Cathedral Lakes Trail (8 miles round trip, 1,200 ft. gain, moderate) Lower Yosemite Falls (0.5 miles round trip, minimal gain, easy) ... Best Place to Park to Access Trailhead: Sunrise Lakes Trailhead. If you know about this hidden gem however, you're in luck. Day 1 - Cathedral lakes trailhead to a campsite at sunrise lakes Day 2 - sunrise lakes over clouds rest to camp by half dome junction Day 3 - half dome junction to the summit half dome, and then out the mist trail. save. At about 2.5 miles, you'll reach an intersection with the Sunrise Lakes Trail that heads off to the east. Has anyone hiked these trails recently? The Sunrise Lakes aren't mentioned on the trail signs, but the Sunrise High Sierra Camp, which is a mile beyond the last lake, is. It kind of depends on whether you stick to the trail or take some of the more interesting shortcuts. Going straight will take you to Clouds Rest, another 4.7 miles (7.5 km) ahead. Cloud's Rest is also a manageable day hike as a Half Dome alternative. You can certainly do all of Cloud's rest in a day if you're so inclined. All of the parking is located along the road. 8. Tuolemne Meadow --> Cathedral Lakes Trailhead --> Sunrise Camps & Lakes --> Clouds Rest --> LYV --> Yosemite Valley. We did this 12.6 mile thru hike over 3 days/ 2 nights with plenty of time to take in the scenery, relax, and do some day hike exploring. over 4 years ago. Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang. Enjoy 360-degree views of Yosemite, including Half Dome, North Dome, Sentinel Dome, El Capitan, Glacier Point, Cathedral Rocks, Pinnacles, Vogelsang, Tenaya Lake, Olmstead Point, Fletcher Peak, Cathedral Peak, and Unicorn Point. You will either have to shuttle cars, hitchhike, or catch the Tioga Rd Shuttle to do this Lyell Cayon (could see Lyell Glacier, Ireland Lake, Vogelsang) In order of distance, 1 is shortest, 2 next, 3 next, and 4 longest. eswebster Newbie Posts: 4 Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:32 pm. Clouds Rest (14 miles): Starting at Tenaya Lake, this gorgeous hike meanders through forests in the direction of Sunrise Lakes, but goes to the top of Clouds Rest. And at 6 am, just before sunrise, I was on the trail again. We’re coming from the east and this will be our first major excursion. hide. report. Wow! Getting There SUNRISE LAKES (TIOGA ROAD) TRAILHEAD (8,160'): This trailhead is on CA SR-120, aka Tioga Road, on the southwest side of Tenaya Lake, 7 miles west of Tuolumne Meadows.There is ample parking here on the side of the road, however, on summer weekends it can get crowded. Trailhead: Sunrise Lakes. Another popular day hike in Yosemite is a roughly 15 mile round trip hike to the top of Clouds Rest. You also mention an overnight "on" Cloud's Rest. 8. Top. For Clouds Rest, you need a permit for Sunrise Lakes, and we highly recommend reserving this one, as it’s a very popular route. We woke up in the middle of the night to look at the stars. Trailhead. Rafferty Creek (could do Vogelsang as part of the trip) 4. Thank you. BPL Member. Yes. Mono/Parker Pass. Descend Clouds Rest’s southern side to rejoin the JMT. You'll reach the first lake in about half a mile, and the other two are each spaced another half mile apart afterwards. A row of cars was already parked along the road when I got there. Sunrise (would set you up to climb Clouds Rest and/or Tenaya Peak) 2. I just got my wilderness permit for late july for my girlfriend and I. Cathedral Lakes trailhead. 1. Park at Lembert Dome parking. Will I need to load up at Sunrise Lakes or will one of those two spots be reliable enough to wait? Park at Lembert Dome parking. 15. The next day you can head west through sunrise lakes and meet up with the JMT, hit the clouds rest trail, and do clouds rest. After hiking for 3 miles, you need to take the half-mile route to reach the Lower Cathedral Lakes. 8 comments. Saw the Milky Way for the first time. The trail climbs steadily to Upper Cathedral Lake. 14. The advantage to this trailhead is that it is rarely filled. 