Yosemite Wilderness Permit — Tamarack Creek

Tamarack Creek: what makes it different

Tamarack Creek is the Tioga Road permit for the quiet walk to the north rim of Yosemite Valley and El Capitan. NPS rates its permit demand Low and sells 15 lottery and 10 week-ahead places a day, with a vault toilet in Tamarack Flat Campground when it is open.^1,2,7

Getting to the start

Recreation.gov says the Tamarack Creek trail can be started from two points, and from either one it runs southeast from Tioga Road toward El Capitan and the north rim of Yosemite Valley. NPS lists a vault toilet in the campground when it is open, and Big Oak Flat Information Station issues the permit.^7,1

One trail write-up places the roadside trailhead at a pullout with a bear-proof locker on the south side of Tioga Road, 6 miles east of the Crane Flat junction. From there the Tamarack Creek trail is about 2.6 miles to Tamarack Flat Campground. The write-up says the campground track is 2.5 miles of unpaved road, usually open to cars from June to October, and that the campground can be reached on foot at other times.⁸

The first leg

The same write-up says the first 2.6 miles go down about 470 feet into the valley, through grassland, granite outcrops and patches of pine, with small streams and a tributary in a mini canyon up to about 10 feet deep. Tamarack Creek runs alongside, with pools several feet deep, and the author rates usage as low. NPS describes the start as a trail from Tioga Road through large forests and small creeks.^8,2

Terrain and difficulty

NPS lists El Capitan from Tamarack Creek at 21.6 miles out and back with 1,700 feet of gain, Low permit demand, ending on the summit of El Capitan with views of Yosemite Valley and the high country. The page prints 20.2 kilometers beside the 21.6 miles, and the two do not match, so treat the distance as approximate.²

A Backpacking Light poster planning the hike from Tamarack Flat Campground counted 17 miles round trip. A reply from someone who said he had done it many times marked two sun-exposed climbs where water matters most: around miles 4 to 5 on the way out, and the last 2.5 miles coming back. He also pointed to a big hill on the fire road just north of the Cascade Creek bridge.⁹

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Tamarack Creek, overnight wilderness, lottery share: 15 people a day. NPS trailhead page, updated May 11, 2026. Big Oak Flat Information Station window: June 18 to October 14, 2026.¹
• 2026 daily quota at Tamarack Creek, overnight wilderness, week-ahead share: 10 people a day. The first come, first served share released seven days ahead. NPS prints it as a separate column.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

Recreation.gov warns that Tioga Road is closed in winter and usually opens in late May, and that a reservation made while the road is shut is not valid and not refunded. NPS bans overnight parking on Tioga Road and in lots reached from it starting October 15.^7,1

Camp at least 100 feet from water and trail and at least one mile from any road. Food goes in an approved bear canister, and bear spray is not allowed.³

Tioga Road lotteries apply only to start dates from the third Thursday in June, which is June 18 in 2026.^4,1

Where it leads

El Capitan is the named goal on the NPS table. The trail write-up adds a short off-trail side trip of just under a mile from Tamarack Flat to Devils Dance Floor, a treeless granite dome at 6,836 feet with views over the lower Valley, for 3.7 miles in all from the roadside pullout.^2,8

Water on the long walk is the planning problem. The 2010 poster had two possible refills on the topo, Cascade Creek and Ribbon Creek. The reply expected stagnant pools at least in Cascade Creek, thought Ribbon Creek might be dry, and mentioned another stream about half a mile past El Capitan with uncertain flow.⁹

What trip reports say

In August 2010 a father and son planned El Capitan as a 17 mile day hike from the campground. The park information line told them water was running but could not name which creeks. The experienced reply advised carrying an extra quart or two and caching water off the trail, and said park offices are often poorly informed about late-season trail conditions. The thread does not say how the hike went.⁹

When to go from here

The Big Oak Flat window on the trailhead page runs June 18 to October 14, 2026. The campground track is open to cars June to October, and the write-up calls late spring, summer and fall the season for the trail, with low use.^1,8

NPS pages disagree on when reservations start. The Wilderness Permits page (updated December 31, 2025) says late April through October. The Wilderness Permit Reservations page (updated June 22, 2026) says May through October. For this Tioga Road trailhead the June 18 start applies.^5,6,1

Compare with nearby entry points

• Yosemite Creek: Yosemite Creek has the same 15 lottery and 10 week-ahead people on the same Big Oak Flat window, but it runs along a creek to the top of Yosemite Falls, while Tamarack Creek heads for the Valley rim at El Capitan and NPS rates it Low demand.^1,2,7
• White Wolf Campground: White Wolf Campground gets 6 lottery and 4 week-ahead people and sends hikers to lake basins and the Yosemite Creek watershed, with a flush toilet in the campground when open. Tamarack Creek has more room and a vault toilet.^1,7
• Deer Camp: Deer Camp is the Wawona-side choice with the same 15 lottery and 10 week-ahead people, but it has no toilet, it is issued at Wawona Visitor Center, and its window runs May 16 to October 14, 2026 instead of June 18.¹

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 Permit Frequently Asked Questions, 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 (Tamarack Creek division), Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Tamarack Creek Trail and Devils Dance Floor, American Southwest. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Water Availability Hiking to El Capitan? (thread, August 2010), Backpacking Light forums. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Tamarack Creek permit