Climbers walk across the footbridge at Wapama Falls. Photo by James “Q” Martin.

Millions of people visit Yosemite National Park annually because of its incredible hiking, camping and climbing. Most visit Yosemite Valley – a small part of the park – making it extremely busy during peak times. In recent years, timed-entry permit reservations have been required to enter Yosemite during peak times to manage the increased demand.

With so many visitors, how do you avoid the crowds in Yosemite? There are still quiet areas of the park – like Hetch Hetchy. Often overlooked, Hetch Hetchy offers hiking and climbing without all of the people. 

With its strikingly similar glacier-carved granite walls and waterfalls, Hetch Hetchy has been called a “second Yosemite Valley.” However, because the valley was flooded upon the construction of O’Shaughnessy Dam in 1923, it is now seldom visited. 

Hiking, backpacking and climbing in Hetch Hetchy is a much different experience than in any other part of Yosemite. It is an opportunity to avoid the crowds in Yosemite Valley while experiencing many of the same sights.

How to Get to Hetch Hetchy

Hetch Hetchy has its own park entrance off of Highway 120. While other entrances to Yosemite National Park often have extremely long lines and wait times, the Hetch Hetchy entrance does not. For that reason, timed-entry permits have never been required to visit this part of the park.

What to Do While You’re There

Waterfall hikes in Yosemite are a huge draw to the park, and Hetch Hetchy offers several of them. The trail to Wapama Falls, on the north side of the reservoir, is the most popular as it is easily done as a day hike. You can also continue down the trail to Rancheria Falls for a longer day hike, or to backpack into Yosemite wilderness.

Climbers should know that the walls of Hetch Hetchy are an opportunity for them to explore incredible routes that are rarely climbed by others. Restore Hetch Hetchy’s recent film, Finding Hetch Hetchy, highlights one such climb on Hetch Hetchy Dome.

The fight for restoring Hetch Hetchy is ongoing, but visitors can still enjoy what is left of its beauty. While exploring the area, you can imagine it restored. Relocating the reservoir would open up countless more trails and climbs that have been lost.

How You Can Help

Access to Hetch Hetchy can be increased, without it becoming overcrowded like Yosemite Valley. Please join us in encouraging the National Park Service to give Hetch Hetchy the care and attention it deserves while learning from the reality of the rest of Yosemite.

Take Action Now

We’re petitioning the National Park Service to improve the visitor experience at Hetch Hetchy. This includes improving trails, expanding the gate hours, providing camping, and allowing low-impact boating on the reservoir.

Sign our letter to Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon by clicking the button below.

The vision of Restore Hetch Hetchy is to return to the people Yosemite Valley’s lost twin, Hetch Hetchy – a majestic glacier-carved valley with towering cliffs and waterfalls, an untamed place where river and wildlife run free, a new kind of national park.