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A partially burned oak tree
The trail switchbacks up a slope that was burned once about 20 years ago, and sections again in 2008; tall black snags dot the landscape, intermingled with black oak trees that escaped. A small stream flows through here in spring, providing moisture for an excellent wildflower display. In fall it is a landscape of tall yellow grass, seed heads, and coloring oak trees.
Where the slope ends, you enter a nearly flat and quite lush valley. The narrow trail continues between burnt trees. Ferns, tall scrubs, and seedlings thrive, all growing rapidly with the forest canopy removed. Soon you reach a T-junction (1.1 miles), where the trail straight ahead leads to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, while you take the left-hand fork to climb up Lookout Point. The trail leads first north and then west to ascend the northern side of the small granite dome (1.4 miles). Like so many of Yosemite’s domes, a beautiful stunted Jeffrey pine emerges from a crack on the summit.
View to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir from Lookout Point
From the summit, especially with late-afternoon lighting, you will be treated to an aerial view of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the granite peaks to the north, a view usually obtained only by climbing difficult-to-reach summits such as Kolana Rock. In spring Tueeulala and Wapama falls will be obvious white streaks on the rock face. It is also simply a nice summit from which to take in the topography and vegetation of low-elevation western Yosemite, for there are few locations with views in this part of the park. When you have finished gazing about, return to your car the way you came (2.8 miles).
TO THE TRAILHEAD
GPS Coordinates: N37° 53.592′ W119° 50.478′
Turn north from CA 120 onto Evergreen Road. This junction is located 1.1 miles west of the Yosemite entrance station at Big Oak Flat and 22.5 miles east of Groveland. (Note the sign with the current schedule for Hetch Hetchy day-use hours to avoid waiting behind a closed gate 15 minutes down the road.) After winding along Evergreen Road for 7.2 miles, you reach a T-junction with Hetch Hetchy Road. Turn right (east) and drive past Camp Mather, beneath a tall gateway, and past a gate that is locked each night. Beyond the T-junction, 1.3 miles later, you reach the Hetch Hetchy entrance station; here you are required to register your car. Park your car by the side of the road just beyond the entrance station and begin your walk on the southeastern side of the road.
2 Poopenaut Valley
Trailhead Location: Hetch Hetchy Road
Trail Use: Hiking
Distance & Configuration: 2.4-mile out-and-back
Elevation Range: 4,595 feet at the start, with 1,280 feet of descent/ascent
Facilities: No facilities are at this trailhead, so be sure to fill your water bottles at the entrance station. Water and toilets are located at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, an additional 4 miles down the road.
Highlights: Solitude, sandy banks and chilly swimming holes, and a steep climb
Tuolumne River in Poopenaut Valley
DESCRIPTION
This often-overlooked trail provides a beautiful, albeit steep, introduction to lower-elevation Yosemite. Best suited to the cooler months, the trail leads down a steep forested trail to the Tuolumne River. In fall you can enjoy beautiful beaches and swimming holes, and in spring enjoy the river’s swirling waters. Visit this location mid-fall through spring but not summer, when temperatures are sizzling.
THE ROUTE
From the pullout, cross the street and head down a dry slope, colored by wildflowers in spring and parched in fall. After a brief traverse to the right, the trail enters cool forest cover. You are beneath a canopy of incense cedars and Douglas firs and beside a cascading creek. The sheltered draw that the trail follows contrasts sharply with the dry scrubby slopes you drove past along Hetch Hetchy Road.
This trail has not been updated, a nice way to note that it has not been regraded in recent decades. Instead, it drops at an approximate rate of 1,000 feet in 1 mile, twice as steeply as most switchbacking trails in the Sierra. There are a few big steps and simply a persistent grade. Take your time, especially if your knees bother you. You continue down, never far from the creek, weaving in and out of the denser conifer cover in the riparian zone and the oaks that grow on the drier slopes. In spring you will find some beautiful low-elevation flowers, including wild ginger. And suddenly the trail abruptly turns to the left (0.8 mile from start) and then flattens, indicating that you have reached Poopenaut Valley.
You now approach a large meadow, through which the creek you were following forms a deep channel. As you enter the opening, the trail peters out. USGS topo maps indicate that it continues along the western meadow edge to the riverbank, but equally obvious tracks cut across the meadow. In spring, when the ground will be marshy, you will select the left-hand option, both to stay dry and avoid damaging the meadow. In fall and winter, all choices are acceptable and walking through the tall, dry grass is appealing. Either way, you will shortly reach the river’s edge. In spring you will be met by a raging torrent, while late season you will find delightful sandbanks for a picnic and a quiet river for swimming (1.2 miles). But the water will be cold, for it is released from the chilly depths of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir a few miles upstream. Faint use trails that head upstream along the bank are animal tracks that rapidly become difficult to discern—do not be tempted to follow them. Return to your car the way you descended, taking your time and drinking plenty of water (2.4 miles).
TO THE TRAILHEAD
GPS Coordinates: N37° 54.614′ W119° 48.877′
Turn north from CA 120 onto Evergreen Road. This junction is located 1.1 miles west of the Yosemite entrance station at Big Oak Flat and 22.5 miles east of Groveland. (Note the sign with the current schedule for Hetch Hetchy day-use hours to avoid waiting behind a closed gate 15 minutes down the road.) After winding along Evergreen Road for 7.2 miles, you reach a T-junction with Hetch Hetchy Road. Turn right (east) and drive past Camp Mather, beneath a tall gateway, and past a gate that is locked each night. Beyond the T-junction, 1.3 miles later, you reach the Hetch Hetchy entrance station; here you are required to register your car. Continue along Hetch Hetchy Road for another 3.9 miles. As you complete a large curve, keep your eyes open for a small turnout on the right side of the road and a metal sign on the left side of the road indicating the start of the trail to Poopenaut Valley.
3 Wapama Falls
Trailhead Location: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
Trail Use: Hiking
Distance & Configuration: 4.8-mile out-and-back
Elevation Range: 3,813 feet at the start, with a cumulative elevation change of ±600 feet
Facilities: Water and toilets are not located at the trailhead but instead along the road 0.3 mile before the dam. Stop briefly at a small parking area after a series of ranger cabins. Water and toilets are also present at the entrance to the backpacker campground, farther along the one-way loop road. There is even a drinking fountain
