HIKING HETCH HETCHY - YOSEMITE'S SECRET VALLEY

Hiking Hetch Hetchy Valley is sure to deliver beautiful views during any season. John Muir once called this lesser-known gem in Yosemite the “remarkable exact counterpart” to the famed Yosemite Valley. Unfortunately, this glacier-cut valley is now buried underwater and is a source of ongoing controversy as it was dammed up and turned into a reservoir in the early 1900s. However, not many people venture out here, and not many people have heard of it. Fewer crowds, you say? Sign me up!

Hetch Hetch Reservoir in Yosemite National Park

The Hetch Hetchy Area has over 287 miles of hiking trails, including part of the famous PCT. You can spend a few hours exploring the dam and shoreline trails or take a long day hike out for more spectacular views of this stunning area. When exploring and hiking Hetch Hetchy with kids, I highly suggest hiking the most popular trail, the stunning 2.5 miles out to Wapama Falls.

If hiking with little kids, you may want a shorter hike, and this trail is an excellent place for exploring the shoreline along the reservoir and controlling your distance based on your kid’s needs. You will still enjoy many of our favorite highlights – the O’Shaughnessy Dam, the Mountain Tunnel, meadows of wildflowers, waterfalls, and the overall spectacular views from the shoreline trail.

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WHERE IS HETCH HETCHY?

The Hetch Hetchy Valley is a hidden gem in the northwest corner of Yosemite National Park. Visitors can access this lesser-known (and less crowded) part of Yosemite just outside the park off Highway 120. Hetch Hetchy Road is located just before you enter Yosemite National Park through the northern Big Oak Flat entrance.

The Hetch Hetchy area makes for a great day trip, but it is a bit of a journey from the heart of Yosemite, so plan accordingly (about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Yosemite Valley). If you are visiting Yosemite from the Bay Area, this is an excellent stop on your way in or out of the valley. If you are looking for accommodations nearby, The Evergreen Lodge seems incredible. I will update this post with a review once we can stay there!

GETTING TO HETCH HETCHY

Hetch Hetchy Road is open during seasonal hours (check current hours here) and is the only way to get to the Hetch Hetchy trailheads. From Highway 120, take Hetch Hetchy Road and travel 16 miles, about 25 minutes, towards the Evergreen Lodge. Pass through the lodge property, and continue past Camp Mather to reach the Hetch Hetchy entrance station. The trailheads and dam are about 30 minutes down the road. Plan to spend a few hours enjoying the area.

ENTRY FEE

If you are visiting Yosemite National Park, you will have already paid your $35 fee for seven days, and you can use that to enter through the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station. However, when we visited at the beginning of April, the entrance station was not collecting fees from October – to April.

SERVICES

No services are available once inside, so fill your gas tank before heading in. The last stop in the park is at the Crane Flat Chevron, just before the Big Oak Flat Entrance Station. The last stop on Highway 120 is in Buck Meadows.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE HIKING HETCH HETCHY

The hike toward Wapama Falls has little shade, so sunscreen is necessary. Spring and fall’s cooler temperatures will improve your hiking experience. However, the falls dry up slightly by late summer, and the hotter temperatures may make the hike more challenging for kids. As always, make sure to plan for your hike. If you want to get your kids more involved in their national park experience, check out this post for the items we always pack when exploring the parks with our kids!

Ensure to carry plenty of water, as there are no services or areas to purchase food or water inside Hetch Hetchy. Watch for poison oak, especially when hiking with kids. There is no cell service in the area.

SEASONS

The lower elevation, 3,900 feet, makes the Hetch Hetchy Area popular for hiking throughout the year. In winter, snowshoers love to explore the area.

We visited in Spring, and seeing the waterfalls flowing as wildflowers surrounded the trail in vibrant colors was stunning. Lupine, Monkey Flowers, and Buttercups bloomed during our hike, especially in the meadows closer to Tueeulala Falls. If you follow my blog, you know I love any hike covered in wildflowers. So this was a great time to visit.

THE RESERVOIR

The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is over 8 miles long and holds 117 billion gallons of drinking water that supplies around 2.4 people in the Bay Area. The reservoir is only for drinking water, so swimming and boating are prohibited. However, fishing is permitted year-round with a valid California fishing license.

WILDLIFE

Since the Hetch Hetchy Area is backcountry wilderness, black bears are common. Therefore, being bear prepared is necessary. Do not leave food in your vehicle. If overnight backpacking, bear canisters are required for food storage. A wilderness permit is needed and can be obtained for free from the park rangers at the entrance station. The Hetch Hetchy Area is also home to many bat species and snakes.