12. Backpacking Trips; Hiking Trips; Snowshoe Trips; Home. Aug 2, 2012 at 6:34 pm #1899687. It's a small branch off the main path, but worth the extra mileage. The trail starts on the north side of the road, and is very well marked. We didn’t originally plan on dealing with snow, but it looks like we won’t have much of a choice. Sunrise High Sierra Camp via Sunrise Lakes Trail and Clouds Rest Trail . Cathedral Lakes (moderate) 7 miles (11.3 km round-trip), 1,000-foot elevation gain; 4 to 6 hours. Yes. Cathedral Lakes. I have a permit for July 29 Cathedral Lakes to Happy Isles. Leaving from Tenaya Lake, this route ascends through forests towards Sunrise Lakes but continues on to the summit of Clouds Rest. Backpack Sunrise Lakes to Clouds Rest. Start the trip with the spectacular view of Tuolumne Meadows. 6. Young Lakes via Dog Lake. We plan to go over Clouds Rest and up Half Dome. Yes. Cathedral Lakes TH > Clouds Rest > LYV > Yosemite Valley. Elevation Gain: 2,300 feet (700 m) Permit Demand: Very High. Yes. A fantastic backpacking trip from Tioga to the Valley, then take the YARTS bus back to your car. The hike starts out easy on a soft path for the first couple of miles, then comes the hard part of the hike. Starting off at the Sunrise/ Tenaya Lake Trailhead, the trail will take you through the forest as you begin your ascent to Clouds Rest. Trailhead Elevation: 8,150 feet (2,450 meters) Clouds Rest Elevation: 9,926 feet (3,025 meters) Elevation Gain: 1,775 feet (540 meters) The red line marks the Clouds Rest trail, and the blue line marks the fork that leads you to the Sunrise Lakes (and just beyond them, though it's not shown, the Sunrise High Sierra Camp). Brice Pollock. If you go this route there are restrictions on where you can camp first night and then next day you can cut over to Cathedral/JMT and pick up the trail from there. Hiking Trips. 4. 12. Trip Details: Type: Backpacking/Camping: Dates: Late June to Early September # Days: 4: Distance: 25 mi/40 km: Difficultly: Moderately Strenuous: Origin: Tuolumne Meadows: Cost: $999/person: Highlights: Summit Clouds Rest- Yosemite’s finest view! You can then camp the first night at sunrise camp. Clouds Rest/Cathedral Lakes. Take it to Little Yosemite Valley, where hordes of Half Dome hopefuls gather for a shot at peak views similar to the ones you just earned (join them if your backcountry permit allows it). The "younger" brother of the world famous Half Dome, Clouds Rest is in fact a solid 1,000 feet taller despite receiving significantly less attention. 9. Hike Distance: 7 miles (11.2 km) round trip to Upper or Lower Cathedral Lakes; 8 miles (12.8 km) round trip to see both Hiking Time: 3 - 5 hours Trailhead Elevation: 8,500 feet (2,590 meters) Lower Cathedral Lake Elevation: 9,290 feet (2,830 meters) We had permits for six people leaving from the Cathedral Lakes trailhead. How many miles to Sunrise Lakes? Clouds Rest. Glen Aulin. At this summit, you will enjoy views of Half Dome, Tenaya Canyon, High Country and Yosemite Valley. Cathedral Lakes is one of the most popular trailheads in the park and August 8th is peak season so you will need to be in line very early to get a walkup permit. Starting out from the Tenaya Lake trailhead will save you crowds on the trail and the trouble of driving into the congested Yosemite Valley and fighting for parking spaces. Turn left to go to the Sunrise Lakes instead. Cathedral Lakes (could do most of trip 1, in addition to the Cathedral Lakes) 3. 21. Unfortunately, the Cathedral Lakes trailhead was on Tioga road, and even as we stood in line at the ranger station in the valley the morning our trip was supposed to begin, Tioga Road was closed. share. We camped at a spectacular high site with panoramic views at 9900K feet. Begin at Cathedral Lakes trailhead, 1/2 mile west of the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, Shuttle Stop #7. Shy of 1000 feet to the CR summit. 