Yosemite Wilderness Permit — White Wolf to Pate Valley

White Wolf to Pate Valley: what makes it different

White Wolf to Pate Valley is the Tioga Road entry for the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne: a long, steep first day down about 4,000 feet to the river. NPS sells 18 lottery and 12 week-ahead places a day, the largest of the four White Wolf quotas.^1,2

Getting to the start

NPS lists a flush toilet in the White Wolf campground when it is open, and the permit comes from the Big Oak Flat Information Station. Recreation.gov says Tioga Road is closed in winter, usually opens in late May, and makes a reservation invalid and non-refundable if the road is still shut.^1,6

A permit holder can spend a night before or after the trip in the White Wolf backpackers' campground, when it is open. In 2020 that campground and the road to it were closed, and one hiker added about a mile on foot from Highway 120 to reach the trailhead.^3,7

The trip is a point to point if you walk on to Tuolumne Meadows, so you need a shuttle plan. The 2020 hiker took the YARTS bus from the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center back to White Wolf on a 10:27 a.m. departure and noted a hikers' bus also runs. Check both schedules before you go, as these are 2020 details.⁷

The first leg

NPS says the hike begins with a steep descent to Pate Valley and a loss of 4,000 feet. A 2020 report logged the first day at 11.5 miles, with 620 feet up and 3,700 feet down, and called it long, steep, hot and exposed, with rattlesnakes near the bottom. A 2008 report from the other direction counted a climb of about 4,000 feet back to White Wolf.^2,7,8

The 2008 hikers found signs reading 8.4 to 10.4 miles for the climb out and thought the lower figure was nearer the truth. They left early to beat a forecast 90-degree afternoon, and found the climb mostly shaded on cobbled trail.⁸

Terrain and difficulty

NPS describes the trail as passing over Muir Gorge and the canyon's largest falls: Waterwheel, Le Conte and California. Its Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne trip runs 30.8 miles one way with 5,350 feet of gain, with Glen Aulin as the last place to camp before Tuolumne Meadows. NPS rates its permit demand Medium.²

Recreation.gov says the trail drops into Pate Valley and gives access to the canyon and to trails into the heart of the high country. A waterfall with a swimming hole sits just after the hot climb over Muir Gorge, according to the 2008 report.^6,8

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at White Wolf to Pate Valley, overnight wilderness, lottery share: 18 people a day. NPS trailhead page, updated May 11, 2026. Tioga Road (west of Olmsted Point) table, window June 18 to October 14, 2026.¹
• 2026 daily quota at White Wolf to Pate Valley, overnight wilderness, week-ahead share: 12 people a day. The share released seven days ahead. NPS prints it as its own column and gives no combined total.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

NPS says this is the White Wolf trailhead to use when you want to camp in Pate Valley or in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Camping near the Ten Lakes trail or Double Rock uses White Wolf Campground, Smith Peak or Harden Lake uses White Wolf to Smith Meadow, and Aspen Valley uses White Wolf to Aspen Valley.¹

A 2020 hiker says a bear canister is required, that canisters can be rented at wilderness centers, and that hanging food is not allowed in the park. In September 2022 a pair of hikers found no campfires permitted at all, and found seasonal creeks on their maps almost entirely dry.^7,9

Where it leads

Pate Valley has campsites near the river and a swimming hole, the 2020 report says. A 2008 party found it nearly empty on the July 4 weekend and camped across the footbridge.^7,8

From Pate Valley the 2020 hiker went on to a camp at Grand Mountain, then California Falls, then Tuolumne Meadows over four days, passing Waterwheel and Le Conte Falls. The 2022 pair planned a five-day loop of 48.9 miles with about 10,000 feet of gain.^7,9

What trip reports say

In mid-August 2020 a hiker doing the point-to-point reported heavy mosquitoes in places, very active black bears, and almost dry Morrison and Register Creeks. The author advised calling the wilderness office about water.⁷

On July 4 to 6, 2008, a hiker went the other way, from Lembert Dome to Glen Aulin, Pate Valley and White Wolf. She recommends that direction, because the first day is easy and the climb to White Wolf is mostly about getting the elevation done. A bear was seen foraging near Pate Valley and smoke dulled the views.⁸

When to go from here

Heat on the canyon floor and scarce water on the descent are the story of this entry. The 2020 report says water is scarce between White Wolf and Pate Valley, and the 2022 report found late-season water scarce in places.^7,9

The trailhead window is June 18 to October 14, 2026. NPS gives two other starts for reservations, late April on the Wilderness Permits page (December 2025) and May on the Reservations page (June 2026). The trailhead page controls for this road.^1,4,5

Compare with nearby entry points

• White Wolf to Aspen Valley: White Wolf to Aspen Valley takes 15 lottery and 10 week-ahead people, against 18 and 12 here, and heads southwest instead of down into the canyon.^1,6
• White Wolf to Smith Meadow: White Wolf to Smith Meadow also takes 15 and 10 and is the entry for Smith Peak or Harden Lake, per NPS.¹
• Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon/Waterwheel: The Glen Aulin pass-through entry takes 12 and 8 and starts at the top of the same canyon, near Tuolumne Meadows. It is how people reverse this trip, as the 2008 hiker did.^1,2,8

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 Permit Frequently Asked Questions, 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 (White Wolf divisions), Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, Yosemite National Park (33 mile point-to-point), Backpacker's Review (August 2020 trip). Read 2026-10-15.
8. The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, Calipidder (July 2008 trip). Read 2026-10-15.
9. Backpacking the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne Loop, SoCalHiker (September 2022 trip). Read 2026-10-15.
10. Wilderness Regulations, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a White Wolf to Pate Valley permit