Boothe Lake Trail

Boothe Lake Trail is a strenuous 15.5-mile out-and-back from Rafferty Creek Trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows, following the PCT/JMT and Rafferty Creek corridor to a lake beneath granite peaks. The mapped walk is about 7.8 miles each way, including the final branch to the lake. Plan a full day; about ten hours is a practical estimate with a stop. Backpackers parking at the Wilderness Center add about 0.4 mile each way to reach the same trailhead. A start at the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center is a different, longer variant.

From the trailhead lot, a short connector joins the PCT/JMT. Cross the Dana and Lyell forks on footbridges, then turn south onto Rafferty Creek Trail. The climb starts steeply as it leaves the Tuolumne River plain, eases around mile 2.5, and continues through lodgepole forest beside the creek. There are occasional views toward Kuna Crest, but most of this stretch is a steady high-country climb.

Around mile 5.3, the trees give way to a long meadow leading toward Tuolumne Pass. Vogelsang and Fletcher peaks come into view ahead; look back for a wider view across the Tuolumne basin and Sierra crest. At the Merced Lake branch, follow the route toward Boothe Lake for the final 0.6 mile.

Boothe Lake sits at about 9,800 feet in a rocky, forested basin below Vogelsang and Fletcher peaks. The rocky north shore can reflect the peaks in calm water. Turn around at the lake and retrace the same corridor; this is not a loop.

Day hikers can use the Rafferty Creek trailhead lot off Tuolumne Meadows Lodge Road. Backpackers should park at the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center and walk about 0.4 mile east to the trailhead. Tioga Road access is seasonal, and overnight parking in lots reached from Tioga Road is prohibited beginning October 15. The route starts around 8,600 feet and approaches 10,000 feet, so distance and altitude make it a demanding day hike. Yosemite does not allow pets on hiking trails. Overnight wilderness trips require a permit and approved bear-resistant food storage; camping within one mile of Vogelsang High Sierra Camp is restricted to designated campgrounds, so do not assume the lake shore is an authorized campsite.