10. 1 review ... but instead headed onto the Cathedral Lakes trailhead back towards Tuoloumne Meadows. 27miles High Sierra Backpacking Trailhead. NEW VIDEOS released weekly! Sunrise Trailhead off of Tioga Road, just south of Tenaya Lake: Time Required: 7-10 hours to summit of Clouds Rest and back: Length: 13 miles to Clouds Rest and back: Elevation Change: Roughly 2000-feet of elevation gain in two separate pushes with a 400-ft descent in between. The Clouds Rest Trail winds its way through wildflower-covered meadows, forests and rocks before it starts the steep switchbacking (at times stair step) climb. Bob Gross. SUBSCRIBE to our channel to be the first to see them. The first part of the Cathedral Lakes trail is fairly bland, working slowly upwards through the trees. Highlights: Valley Views, Peaks. 15. You will pass several ponds, and have views of nice rocky peaks through the trees. Hike through the Sierra’s outstanding alpine country. Yes. TL:DR You don’t have to go very far to see some pristine high sierra lakes and epic sunsets. Distance: 14 miles (22.5 km) round trip. This section of the trail is a gradual uphill for 7 miles, and you increase in elevation form 8,000 to 10,000ft (and make sure to stay right when you reach forks in the trail). 5.0. Park at wilderness center or Dog Lake parking. Sunrise trailhead is notorious for out-of-bounds camping and hefty fines. The sunrise lakes trail to Cloud's rest is 12 miles round trip, I think. My brother-in-law who has fears of height couldn't handle it. Best View of the Valley. Clouds Rest : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering. I took out my bear canister with my left-over food and put it inside one of the many food lockers at the trailhead. If you start from cathedral, I recommend visiting the cathedral lakes themselves. Can anyone tell me about how many miles it is from Cathedral Lakes trailhead to Clouds Rest? Does this route sound reasonable? The Trail to Clouds Rest summit is very well trekked, one can follow it at least most of the way, lots of trees/vegetation, with the last "mile" (okay 1/4 mile) being the knife-blade walk on giant granite rock surface with down-slopes on both sides. Park at wilderness center or Dog Lake parking . The Cathedral Lakes trailhead is easy to find, a few minutes west of the Tuolumne Visitors center in East Yosemite on the Tioga Road. Reach the Clouds Rest summit (9,926 feet). The Cathedral Lakes trailhead is very near the Tuolumne Meadows village. The lush forest will be the first thing you will see in the first mile of the trail. These permits were particularly valuable because they included the option to climb coveted Half Dome. Hiked from Sunrise Trailhead to Clouds Rest on Oct 2nd, two days after my 62nd B-Day, with three of my grown children, my son in law, my son's two college buddies, and a close lifelong friend who just turned 60. Reviews. I'd like to hit sunset at upper cathedral lake Sunrise at clouds rest Sunrise at half dome.... before crowds. 10. Locale: Silicon Valley. No permit needed to dayhike it. We want to do 3 nights. Retrace steps back to Tenaya Lake and the Sunrise Trailhead. The Clouds Rest hike in Yosemite is a favorite of the park rangers; you get incredible panoramic views from over 1,000 feet above Half Dome.And unlike Half Dome, for the Clouds Rest hike, no permit is needed, the distance and climbing is manageable, and you don’t have to navigate anything like the anxiety-inducing cables section. The return hike follows the same route. @b-g-2-2. Lyell Canyon. Yes. What are the last reliable water sources before Clouds Rest? If you aren't detouring to Clouds Rest or Half Dome, Cathedral Lakes to Happy Isles is either a long dayhike or a single night backpack. On the map I can see a small pond and a branch of Teneya Creek that crosses the trail. The … 6. (Beautiful camp). 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