DOGS

Dogs are not allowed on the trails or the O’Shaughnessy Dam but are permitted in the day-use area on a leash. Domesticated animals threaten wild animals, so this is a great time to leave your pup at home.

HIKING TO WAPAMA FALLS

The hike to Tueeulala Falls and Wapama Falls is stunning and gives you great views of the area. You will begin the hike by crossing the dam and heading through the mountain tunnel to access the trail along the reservoir’s shoreline. Once you begin the shoreline trail, you can decide how far to go based on your family’s needs.

The hike to Tueeulala Falls is 1.5 miles out, and 2.5 miles to Wapama Falls. The hike is moderate, as many areas are up and downhill on the trail. However, some trail areas are very rocky, so I highly recommend having hiking boots for this trail, especially when carrying a child. For a longer day hike, you can continue 13 miles to Rancheria Falls. This is also an excellent destination for a backpacking trip.

Rocky trail along the Wapama Fall Trail at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

THE O’SHAUGHNESSY DAM

Once you enter the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station, continue on the road for about 30 minutes until you reach the dam. Park in the day-use parking and take a moment in awe of the size of the structure. Standing on the 430-foot dam gives you incredible views of beautiful granite monoliths to the north. Looking south, you can stare at the powerful water pumped out into the Tuolumne River below.

Along the dam’s walls, there are several interpretive panels about the area’s history. From Native American inhabitants to the controversy surrounding Hetch Hetchy, I was in awe of this beautiful place I did not know existed until recently.

THE MOUNTAIN TUNNEL

To access the Wapama Fall trailhead, cross the O’Shaughnessy Dam and pass through the mountain tunnel. The cave-like atmosphere is a great way to begin your hike. My kids loved yelling to hear their echo and the unique experience of walking through. We walked along the edges due to large puddles through the middle of the tunnel. My son loved pretending he saw bats, but in the darker center of the 1/4-mile tunnel, he did start to feel a little nervous.

MEADOWS & WILDFLOWERS

Walking along the shoreline, you will notice beautiful manzanita trees along the trail. We passed by two smaller waterfalls dripping down the mountain, several green meadows along the rocks, and many wildflowers. The wildflowers brought the butterflies, and they were everywhere. This was a highlight for the kids, and we enjoyed taking rests along rocks in the meadows.

TUEEULALA FALLS

As we walked along the shoreline, the kids loved looking backward at the dam and our car in the parking lot. As we got closer to Tueeulala Falls, we could see several streams plummeting over the mountain. These waterfalls created a variety of pools flowing into the reservoir. These falls descend over 1,000 feet into the reservoir below. Before making the reservoir, they would flow freely into the Tuolumne River at the bottom of the Hetch Hetchy Valley.

This area made for a great lunch stop. We enjoyed a picnic on the rocks while taking in the views. Although I could hear the rush of Wapama Falls around the corner, my kids were getting tired, and I still had a drive back to the Bay Area ahead of me. This is an excellent example of the need to pivot. I wanted to keep going, but it was 80 degrees, my kids were tired, I had no help with the kids if we pushed too far, I did not have the Osprey for my daughter, and I still had a 4-hour drive home. So we headed back towards the car, knowing we would be back to see Wapama Falls sooner than later!

WAPAMA FALLS

After another mile of jaw-dropping views, you will reach the stunning Wapama Falls. Enjoy the four bridges that cross over the different offshoots of the waterfall. This is the true prize of your efforts! Take time to soak it in!

HISTORY OF THE HETCH HETCHY VALLEY

John Muir led the crusade with the Sierra Club to protect this beautiful valley. They were adamantly against the building of the O’Shaughnessy Dam. The dam’s construction was one of the first times people questioned using natural resources for modern development. Until the Hetch Hetchy debate, many Americans were focused on the desire to expand and use natural resources to support our cities and development.

In 1913, Congress passed the Raker Act, which allowed the construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam, which was completed in 1923. The beauty of the valley has been buried underwater since. Three years later, the National Park Act was passed in Congress, protecting our parks and ensuring nothing like the flooding of Hetch Hetchy would happen again. Restore Hetch Hetchy is an organization working to reverse this controversial decision and resurrect this incredible valley and place in our national park system.

“Dam Hetch-Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.” – John Muir

Have you been hiking in Hetch Hetchy? Did you make it to the falls?