Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite National Park)

Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite National Park) reference article on thruhikingwiki.com.

Overview

Tuolumne Meadows is a high-country area within Yosemite National Park that the Pacific Crest Trail passes directly through, offering potential in-park resupply when seasonal facilities are operating.

Key points

  • Located around mile ~942 in many traditional mileage references.
  • Trail passes directly through or adjacent to the Tuolumne Meadows area.
  • Services can include a small store, limited food options, and a post office, subject to seasonal operation and park policies.
  • Acts as a mid- to late-Sierra resupply point without requiring a long side trip to an external town.
  • Service levels and dates can vary significantly from year to year, so current information is important.

Details

Tuolumne Meadows sits on the Tioga Road corridor in Yosemite National Park and provides one of the few on-trail resupply opportunities in the Sierra that does not require a major side trip down to the Owens Valley. During its operating season, the area may include a small store, simple food outlets, and postal services that hikers use for resupply boxes or limited in-person shopping.

Because operations are seasonal and subject to park decisions, the availability and exact offerings at Tuolumne Meadows can change between years. Some hikers plan to rely on it as part of their resupply chain, while others treat it as a bonus or backup, planning primary food carries around more predictable town stops.

From a route perspective, the PCT passes near the heart of the meadow area, allowing hikers to access any available services with minimal additional walking. Tuolumne thus serves as an in-park waypoint between more involved exits such as Kearsarge Pass, Red’s Meadow/Mammoth Lakes, and later highway crossings toward Sonora Pass and Tahoe.

Illustrative hiking footage

The following external videos offer general visual context for typical hiking environments. They are not official route recommendations, safety instructions, or planning tools.