Parking
Start at the Lembert Dome parking area on Tioga Road, the listed starting point for the Young Lakes day hike. The route access has a vault toilet. Vehicle access ends during the seasonal Tioga Road closure.
Overview
About Young Lakes Trail
Why go
- A high-country lake below Ragged Peak with broad Cathedral Range views
- The approach passes through both alpine meadows and forest
Heads up
- The 13.6-mile round trip takes most of a day
- The two upper lakes require an informal continuation beyond the official trail
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation8,586–9,938 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureWilderness center–Lembert Dome trail closedMentions Lembert Dome, referenced in this guideThe trail between the wilderness center and Lembert Dome is closed for construction; an alternate trail is available. Check current trail conditions before setting out.Official details
- 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
“Lembert Dome's trail access is coming up, for a steep climb to a wide view over Tuolumne Meadows and the Cathedral Range. From Lembert Dome parking, allow about three hours for the three point four mile round trip.”
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
Lembert Dome0:00 / 0:23
“Lembert Dome's trail access is coming up, for a steep climb to a wide view over Tuolumne Meadows and the Cathedral Range. From Lembert Dome parking, allow about three hours for the three point four mile round trip.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Soda Springs and Parsons Memorial Lodge
- Tuolumne Meadows Store and Grill
- Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and Lyell Canyon
- Tuolumne Meadows
- 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 Young Lakes Trail
What you’re signing up forYoung Lakes is a 13.
Young Lakes is a 13.6-mile out-and-back from Lembert Dome parking through alpine meadows and forest to the first lake below Ragged Peak, with broad views of the Cathedral Range. Set aside eight to ten hours and expect about 1,300 feet of climbing. This is a long high-country day, not a quick lakeside walk.
Take the Glen Aulin approachThis listing follows the Glen Aulin side from Lembert Dome parking, then returns along the same…
This listing follows the Glen Aulin side from Lembert Dome parking, then returns along the same route. The Park Service also describes reaching the lakes from Dog Lake or making a loop; those are different itineraries, so they aren’t combined into this line or its distance.
The first lake is the official endThe maintained trail reaches the first lake below Ragged Peak.
The maintained trail reaches the first lake below Ragged Peak. The lake chain opens to wide views of the Cathedral Range. The lower lake with Ragged Peak behind it is the hike’s signature frame.
A well-used informal footpath continues from the first lake to the second and third. That extension goes beyond the official trail and the 13.6-mile distance here; expect a less formal route if you continue.
Permits and dogsDay hikers don’t need a wilderness permit.
Day hikers don’t need a wilderness permit. An overnight stay in the backcountry requires one year-round. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails, even when carried.
Tioga Road accessThe trailhead is reached from Tioga Road, which typically closes sometime in November until…
The trailhead is reached from Tioga Road, which typically closes sometime in November until late May or June. When the road is closed, there is no vehicle access to this starting point, so check current conditions before planning a visit.
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.
