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Hiking, rock climbing, and mountain climbing around Tuolumne Meadows facts for kids

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Tuolumne Meadows Sunset
Sunset over Tuolumne River by Tuolumne Meadows

Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is an amazing place for outdoor adventures! You can enjoy lots of activities here, like hiking, rock climbing, and even mountain climbing. It's a perfect spot to explore nature and challenge yourself.

Hiking Adventures in Tuolumne Meadows

Tuolumne Meadows is a fantastic starting point for many hiking and backpacking trips. Some very long trails, like the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, pass right through Lyell Canyon and into Tuolumne Meadows.

There are also many shorter day trails that are perfect for a quick adventure. These day hikes are very popular, especially during the summer. A shuttle bus helps people get to these trails, usually from June to September, depending on the weather.

Here are some cool places you can hike to:

Cathedral Peak and Lake in Yosemite
Lower Cathedral Lake in front, with Cathedral Peak behind it. These areas were shaped by ancient glaciers.

Rock Climbing on Granite Domes

Tuolumne Meadows - Stately Pleasure Dome - Hermaphrodite Flake - Pitch 2 - 1
Climbing on Stately Pleasure Dome in Tuolumne Meadows.

Rock climbing is very popular in Tuolumne Meadows. This area has many smooth, rounded rock formations called granite domes. Unlike the huge, tall cliffs in Yosemite Valley, climbing here usually involves shorter routes on these domes.

Since Tuolumne Meadows is high up in the mountains, the climbing season is mostly from June to September. The granite rock here is very strong and often has small bumps, which makes for interesting climbs. The rock can also peel off in layers, creating those unique "onion dome" shapes.

Climbers here often find both face climbs (where you climb the flat surface) and crack climbs (where you climb in cracks in the rock). It's a local rule to add very few new bolts (safety anchors) to routes. This means there can be long distances between bolts, making climbs more challenging.

Some of the major granite domes for climbing include:

Some peaks are usually climbed using rock climbing techniques, even though some might be hiked:

Mountain Climbing in the High Sierra

Half Dome from Glacier Point, Yosemite NP - Diliff
Half Dome, a famous landmark in Yosemite National Park, can be hiked using its special Cable Route.

Mountain climbing is also a favorite activity around Tuolumne Meadows. Many tall peaks in the Sierra Nevada mountains are found here. For a list of the very highest mountains in all of Yosemite National Park, you can check out the page on the highest mountains of Yosemite National Park.

Here are some mountains you can climb from Tuolumne Meadows:

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