You don’t need to be a marathon runner, but you should be in good physical condition. A good benchmark is being able to walk or hike for several hours at a moderate pace, or climb several flights of stairs without being completely winded. Our trips involve hiking 6-10 miles a day with a 25-30 lb pack in mountainous terrain. We manage the pace to the group, but the better shape you’re in, the more you’ll enjoy it. For more info check out How to Train for Yosemite (And Why Grit Beats Fitness)
It depends entirely on the trip style you choose. Our Sierra Immersion trips focus on depth over distance, with shorter hiking days (5-7 miles) and more time for fishing, swimming, and relaxing. Our Sierra Traverse trips are more about the journey, with longer days (8-12+ miles, depending on your preference) focused on covering ground and seeing varied landscapes. For more info check out Immersion vs. Traverse: Choosing Your Sierra Experience
We offer an expert-curated menu by default, which includes high-quality, calorie-dense backcountry meals. We also offer an optional full customization system. Yes, we can accommodate all dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten-free, allergies) as part of this process. For more details, check out Backcountry Cuisine: Our Two-Track Food System
We keep our groups small, with a maximum of 6 clients and 2 guides on every trip. This 3:1 ratio is one of the best in the industry and ensures a safer, more personal experience. For certain private trips we can accommodate up to 8 guests.
We specialize in private, custom-charter trips with a 2-person minimum. However, groups can open their charter to additional hikers, allowing everyone on the trip to lower their cost.
These 100% confirmed trips are listed on our Available Charters page. These trips require all participants to coordinate on a single, pre-determined airport pickup time, generally determined by the first group to pay their deposit and open the charter.
All applicants join a consultation call with the YWC founders to ensure the trip is a good fit for everyone. (Grandparents chartering a leisurely saunter with their grandkids would not be a great fit with a late-20s couple who wants to cover a lot of ground every day.)
We’ve explained this entire process in more detail here: How Our Charter System Works.
The short answer is no. Our unique, all-inclusive model includes Bay Area airport pickup and dropoff. To handle these complex logistics properly, our minimum trip is 5 days. Keep in mind that if you fly in to California, rent a car, drive to Yosemite (or a nearby hotel), then deal with all of your logistics, you’ll still be spending 5 days for 3 days of backpacking.
This breaks down to two travel days (Day 1 for pickup/drive, Day 5 for hiking out/return) and three full days of backpacking in the wilderness. For clients who use our “Drive-In Discount” and meet us in the park, we can discuss a 4-day option. Anything shorter just isn’t enough time to provide the high-quality wilderness experience we specialize in.
For an honest breakdown of what’s involved in planning your own backpacking trip, check out this article.
Our 5-day trip is a complete airport-to-wilderness solution. Day 1 is a travel and prep day for airport pickup, driving to the park, and organizing gear at the backpackers camp. You will then spend three full days and three nights in the wilderness. Day 5 is your final (partial) hiking day to exit the trail, followed by the drive back to the airport.
Our 6-day trips include four full hiking days and four nights, and 7-day trips include five full hiking days and five nights.
You absolutely can. If you’re a DIY-er, you can save money by handling all the planning, permits, and gear yourself.
You will also find other guide services that cost less, but it’s critical to compare what’s included. Other services vary wildly in what they provide. They may require you to rent or bring your own gear and most you will need to meet at the trailhead, which still leaves you to solve the airport transportation, parking and shuttle problems. Many provide no food or just some of your food, and no other company that offers the complete solution that YWC offers.
Our price reflects a complete, door-to-door solution. We handle the airport pickup, all the gear, all the permits, and all the food. We wrote a detailed breakdown of the true effort required to plan a fly-in Yosemite trip.
That’s exactly what the consultation is for. We’ll talk through your fitness level, what you like (and don’t like) about hiking, your schedule, and what you’re hoping to get out of the trip. By the end of the call, we’ll know which trip style fits you, and you’ll know if this is actually what you want to do. The consultation is free and there’s no pressure to book. It’s how we make sure we’re a good fit before anyone commits.
You can find our complete, detailed cancellation and refund policy on our policy page. We strongly encourage all guests to purchase travel insurance. You can read our full cancellation policy details here.
We pick you up from any Bay Area airport (SFO, OAK, or SJC). We handle all the transportation, gear, and logistics from the curb to the trailhead. After your trip, we drive you back to the airport for your flight home.
After you book, you’ll have a 1-on-1 planning call with Shawna and Evan to finalize your route. You’ll receive a comprehensive welcome packet with a detailed itinerary, packing list, and (if you opted-in) our full customization meal planning form.
