Hiking Project Logo
Climb
MTB
Hike
Trailrun
Ski

Mirror Lake Trail

Easy/Intermediate Easy/Intermediate
 4.3 (26)
  1. Areas
  2. CA
  3. …High Sierra
  4. …Yosemite National Park
  5. Yosemite Valley
Explore in 3D
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Previous Next

“A magnificent tour trough Tenaya Canyon and around Mirror Lake. ”

Brian Smith
Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List

4.0

Miles

6.4

KM

Point to Point

4,158' 1,267 m

High

3,998' 1,218 m

Low

250' 76 m

Up

226' 69 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

8%

Max Grade (5°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly An easy trail with exhibits along the way and great views of Mirrow Lake.

Description

The loop follows Tenaya Creek beyond the lake, and crosses two bridges after the Snow Creek Trail junction before returning past Mirror Lake on the south side of Tenaya Canyon. (There is no safe access to the north side of Mirror Lake directly from the south side of the loop, except via bridges at the west and east ends of the trail).

Mirror Lake has little water much of the year and, while pleasant at any time of year, it is fullest in spring and early summer, when Tenaya Creek flows freely with fresh snowmelt. When water is calm, the lake offers beautiful reflections of surrounding cliffs. Exhibits along the trail tell the story of Mirror Lake's lake-to-meadow succession, and also highlight some of the cultural history of the area. Mirror Lake is often referred to as Mirror Meadow in late summer due to the lack of water and the influx of grasses and sandy areas.

Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Yosemite

Shared By:

Brian Smith
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.3 from 26 votes

#4

in Yosemite Valley

#270

Overall
  4.3 from 26 votes
5 Star
50%
4 Star
42%
3 Star
4%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
4%
Trail Rankings

#4

in Yosemite Valley

#26

in California

#270

Overall
6 Views Last Month
1,394 Since May 7, 2015
Easy/Intermediate Easy/Intermediate
39%
17%
39%
0%
4%
0%
Add a Photo

Photos

Half Dome towering above Mirror Lake/Meadow
May 7, 2015 near Yosemit…, CA
Yosemite National Park, Mirror Lake Trail
May 7, 2015 near Yosemit…, CA
Yosemite National Park, Mirror Lake Trail
May 7, 2015 near Yosemit…, CA
Valley walls reflection in Mirror Lake
Dec 24, 2018 near Yosemit…, CA
Mirror Lake Loop in the summer
Jun 25, 2018 near Yosemit…, CA
Upper Mirror Lake
Oct 16, 2022 near Yosemit…, CA

0 Comments

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Minor Issues 97 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Mar 7, 2026
Janet Crum
2mi
Aug 14, 2025
John Eun
Oct 30, 2023
Daniel Reyes
4mi — 2h 30m
Jul 19, 2023
Nathan Roller
Apr 15, 2023
Mei-Jun Yeh
May 8, 2022
Andrew Larey
4mi — 2h 00m
Apr 30, 2022
Tilman Giese
Apr 25, 2022
Zachary Kunselman

Nearby Recommended Routes

Welcome

Join the Community! It's FREE

Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started