Hiking to Gaylor Lakes in Yosemite’s High Country
We almost always planned trips around where we could camp. Once we had a campsite, we looked for nearby hikes and chose a few based on how much time and energy we expected to have.
Kim happened to check the Tuolumne Meadows Campground reservations before it closed for the winter and found one available Saturday night. It was the only open Saturday between late July and the end of the season. Our schedule was clear, so she claimed it.
With a seven-hour drive from Southern California and only one night in Yosemite, we would have part of Saturday and Sunday morning to explore. We needed to choose our hikes carefully, and Gaylor Lakes quickly became the one I most wanted to do.
The trailhead was just inside Yosemite’s Tioga Pass entrance, with a small parking area beside the road. There were restrooms and food-storage lockers nearby.
We placed our food in one of the bear boxes before starting the hike. The latch was extremely stiff and sliced open my thumb, which was not how I expected our morning to begin. Those metal latches can be stubborn, so be careful with your fingers.
Gaylor Lakes Trail Details
The National Park Service lists the Gaylor Lakes hike as 2.6 miles round trip, although wandering around the lakes can easily bring it closer to three miles. The route gains approximately 500 feet during its short but steep climb, beginning at nearly 10,000 feet near Tioga Pass.
The mileage made this sound like an easy hike, but the climb quickly convinced us otherwise. The trail began gently through a lightly wooded meadow before turning uphill and climbing steadily toward the ridge.
We were not the only hikers feeling it. The few groups we passed, along with the people who passed us, were breathing heavily on the switchbacks. A short climb feels very different when it begins at almost 10,000 feet.
The trail was not especially technical, but it gained most of its elevation in a concentrated stretch. Trekking poles would be helpful for anyone with sensitive knees, especially during the descent back to the trailhead.
Once we reached the ridge, the trail leveled out and opened onto wide views of Dana Meadows, Tioga Pass, and the surrounding granite peaks. We stopped for a snack, caught our breath, and looked across a landscape that seemed to stretch in every direction.
From the ridge, we could also see Middle Gaylor Lake below us. Reaching it required descending about 200 feet into the basin, which meant we already knew we would have another climb waiting on the return.
The entire basin was spectacular. We had not spent much time in high alpine country, and the closest comparison we had was Rocky Mountain National Park and our hike to Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes. This felt even more open, with broad slopes, bare granite, and very few trees interrupting the view.
Only a few other people were at Middle Gaylor Lake, and most of them were fishing. Away from the trail, the shoreline felt quiet and spacious.
We wandered around the lake before continuing toward Upper Gaylor Lake. It was only a short distance away, but we might not have known to look for it if a ranger had not stopped to talk with us the previous day.
He told us this was one of his favorite hikes in Yosemite and described the upper lake as looking almost like an infinity pool when viewed from water level. That was enough to convince us to continue.
Upper Gaylor Lake was even quieter. We did not see anyone else there, despite being less than a quarter mile from Middle Gaylor Lake. Snow still covered part of the slope beside the water, and small streams moved through the open basin.
When we lowered ourselves near the shoreline, we understood exactly what the ranger had meant. The far edge of the lake seemed to blend into the distant mountains and sky, creating the infinity-pool effect he had described.
On the return, we stopped for another snack and sat beside the water without hurrying. Both lakes were exceptionally clear, reflecting the blue sky, lingering snow, and pale granite surrounding the basin.
