Private Tuolumne Meadows Hiking Tour: Lembert Dome & Dog Lake

The guide carries the first aid kit and the water purification. You carry the lunch and the choice of how far to go.

A private, full-day hiking tour of Tuolumne Meadows with a guide who customizes the route based on your fitness and interests. You'll hike to Lembert Dome and Dog Lake at 9,170 feet, visit Soda Springs, and explore the Tuolumne River valley. The guide provides instruction on geology and natural history, and can adjust the itinerary toward easier sightseeing or longer, more strenuous hikes like Gaylor Lakes or Cathedral Lakes if weather and seasonal access allow. Bring your own lunch, snacks and water bottles. The guide carries first aid, water purification, sunscreen and bug repellent.

The experience

You meet the guide in the morning at Tuolumne Meadows and plan the day together. The route is not fixed. You discuss what you want to see and how hard you want to work, and the guide builds the hike around your answer. An easy option takes you up Lembert Dome and out to Dog Lake at 9,170 feet before looping back to Soda Springs for a drink straight from the source. If you want more distance or elevation, the guide can lead you to Gaylor Lakes or Cathedral Lakes instead. The guide points out the geology as you walk, names the lesser-known spots most visitors miss, and carries the gear that matters: first aid, water purification tablets, sunscreen, bug repellent and toilet paper for emergencies.

The day runs eight hours on foot, so you need moderate fitness and your own lunch and water bottles. Weather, fire closures or delayed seasonal openings can shift which route becomes possible: the guide stays in contact if that happens and offers an alternative that works. The meadow itself sits high enough that the air is thin and the light is sharp. The Tuolumne River runs through it, and the peaks around it are granite. You are hiking, not sightseeing from a vehicle, so the pace and the stops are yours to shape with the guide's knowledge.

All profits from this tour go to the operator's youth summer camp program. The Yosemite National Park entrance fee is not included and must be paid separately at the gate.

What’s included

• Professional guide who customizes the route and provides geological and natural history instruction.
• hiking access to Lembert Dome, Dog Lake, Soda Springs and the Tuolumne River area.
• first aid kit, water purification, sunscreen and bug repellent carried by the guide.

Before you book

Days and timesThursday to SaturdayDeparts at 09:00Last departure this season: 31 Oct

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (8 to 75 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Paid on siteUS$ 35

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by Lasting Adventures

Is this one for you?This is a private tour, so the guide works with you alone or your group to build the day around your pace and interests. Choose it if you want to hike at your own speed and decide between easy sightseeing and a longer, more strenuous route once you're there and know how you feel.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Lembert Dome and how long does it take to hike to the top?

Lembert Dome is a granite peak in Tuolumne Meadows that the guide can lead you up as part of the easy hiking option. The ascent is one of the stops on a customizable day, not a separate expedition, and fits inside the eight-hour tour window depending on what else you choose to visit.

Can I do a longer hike instead of the easy route to Lembert Dome and Dog Lake?

Yes, if you have the fitness for it, the guide can take you to Gaylor Lakes or Cathedral Lakes instead, which are more strenuous and cover more distance. You plan this together when you meet in the morning.

Do I need to bring food and water, or does the guide provide them?

You bring your own lunch, snacks and water bottles. The guide carries first aid, water purification tablets, sunscreen and bug repellent, but not meals.

What happens if the weather is bad or a trail is closed when I arrive?

If weather, fire or delayed seasonal openings affect the route you planned, the guide will offer a different itinerary that works that day and will keep you in contact through the process.

Is the Yosemite National Park entrance fee included in this tour?

No, the park entrance fee is not included and must be paid separately when you enter Yosemite.