Parking
Use the small Sunrise Lakes Trailhead lot at the west end of Tenaya Lake; it can fill. Park on the roadside only where signs allow. Overnight parking is prohibited on Tioga Road and in its lots.
Overview
About Sunrise High Sierra Camp Trail
Why go
- Three lakes and a meadow camp on one high-country day.
- Views across Tenaya Lake and the Cathedral Range.
Heads up
- A long, rocky climb at high elevation.
- The Tenaya Creek outlet can require a wade during high snowmelt.
The Sunrise High Sierra Camp Trail is a 10.4-mile out-and-back from Sunrise Lakes Trailhead at Tenaya Lake to a high camp beyond Sunrise Mountain. It follows the Sunrise Lakes corridor, then drops into a meadow below the Cathedral Range. Choose it if the lakes alone aren't enough and you want a full high-country day; turning back at the lakes makes a shorter outing. Allow about 5½ hours, plus stops, for 1,650 feet of gain at elevations that start above 8,000 feet.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation8,169–9,783 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
“You're nearing Sunrise Lakes Trailhead, the start of the long hike to Clouds Rest. The reward is a full-circle summit view with Half Dome below you and Tenaya Canyon dropping away beneath the ridge.”
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
Clouds Rest from Sunrise Lakes Trailhead0:00 / 0:27
“You're nearing Sunrise Lakes Trailhead, the start of the long hike to Clouds Rest. The reward is a full-circle summit view with Half Dome below you and Tenaya Canyon dropping away beneath the ridge.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Tenaya Lake
- May Lake and Mount Hoffmann
- Olmsted Point
- The Beak That Opens Cones
- 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 Sunrise High Sierra Camp Trail
The climb and the lakesThe trail crosses Tenaya Creek at the outlet and climbs through lodgepole forest, granite…
The trail crosses Tenaya Creek at the outlet and climbs through lodgepole forest, granite slabs, and small meadows. The first 2.7 miles share the approach to Clouds Rest, with a long, rocky switchback climb leading to a junction; follow the camp sign toward Sunrise Lakes. The first and third lakes sit beside the path. The middle lake is about 100 meters off it, so visiting adds a short optional detour.
Over Sunrise MountainPast the upper lake, climb steeply to a saddle on Sunrise Mountain, then descend by switchbacks…
Past the upper lake, climb steeply to a saddle on Sunrise Mountain, then descend by switchbacks to the camp. This is the most exposed stretch, with high-country views opening toward Tenaya Lake, Half Dome, and the Cathedral Range. The camp sits in a meadow bowl beside a winding creek, with Matthes Crest rising behind it. For a photo, use the creek as a foreground line and leave some meadow in the frame.
Access and rulesUse the Sunrise Lakes lot at the west end of Tenaya Lake.
Use the Sunrise Lakes lot at the west end of Tenaya Lake. It's small and can fill; roadside parking is only legal where signs allow. Tioga Road is usually open from late May or June into autumn, with dates set by snow. Day hikers don't need a wilderness permit; overnight stays in the Yosemite Wilderness do. Pets aren't allowed on Yosemite hiking trails. Don't plan on food or water at the camp unless you confirm current services; none for day hikers were verified.
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.
