Parking
There is no parking at the signed Robinson Creek Trailhead. Park at Mono Village Resort for a fee, then walk past the resort to the trailhead on National Forest land; the current fee was not verified.
Overview
About Crown Lake, Kerrick Meadow and Peeler Lake Loop
Why go
- Five named lakes, a high pass and a remote Yosemite meadow in one circuit.
- The Crown and Peeler lake basins offer standout granite and reflection views.
Heads up
- Long, high-altitude days with sustained climbs and variable creek crossings.
- Overnight permits and paid resort parking add planning steps.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation7,215–10,272 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureDome Fire closes Glacier Point Road and trailsGlacier Point Road is temporarily closed because Dome Fire smoke reduces visibility and to allow firefighting operations; some trails south of the road are also closed.Official details
- CautionMist Trail access limited during October repairsThe Mist Trail between its John Muir Trail junction above the Vernal Fall footbridge and the top of Vernal Fall has limited access through October for repair work.Official details
Yosemite Tour Guide
Yosemite, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tour- 125 audio storiesacross Yosemite’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Peregrine Falcon, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 141 trails, 99 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Trail guide
Hiking Crown Lake, Kerrick Meadow and Peeler Lake Loop
The full circuitThis demanding, roughly 24-mile stem-and-loop starts at Robinson Creek Trailhead, climbs to…
This demanding, roughly 24-mile stem-and-loop starts at Robinson Creek Trailhead, climbs to Crown Lake, then circles through Snow Lake, Rock Island Pass, Yosemite’s remote Kerrick Meadow and Peeler Lake before retracing the Robinson Creek approach. The mapped version here measures about 24.3 miles: roughly 7.7 miles in, an 8.9-mile lake-and-pass circuit, and 7.7 miles back. Related trip accounts list about 21–23 miles, so use 24 miles for planning and confirm your chosen line before setting out.
Robinson Creek and the lakesThe approach follows Robinson Creek through granite and forest toward Barney Lake, then climbs…
The approach follows Robinson Creek through granite and forest toward Barney Lake, then climbs past Robinson Lakes to Crown Lake. Expect sustained uphill hiking and a steep high-country ascent after Barney. Barney’s small sandy shore and the open granite basin around Crown make good pauses before the harder loop.
Rock Island Pass and Kerrick MeadowFrom Crown Lake, the circuit climbs past Snow Lake and over Rock Island Pass at roughly 10,200…
From Crown Lake, the circuit climbs past Snow Lake and over Rock Island Pass at roughly 10,200 feet. The pass crosses into Yosemite; the trail then descends into the remote Kerrick Meadow and valley. This is a long, high-altitude day with rocky footing and creek crossings. Water levels vary with snowmelt, and the route can be harder to follow across wet meadow edges.
Peeler Lake and the returnThe trail reaches Peeler Lake before reconnecting with the Robinson Creek corridor and…
The trail reaches Peeler Lake before reconnecting with the Robinson Creek corridor and returning past the upper lakes to Crown. From there, retrace the approach to Twin Lakes. In Crown Lake’s granite setting, look for reflections of the distinctive summit known as The Juggernaut; Peeler Lake beneath Crown Point is another strong view.
Permits, parking and petsAn overnight Hoover Wilderness permit is required year-round; quota limits apply at Robinson…
An overnight Hoover Wilderness permit is required year-round; quota limits apply at Robinson Creek from June 15 through October 15. Day hikes do not require that wilderness permit. There is no parking at the signed trailhead: park at Mono Village Resort for a fee, then walk past the resort to the trail. The route enters Yosemite wilderness, where pets are prohibited, so ordinary pets cannot accompany the complete circuit. Plan to carry food and a way to treat water; no services are available along the route.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yosemite
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
