Parking
Use the Lyell Canyon Trailhead access in Tuolumne Meadows; the mapped route joins the Pacific Crest and John Muir trail corridor there.
Overview
About Evelyn Lake Trail
Why go
- Evelyn Lake and Fletcher Peak make a distinctive high-country destination.
Heads up
- The 17.2-mile return is a demanding day at elevations above 8,600 feet.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation8,681–10,397 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
“You're approaching the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge road, with access to Lyell Canyon. The seasonal lodge is a cluster of canvas tent cabins beside the river, with beds and wood stoves but no electricity or Wi-Fi.”
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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and Lyell Canyon0:00 / 0:33
“You're approaching the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge road, with access to Lyell Canyon. The seasonal lodge is a cluster of canvas tent cabins beside the river, with beds and wood stoves but no electricity or Wi-Fi.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lembert Dome
- Why the Sierra Has a Dry Side
- Tuolumne Meadows Store and Grill
- Soda Springs and Parsons Memorial Lodge
- 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 Evelyn Lake Trail
The long way to Evelyn LakeEvelyn Lake Trail is a 17.2-mile out-and-back from Lyell Canyon Trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows.
Evelyn Lake Trail is a 17.2-mile out-and-back from Lyell Canyon Trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows. It follows the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails, then Rafferty Creek Trail and the named Evelyn Lake path to the lake basin. Allow about 10 to 12 hours. The route gains roughly 1,800 feet and climbs from about 8,700 feet to just over 10,000 feet, so this is a demanding high-country day. This listing follows the Rafferty Creek approach and retraces it; the longer Ireland and Evelyn Lakes Loop visits Ireland Lake as well and is a different itinerary.
The approachThe first stretch uses the Pacific Crest and John Muir trail corridor.
The first stretch uses the Pacific Crest and John Muir trail corridor. Twin Bridges comes early, with several creek crossings along the way. After the junction onto Rafferty Creek Trail, the route climbs through forest, then into more open high country, passing smaller lakes before Evelyn Lake.
The climb and the altitudeThe trail's grade is mostly steady, but the climb lasts for miles and the air is thin above…
The trail's grade is mostly steady, but the climb lasts for miles and the air is thin above 9,000 feet. The mapped profile rises from roughly 8,700 feet at the trailhead to about 10,400 feet near the lake. Take a pace you can keep on the return, and leave enough time to reach the trailhead before dark.
At the lakeEvelyn Lake sits in a small basin beside an open meadow.
Evelyn Lake sits in a small basin beside an open meadow. The mapped path passes close to the shore, where Fletcher Peak rises behind the rocky waterline. The open shore has little shelter from wind, so give yourself time to enjoy the view before turning back.
Food, water and rulesThere is no food service along this backcountry route, so carry enough for the day.
There is no food service along this backcountry route, so carry enough for the day. Treat or filter water from streams and lakes. Day hikers do not need a wilderness permit, but an overnight stay in the Yosemite Wilderness does. Dogs are not allowed on park trails.
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.
