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blueBlack Tenaya Lake Trail

  3.5 ( 4 ) Favorite
  1. Areas
  2. CA
  3. …High Sierra
  4. …Yosemite National Park
  5. Tuolumne Meadows
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Trail

13.4 mile 21.6 kilometer point to point
Intermediate/Difficult

Elevation

Ascent: 986' 301 m
Descent: -1,888' -575 m
High: 8,707' 2,654 m
Low: 7,707' 2,349 m

Grade

Avg Grade: 4% (2°)
Max Grade: 39% (21°)

Dogs

No Dogs
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Trail shared by Brian Smith

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“This long distance route through Tuolumne's heart skirts Tenaya Lake then approaches the Valley rim”

— Brian Smith
GPX File

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

Description

Starting from the Cathedral Lakes trailhead, head west paralleling Tioga Road past all the famous domes: Pothole, Fariview, Medlicott, Polly and Pywiack. Join up with Tenaya Creek and follow it to the east end of Tenaya Lake. The trail skirts the southern shoreline and continues over level ground until about the 9 mile mark. Climb up to Olmstead Point and take in the huge panoramic views. After an bit more ascending over more granite slabs, leave Tioga Road behind. Descend a more wooded canyon, then climb back up to a saddle formed by the shoulder of Mount Watkins. From here it is downhill to a forested flat spot where the trail ends at an intersection with the Snow Creek Canyon Trail.

Flora & Fauna

Your surroundings on this trail will vary between dense riparian vegetation, exposed rocky side slopes and open forest.

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Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Yosemite

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Check-Ins

Jul 4, 2019
Chi Zhang
Nov 10, 2018
Susan N
Aug 23, 2018
Lesley Wargo
Jul 19, 2018
philip lz
Jul 28, 2017
Nika E
Jul 20, 2017
Justin Gonzalez
Oct 19, 2016
Sam Vanderhyden
Test 1mi
Jun 23, 2013
Leon Kotlyar
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  3.5 from 4 votes

#20

in Tuolumne Meadows

#16015

Overall
  3.5 from 4 votes
5 Star
25%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
75%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#20

in Tuolumne Meadows

#1,767

in California

#16,015

Overall
72 Views Last Month
1,385 Since May 7, 2015
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
0%
0%
25%
75%
0%
0%
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Photos

Domes and Tenaya Lake.
Domes and Tenaya Lake.
 4
Looking across Tenaya Lake.
Looking across Tenaya Lake.
 3
Tenaya Lake and the surround domes that make the area beautiful.
Tenaya Lake and the surround domes that make th…
 3
Breaks in the trees offer stunning views of the domes surrounding Tenaya Lake.
Breaks in the trees offer stunning views of the…
 3
A view of the lake from the end where it drains out into Tenaya Canyon. This end of the lake is popular for swimmers in the summer.
A view of the lake from the end where it drains…
 3
View over Tenaya Lake
View over Tenaya Lake
 2

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