Tuolumne River

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(2 votes, 1 review)

Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.6 miles / 2.6 km
Duration: 1 hour or less

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Overview: The hike is short but sweet, and offers a great view of Tuolumne Meadows, especially during spring when the snow has melted and the wild flowers are out on full force. You will start by walking through the meadow, between Pothole Dome and the Tuolumne River, before reaching a few cascades of the Tuolumne River where you can sit in the shade, soak your feet, and have a snack.

You can continue further down the cascades and through another meadows or loop back with an optional climb up to Pothole Dome for some great views before heading back to the trailhead.

Tips: Park your car along Hwy 120 near Pothole Dome, there should be a smaller area on the north side of the road (on the meadow side).

Points of Interest

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Trailhead and Parking

Park your car along Hwy 120 near Pothole Dome, there should be a smaller area on the north side of the road (on the meadow side).

Start by walking straight through the meadow (on the trail, of course), with Pothole Dome on your left.

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Through the Meadow

After a few minutes you will be enter some tree cover, and the trail will continue with Pothole Dome on the immediate left, and the Tuolumne River winding nearby to the right.

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Tuolumne River Cascades

Soon you will meet up with the River at an idea lunch spot (the walk over probably won’t make you too hungry, though). You can continue further by following the cascades to another meadow, circle back by climbing Pothole Dome for some great panoramic views of the meadows and surrounding peaks in the distance, or simply spend a few hours with your feet in the water listening to the roaring rapids—it’s quite therapeutic.

Pictures in this guide taken by: chris, saminforest

How does this work?

I seem to do this little hike every time I go to Tuolumne with my family. The walk is pretty short and very flat, and you end at a number of waterfalls after walking through a meadow. There are a number of great places to sit and have a snack, dip your feet, or climb around on the nearby rocks.

Great for families, especially with little kids who like water or climbing on rocks.
Visited on Jun 15, 2008

by chris on Jul 08, 2011

Tuolumne River Trail Map

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chris
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When I'm not spending all of my work time and free time working on cool new products for EveryTrail,...

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