Parking
Park at the O'Shaughnessy Dam access at the end of Hetch Hetchy Road. Hikers report roadside spaces near the dam and overflow at the backpacker parking area; lot capacity and fees were not verified. Check seasonal gate hours before driving.
Overview
About Laurel Lake Trail
Why go
- Repeated high views over Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Kolana Rock
- A quiet lake payoff beyond the upper meadows
Heads up
- A long, sustained climb makes this a full-day outing
- Upper meadow tread can flood or turn muddy early in the season
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation3,799–6,667 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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
“Ahead is O'Shaughnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy, with reservoir water between steep granite walls. For a short visit, the paved dam viewpoint gives you the broad scene and waterfall views without a hike.”
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
Hetch Hetchy and O'Shaughnessy Dam0:00 / 0:37
“Ahead is O'Shaughnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy, with reservoir water between steep granite walls. For a short visit, the paved dam viewpoint gives you the broad scene and waterfall views without a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Treefrog on El Capitan
- Smith Peak from Smith Meadows Trailhead
- Poopenaut Valley Trailhead
- Water That Works Twice
- 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 Laurel Lake Trail
The full lake tripLaurel Lake is a strenuous 14.
Laurel Lake is a strenuous 14.2-mile out-and-back from O'Shaughnessy Dam, climbing above Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, crossing forest and wet meadow, and reaching a remote Sierra lake before returning the same way. Allow 8 to 9 hours. The park lists about 2,700 feet of elevation gain, but route measurements differ: GPS tracks put the round trip near 15 miles, and an older park trail table gives 8.3 miles one way. Treat it as a full-day commitment and leave enough daylight for the Hetch Hetchy gate.
The climb above the reservoirCross the dam and pass through the tunnel, then follow a broad former construction road uphill.
Cross the dam and pass through the tunnel, then follow a broad former construction road uphill. Long, steep switchbacks open repeated views over Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Kolana Rock. Above the climb, the route narrows into a forest trail; this is a sustained ascent, not a short burst before an easy walk.
Forest and meadow junctionsThe route leaves the wide Miguel Meadow Fire Road for a narrower trail through woodland toward…
The route leaves the wide Miguel Meadow Fire Road for a narrower trail through woodland toward Beehive Meadows and Laurel Lake. It crosses open meadow and wetland, with patches of forest affected by the 2013 Rim Fire. At Beehive Meadow, follow the signed Laurel Lake branch; routes from the same junction continue toward Lake Eleanor and Lake Vernon, which are different hikes.
The last stretch to Laurel LakeA trail sign at Beehive Meadow points to Laurel Lake, 1.2 miles farther.
A trail sign at Beehive Meadow points to Laurel Lake, 1.2 miles farther. The final approach includes a stream crossing. Meadow pools can flood or muddy the tread early in the season. Laurel Lake is a quiet forested shoreline backed by granite bluffs; turn around there and retrace the same route rather than continuing onto the separate Vernon and Rancheria circuit.
Access and rulesParking is at the dam end of Hetch Hetchy Road, with roadside spaces near the dam and overflow…
Parking is at the dam end of Hetch Hetchy Road, with roadside spaces near the dam and overflow in the backpacker parking area. No food, drinking-water source, or toilet was verified on the route. Pets are prohibited on the dam and hiking trails. Overnight trips require a wilderness permit. Hetch Hetchy Road has seasonal daylight-based gate hours; check the schedule before driving in.
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.
