Half Dome Backpack - SBC
Yosemite National Park is one of the first wilderness parks and most popular in the United States. Yosemite is best known for its waterfalls, but within it’s nearly 1,200 square miles you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more. While there we will be backpacking through the park starting at the Rafferty Creek Trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows and make our way to Merced Lake camp (14 miles, 1400 ft elevation gain) for our first night in the wilderness. The next day we attempt to summit the iconic Half Dome (14 miles, 2800 ft elevation gain) and spend a night at Little Yosemite Valley reminiscing on the past few days. The next day we will take the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Fall on our way to the Valley Floor where we can shower and get a hot meal at a valley restaurant. We'll spend on last night in the park and the next day head out of the park we will make a couple stops for some final Yosemite Views before returning to CSUSB.
Trip Cost
SRWC Member: $180
Faculty, Staff, Non Enrolled CSUSB Student, and Alumni Association: $210
Affiliate: $225
Sponsored Guest: $240
Pre-Trip Meeting / Sign Up Deadline
July 15, 2025 @ 6pm
Activity Level
4 - Epic
Trip Departs From
CSUSB Adventure Center (Student Union South room 114)
Itinerary
Day 1: Let’s get ready for an adventure of a lifetime! We will meet at the SRWC at 8:00am, gather our gear and begin the drive (about 6.5-hour drive). Along the way, we will stop for lunch (not included), gas and restroom breaks. We will arrive at our Campground near Mammoth Lakes to set up camp and eat some dinner. At night we will make some final preparations for our backpack trek the next day.
Day 2: We will wake up early to have a yummy morning breakfast and hit the road. We will travel 14 miles today, starting at Rafferty Creek Trailhead and ending at Merced Lake.
Day 3: We will start our day early, pack up camp and begin our 11-mile day along the John Muir Trail to the Little Yosemite Valley with a side trip to summit Half Dome!
Day 4: We will wake up for some breakfast pack our gear and head along the Mist Trail Trail past Vernal and Nevada Fall on our way to the Valley Floor where we can shower and get a hot meal at a valley restaurant. We'll spend on last night in the park.
Day 5: We will pack up and head out of the park we will make a couple stops for some final Yosemite Views before returning to CSUSB.
Weather
Food
11 meals are included, starting with dinner on day 1 (4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners)
3 meal are not included (1 lunch and 2 dinners). Bring money.
Hygiene and Comfort
We will be carrying our all our food, shelter, clothing, water and equipment in a pack weighting over 40lbs. We will be staying in a reserved campsites on the first night with flush toilets, drinking water, and there are NO showers. The next 2 nights will be spend in the wilderness. We will treat water from a nearby springs or lakes. We will use backcountry vault toilets or practice Leave No Trace methods to dispose of human waste. Our final night we will have access to potable water, flush toilets and showers for a fee. You will have the option to share a tent with one or two people or sleep out under the cover of the stars. Light weight tents, warm synthetic sleeping bags, foam pads and ground tarps will be provided to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep. The ground consists of soft and hard soil.
Risk / Hazards / Safety
Cancellation Policy
How to Register
Registration Opens 5/22/25 @ 8:00am