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A beautiful High Sierra lake with sweeping views of Cathedral Peak.


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Map Key

0.9

Miles

1.5

KM

Point to Point

9,439' 2,877 m

High

9,300' 2,835 m

Low

3' 1 m

Up

142' 43 m

Down

3%

Avg Grade (2°)

16%

Max Grade (9°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Lake · Swimming · Views · Wildflowers

Family Friendly An easy trail ending at a lake which is a great spot to go swimming or have a picnic.

Tioga Road east of Crane Flat and west of Tioga Pass Entrance Station is closed in the winter and spring until the road is cleared of snow. You can check road conditions at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/… or by dialing 1-209-372-0200, dialing extensions 1/1.

No campfires are allowed in this area, and bears tend to frequent campsites, so bear canisters are a must when camping here.

Description

To reach this trailhead, park on the side of Tioga Road, just west of the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center. There are bear boxes at the trailhead for your food and ice chests. Due to it's popularity, there may be many cars parked along the road, so you might have to hike a little to reach the trailhead.

To access this trail, start hiking on the John Muir Trail for roughly 3 miles. The John Muir Trail climbs steeply through a lodgepole pine forest, levels out and crosses several branches of Cathedral Creek, and then climbs steeply again until the trail levels out at the base of Cathedral Peak. At this point, the John Muir Trail widens and becomes sandy as it continues to the junction of the Lower Cathedral Lake Trail, where the Lower Cathedral Trail begins.

Turn right (southwest) and follow the trail for about .5 miles through areas of wildflowers until you reach the bench of the bedrock of the lake. You may need to rock hop a small creek or two in the meadow, depending on the time of year. There may appear to be a rust line on the rock, which indicates the high water mark when the meadows flood in the early part of the season as the snow melts. You can find a place on the rock here to relax and warm up in the sun, or continue to work your way around on the right hand side of the lake, following the trail to it's terminus. While fishing may be poor here due to its popularity, this relatively shallow lake offers many opportunities for swimming, sunbathing, and simply relaxing on the warm rocks along the edge of the lake. You won't be alone, as this is a popular trail due to it's proximity to Tioga Road and the John Muir Trail, but there is a large area to spread out along the shoreline.

Once you arrive at the lake, turn around to get sweeping views of Cathedral Peak, rising like a spire before you. If you hike to the end of the trail on the right side of the lake to explore the lake's outlet, views of Polly Dome, Pywiack Dome, Mount Hoffman, Tenaya Peak and some of Tenaya Lake can be seen.

Once you are done exploring, you can take the trail back to your car, or if you are backpacking along the John Muir Trail, continue on your way to your destination for the evening.

Flora & Fauna

Deer, bear, ground squirrels, etc.

The meadow areas around the lake offer opportunities for wildflower viewing in the early summer months.

Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Yosemite

Shared By:

David Hitchcock

Trail Ratings

  4.8 from 11 votes

#446

Overall
  4.8 from 11 votes
5 Star
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4 Star
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Trail Rankings

#51

in California

#446

Overall
12 Views Last Month
2,578 Since Sep 15, 2015
Intermediate Intermediate

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Photos

Lower Cathedral Lake w/ Cathedral Peak.
Feb 4, 2016 near Yosemit…, CA
Cathedral Lake w/ Cathedral Peak.
Feb 4, 2016 near Yosemit…, CA
Cathedral Lakes Panoramic.
May 13, 2016 near Yosemit…, CA
The marsh just as you approach Cathedral Lake.
Mar 19, 2016 near Yosemit…, CA
Cathedral Peak from lower Cathedral Lake.
Jan 21, 2016 near Yosemit…, CA
Trail leading back to Cathedral Peak.
Jan 21, 2016 near Yosemit…, CA
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