McCabe Lakes Trail

McCabe Lakes Trail is a high-country out-and-back from Tuolumne Meadows to Lower McCabe Lake. Follow the Pacific Crest Trail north through Glen Aulin and Cold Canyon, then turn east onto the named McCabe Lakes path beside McCabe Creek. Yosemite’s wilderness route list gives 29.6 miles round trip and 1,950 feet of gain; another route description lists 27 miles. The mapped line reaches Lower Lake in 13.7 miles one way (about 27.5 miles round trip), and the published figures do not identify the endpoint behind the difference. Use the longer figure for planning; travel beyond Lower Lake adds distance. This is a remote backpacking trip, not a quick lake walk; allow roughly 18 hours of hiking over two or more days.

The PCT follows the Tuolumne River for roughly 4.5 miles before dropping into Glen Aulin. Cascades, including Tuolumne Falls, make this the first major payoff. Remember that the descent into the canyon comes back as a climb on the return. Backpackers can camp near Glen Aulin, an option listed on the park’s wilderness trailheads map.

Continue north on the PCT through Cold Canyon for about seven miles to the McCabe Lakes junction. The route moves through high-alpine meadows and alternates open granite with forest. Turn east on the named McCabe Lakes path and climb beside McCabe Creek for about two miles to Lower Lake. A summer field account describes exposed granite slabs, small flowers in cracks, shaded forest and small creek crossings; those are observations from one trip, not a promise about current conditions.

Lower McCabe Lake sits at the forest edge. Middle and Upper McCabe Lakes lie farther beyond, above treeline in glacial cirques below North Peak (12,242 feet). A view toward the upper lakes and Saddlebag Lake opens from the Lower Lake area. The stored line ends at Lower Lake; exploring farther changes the route and mileage.

Overnight stays require a Yosemite wilderness permit. Dogs are not allowed on trails or in wilderness areas; trained service animals are permitted. Tioga Road access is seasonal, generally late May or June through October or November depending on conditions, and parking in Tuolumne Meadows is limited. Food and potable-water service along this route was not found; Tuolumne Meadows services can also be limited early and late in the road season.

The lakes and creek were named in 1912 for cavalry officer Edward Raynsford Warner McCabe, who was connected to Yosemite through marriage to acting superintendent William Woods Forsyth’s family. The historical account considers the exact namer uncertain.