Our trips are truly all-inclusive. We provide all professional guides, permits, transportation from the Bay Area, all meals (on-trail and during travel), and all necessary backpacking gear. You only need to bring your personal clothing, footwear, and toiletries.
Yes. We strongly recommend it. We are experienced and practical, but life happens and cancellations can have a significant financial impact. Our policy is firm, and travel insurance is the best way to protect your investment. We’ve partnered with Global Rescue to provide both travel insurance and supplementary evacuation coverage for clients who would like to purchase those coverages.
Our pricing for Private Charters are priced on a sliding scale based on your group size and trip length. The more people in your private group, the lower the per-person cost. Our Available Charters also use a sliding scale, and all participants pay the same final price. We guarantee we never offer last-minute discounts. *EXCEPTION* For 2026, we are offering four “Founder’s Season” trips at our lowest tier price.
We offer a $200 Drive-In Discount per person for any client who chooses to meet us at the park instead of using the Bay Area airport transport.
Yosemite wilderness access is complicated, which is why we handle 100% of it. We secure all permits in advance based on our deep knowledge of the system. For private trips, having flexible dates gives us the best chance to secure your ideal route.
No. We are not a budget operator. Our pricing is based transparently on the final group size and we offer a more complete solution than any other outfitter in Yosemite. This is our Price Parity Guarantee: all participants on a given trip pay the exact same final rate, ensuring your early commitment is always rewarded.
We provide a complete, high-end lightweight gear kit for every hiker. This includes the backpack, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, all cooking equipment, water filter, bear canister, and more. The gear we provide is the same gear that we use on our personal backpacking trips, and is our favorite gear for a reason.
Just as important as what you do bring, is what you do not bring.
You only need to bring your personal clothing, footwear (like trail runners or boots), and toiletries. When you book, you’ll receive a detailed packing list of recommended clothing layers.
You can, but we ask that you discuss it with us during your consultation call. Our gear is specifically chosen for its light weight and performance. We need to ensure any personal gear (especially packs, tents, and sleeping bags) is appropriate for the trip to avoid unnecessary weight or safety issues.
Absolutely. If you choose to wear traditional boots, they must be broken in. However, we are big proponents of modern, lightweight trail runners, which require much less break-in time and can be more comfortable for many hikers.
Your guides, Evan and Shawna, are the company owners and professional, credentialed guides. Both hold Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certifications, the standard for backcountry professionals, and have over 15 years of local experience in the Sierra. We are also Swiftwater Rescue certified, which is important during springtime when river crossings can be challenging in certain areas.
We take bear safety extremely seriously. We provide NPS approved bear canisters for food storage and will teach you the practical, experienced routines to keep a clean site and minimize any risk. Yosemite is home to Black Bears, which are generally very skittish and run away the moment they encounter a hiker. They are truly far more scared of you than you are of them.
As experienced and practical guides, we hike in most conditions, including rain. Your provided gear kit includes high-quality rain gear. We only alter a route if there is a genuine safety concern, such as prolonged lightning at an exposed pass or hazardous smoke from wildfires.
TripsThere’s no single “best” time, as every part of the season has its pros and cons.
Early season (roughly June to mid-July) is defined by water and renewal; waterfalls are at their peak, and the high country is lush with wildflowers. The tradeoff is that mosquitos are also at their peak.
As summer progresses into late season (August and September, often into October), the landscape gets drier and the weather becomes more stable. The bugs are gone, and lower water levels allow us to access areas that are impassable earlier in the year. The tradeoff is that most of the famous waterfalls have slowed to a trickle.
Our expertise lies in knowing which routes shine in any given week, and we tailor every itinerary to take advantage of the best features of that specific time.
This is an unfortunate but real part of hiking in the modern West. Your safety and health are our absolute priorities, and we will not guide a trip in hazardous air quality.
Unlike a thunderstorm, smoke is not something to “wait out.” If a “show-stopping” smoke event impacts Yosemite on your scheduled dates, we have two options:
We Pivot: This is our preferred solution. We maintain permits in several other high-alpine areas that are geographically similar (and quite honestly just as spectacular) as Yosemite. If we can move your trip to a nearby range with clear air, we will.
We Reschedule: If a pivot isn’t possible, we will cancel the trip and provide you with a full credit to reschedule for a future date.
We do not typically offer refunds for environmental or weather-based cancellations, but we will always work with you to find a new date or a new location to ensure you get your adventure.
