Parking in TM

Thanks to all the kind folks here for their terrific insights. We're tidying up
our plan for our back country trip. We're departing to Cathedral lakes and exiting
Lyell Canyon.

Reminder, we arrive late afternoon of our travel day (Thursday) and have to hike in the same day.

Where is the best place to legally leave our car?

Randy

There is some parking at the trailhead. You might even find a spot in the late afternoon as returning day hikers leave.

Another option is parking at the lot up the road past the TM Permit Station (on the left before Tuolumne Lodge) and then take the TM shuttle to the Cathedral trailhead. I think that one is referred to as the Dog Lake parking lot. Sometimes I get the names of Dog Lake and Lembert Dome parking lots reversed! Anyway, that way you will exit Lyell Canyon fairly close to the car. Either way, you will have to take the shuttle on one end or the other of your hike.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2012 12:16PM by tomdisco.

He's arriving late in the afternoon on the day he starts, so I think the shuttle would likely be when he returns (unless they have two cars and can do their own car shuttle).

Quote
ttilley
He's arriving late in the afternoon on the day he starts, so I think the shuttle would likely be when he returns

That was my thought. It'd be better to get on the trail as quickly as possible to get to a legal place to camp and let the shuttle delay be at the end of the trip when there's no rush.

Park at the Cathdral Lakes TH parking.

The goofy thing about this TH is that the parking is all along Tioga Road.
Just parallel park near the TH sign. You'll see a zillion cars already parked
there. Chances are very slim you won't find a spot. VERY slim.
You can take the JMT and just hike back to your car and complete the loop.

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