from about November to late May or June.¹

Hiking Project says the route starts at the May Lake trailhead and runs mostly downhill beside the access road. The Park Service stops overnight parking on Tioga Road from October 15.^11,1

Recreation.gov adds that Old Tioga Road, which leads to the May Lake lot, can open later than Tioga Road. A 2017 report says the lot is small and that you add 2 miles each way from the road when it is full or the access road is shut.^6,10

The first leg

Hiking Project measures a one way line of 7.0 miles from the May Lake trailhead to the Snow Creek footbridge, with about 253 feet of gain, 2,348 feet of loss and a 32 percent maximum grade. It crosses Tioga Road at a small saddle where many hikers join, then drops through steep switchbacks.¹¹

Sierra Rec Magazine describes a longer outing from the May Lake trailhead past Mount Watkins to Snow Creek Junction, 14 to 25 miles depending on choices, and suggests 7 to 9 miles on day one and 10 to 12 on day two. Water is scarce on the first day.⁷

The mileage figures do not agree because the two sources count different lines, so use the Park Service trail pages for the sections you choose. The Park Service lists May Lake itself at 2 miles round trip with 400 feet of gain.²

Terrain and difficulty

Granite ridge, partly wooded, with an overlook at Mount Watkins, which Sierra Rec puts at roughly 8,500 feet with views of Half Dome, the valley floor and Mirror Lake. The guide calls the route mostly shaded, with rocky sections.^7,11

Hiking Project says the trail meets the Tenaya Lake Trail and runs southwest along Mount Watkins to the footbridge over Snow Creek, where views of Half Dome, Quarter Dome and Clouds Rest open up.¹¹

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at May Lake to Snow Creek, overnight wilderness: 10 people a day. 6 go through the lottery 24 weeks ahead and 4 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.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

You must travel south of Tioga Road at least one air mile before you find allowable camping. Recreation.gov says Half Dome is not available with this trailhead, so a Half Dome day hike needs a separate permit.⁶

The Park Service wilderness rules limit camping within a mile of a High Sierra Camp to its designated campground, which matters if you pass May Lake. Camp at least four trail miles from Yosemite Valley, and a trip cannot pass through the Valley itself without invalidating the permit.³

A bear canister is required throughout the wilderness. Sierra Rec reports seeing a mother bear and cub on this route.^3,7

Where it leads

Snow Creek and its footbridge. Recreation.gov lists Snow Creek, North Dome, El Capitan and Lower Yosemite Creek among the camp areas for this division. Hiking Project says the Snow Creek area is popular with backpackers and day hikers and that the main Snow Creek Falls are not visible from the bridge.^6,11

North Dome and Indian Rock. The Park Service gives North Dome from Porcupine Creek as 10.4 miles round trip with 1,100 feet of gain and medium permit demand. The Outbound lists the Porcupine Creek route at 10.04 miles and 1,985 feet.^2,12

Mirror Lake is the other way down. Sierra Rec describes steep switchbacks into the Valley that need a ride or shuttle back to Tioga Road.⁷

What trip reports say

Charlie Pankey's April 2025 guide in Sierra Rec Magazine calls the route quiet next to Glacier Point or Sentinel Dome, with Snow Creek Junction as the suggested overnight stop. Water shows up at Snow Creek and Porcupine Creek. He rates it moderate and suggests July to early October.⁷

The Outbound's Snow Creek listing has reviews from Emily Noyd in August 2016, who loved the clear Half Dome view from a tent and also reported a bear problem, and from Chelsea T in November 2016, who found warm sunny days. The author recommends camping near the overlook and says a swim spot is about 200 yards from the camps.⁸

A 2012 thread on Backpacking Light shows why to ask about water. In a dry year, posters said Snow Creek was the one dependable source on the north rim, while Royal Arch, Lehamite and Indian Canyon creeks were probably dry. One poster noted that after the October 15 parking closure, Snow Creek becomes the main route to higher country.⁹

A 2017 post on California Through My Lens describes the start of the route at May Lake: a small lot, 2.4 miles round trip with about 500 feet of gain, mosquitoes in the meadows, a frozen lake and a closed High Sierra Camp.¹⁰

When to go from here

Sierra Rec suggests July to early October. The Park Service window for this trailhead in 2026 is June 18 to October 14. Mosquitoes and ice at May Lake in the 2017 report show why early season can be rough, and the 2012 forum thread shows water getting scarce in a dry late summer.^7,1,10,9

The Park Service pages disagree on when reservations start. The wilderness permits page, updated December 31, 2025, says late April through October. The reservations page, updated June 22, 2026, says May through October. The June 18 Tioga window sits inside both.^4,5,1

Compare with nearby entry points

• May Lake: May Lake is the 2 mile, 400 foot trip to the lake and its backpackers' campground. It has a quota of 15 plus 10 and very high permit demand, against 6 plus 4 here.^1,2
• Mirror Lake to Snow Creek: Mirror Lake to Snow Creek climbs from the Valley instead of descending to it. Recreation.gov calls that the steepest climb out of the Valley. It is issued at the Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center with a quota of 15 plus 10.^6,1
• Porcupine Creek: Porcupine Creek has a quota of 12 plus 8, a vault toilet and leads to North Dome without passing May Lake.^1,2

Sources

1. Trailhead Information, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Tioga Road (West of Olmsted Point) Backpacking Trails, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Wilderness Regulations, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Wilderness Permits, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Wilderness Permit Reservations, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Yosemite National Park Wilderness Permits, May Lake to Snow Creek division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
7. May Lake to Snow Creek: A Quiet Yosemite Loop with Big Valley Views, Sierra Rec Magazine. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Snow Creek Trail, The Outbound Collective. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Yosemite Mirror Lake to Snow Creek, Backpacking Light forum. Read 2026-10-15.
10. May Lake in Yosemite National Park, California Through My Lens. Read 2026-10-15.
11. Snow Creek Canyon Trail, Hiking Project. Read 2026-10-15.
12. Backpacking Yosemite at North Dome, The Outbound Collective. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a May Lake to Snow Creek permit