Re: Campsites/Temperature at Grand Canyon of Tuolumne?

I am in a group which was thinking of doing a long backpacking trip next year. We are beginner backpackers who have not done dispersed camping before and have been looking at the GCoT as a possible option but had a few questions.
1. Are there possible flat areas that are far from water and far from the trail somewhere in the middle? Looking at the USGS Topo, there appears to be a marginally-flat area covered in what appears to be bare rock far from water from google satellite view near the Muir Gorge bypass, but I'm not sure whether it would be flat enough to set up tents on. Would it work? We were thinking of spending one night at the bare rocks near Morrison Creek descent which look kind of flat and the third night at Glen Aulin Backpackers' camp but are not sure yet.
2. I have heard that lower-elevation parts of the canyon tend to get hot (90's and 100's) in the late-season. When in the season would it be recommended to do this hike in order to be relatively confident with the river crossings? One person I had talked to recommended the later season because as going east and higher elevation, the trail also gets colder and more comfortable. What do you recommend?

You've asked some good questions, but the answers are more complicated than the questions.

There are campsites throughout the canyon, and a four day (three night) trip would have most people camping in Pate Valley the first night (lots of campsites here) the second night below Muir Gorge or above or below Cathedral Creek, and the third night near Glen Aulin, and then out on the final day. There are campsites in all of those locations. And there are campsites along this whole route, with the exception of the rock secton of Muir Gorge, where the trail actually swings away from the river for a while to navigate through the granite.

That said, I am not sure what you mean by finding campsites far from water. Most people prefer to camp within easy walking distance of water, for the obvious reason that most of us need water to cook and drink. If you are worried about flooded campsites, there is plenty of room in the canyon for the river and dry spots along the sides for camping.

What season is best? This canyon is justly famous for roaring waterfalls. Those are at their best in the early summer, when there is plenty of snow up high to feed these waterfalls. But early summer on this trail can mean some wet feet, and even some tricky stream crossings in places. Later in the year the waterfalls are far less impressive, but that also means a much drier trail and fewer mosquitoes.

Of course, the actual flow in the river and the waterfalls will depend upon the snowpack and the temperatures. A warm day in late spring or early summer with have both roaring. By mid-summer those conditions are less likely.

As for heat, it can get warm in Pate Valley any time between early May and late September, so your best bet is to watch the weather and avoid heat spikes if you see them in the forecast. If you have to plan far ahead (and with the reservation system currently in use, I can understand why you would want to do this) you are probably safest picking dates that work for you and adjusting to the weather you find. That may mean hiking early and late in the day, and spending the warmest hours sitting on a rock in the shade dangling your feet in the water. There are worse ways to hike.

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I'll caution you against using a topo map as showing where you may or may not find a few square feet flat enough for camping -- an area that shows topo lines spread apart could be sloping everywhere, and an area with tight topo lines could have benches and ledges that make great camping spots. Topo gives you a sense of the overall land topography, not necessarily a proper campsite.

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- Billy Joel

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1. Are there possible flat areas that are far from water and far from the trail

Are you trying to camp 100' from water and trail, per the rules, is that it?

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somewhere in the middle? Looking at the USGS Topo, there appears to be a marginally-flat area covered in what appears to be bare rock far from water from google satellite view near the Muir Gorge bypass, but I'm not sure whether it would be flat enough to set up tents on. Would it work?

Are you talking about this? We stopped there for a break, but I think it slopes too much for comfortable camping. And water is practically inaccessible.

I think you'd stand a better chance camping here, though I don't recall what the location looks like.

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We were thinking of spending one night at the bare rocks near Morrison Creek descent which look kind of flat

There is a place on the way down, but I think that even beginners should be able to make it down to Pate Valley in one day. That said, I did meet one heavy-set guy coming down on the east side of Morrison Creek, and his legs seemed to be getting to him. But I suspect that he made it to Pate before dark.

I think we spent our first night on this slab next to the cliff.

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Glen Aulin Backpackers' camp

That's certainly a comfortable spot. Has a toilet, too.

IIRC, we spent our last night in that large flat area below LeConte Falls.