Sunrise Lakes is a beautiful 5-mile (each way) out-and-back hike or backpacking adventure with dozens of options to extend the trip for multiple days by exploring Cathedral Lake, Merced Lake, Vogelsang, or hiking down into the valley. It was only four miles to Cloud’s Rest from here, but would feel like the longest four miles of my life. After an hour or two of hiking, you can set up camp on Sunset Creek just past the Clouds Rest junction. the hike itself was rewarding carrying a ~30 lb pack but the mosquitos made it a point for me to remember them, lol, This is no kiddie climb up to Sunrise Lakes. Overview: From the 128th Street Trailhead take Ringtail Trail 0.6 miles up to a right on Sunrise Trail and follow another 2.15 miles to the peak. We only made it to the lakes because we had the GPS going; snow covered the signs and most of the trail heading up. Welcome to Sunrise Lakes ♣ Would you like to play FREE golf and tennis ALL YEAR ROUND!? https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/sunrise-camp-to-may-lake-trail You can park at the Tuolumne Meadows Ranger Station and take the free shuttle to the trailhead. May Lake High Sierra Camp from Tioga Pass Road, Porcupine Creek Trail to Indian Ridge Natural Arch to North Dome, Porcupine Creek to Indian Rock, North Dome, and Columbia Rock via Tioga Pass Road, John Muir Trail: Tenaya Lake to Reds Meadow. We had some options as to how far and how many days we would go. If I had known this was the hardest part of the trail I would have done Clouds Rest first instead I did Sunrise Lakes first and went back again the next day to Clouds Rest. Very few people at the lakes compared to the number we encountered on the trail (shared with Clouds Rest). Murphy Creek. Hikes. It was not yet open for the season. We camped at the first lake and it was near perfect. Yes. This is for sure the hardest part I kept passing hikers resting up the way that looked exhausted! The best way to get from Mammoth Lakes to Sunrise Lakes Trailhead costs only $16 and takes just 3 hours. Great spot right by the water with nice flat sections for tents and a great granite shelf for cooking. The trail starts across the road and heads downhill to Sunrise Lake, the first of many you’ll encounter. Once re-connected to the Clouds Rest trail you begin a brief descent before you come across the only lake on the CR Trail. ... That’s where we were informed that the bus we wanted to take up to the Sunrise Lake Trailhead had already left and wouldn’t leave again until evening. I'm glad this trail is marked hard because it kicked our butts! However after reading the top, the trail splits, and you continue up to Sunrise lakes, which is great for backpackers. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $70. Yosemite is a favorite destination, especially the high country hikes during the summer months! At 1.5 miles is Clover Lake. This is a busy trail located in the Tenaya lake area of Yosemite national park. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International License. Answer 1 of 6: Hey everyone, I have booked a trip for my son and I to do a backpack from Sunrise Lakes to Happy Isles, via the CRT and with a stopover to summit Half Dome (our wilderness permit is for June 11-14). August 2017. But overall I enjoyed the hike. 6. Hike Distance Elevation Gain High Point Low Point; Clouds Rest: 14.2 miles : 3200 ft ... State: California. Directions from Tuolumne Meadows: Travel westward on Tioga Road approximately 8 miles to the Tenaya Trailhead immediately west of Tenaya Lake. Smooth sailing from there. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/sunrise-lakes-trail They were nowhere near my campsite. Otherwise a lovely spot. What To Expect From The Colchuck Lake Hike During Sunrise . Completed this hike on 8-3-12. Drive east on SR-1, 3.2 miles to the turnoff on the right (west) for the Sunrise Trailhead, which is just past milepost 34.5. Yosemite National Park charges a fee to enter. Getting to the Sunrise Trailhead Hiked only as far as the 3 lakes before turning back due to late hour, mileage seems to be factored for Sunrise HC as the destination so hiking to lakes only is a bit shorter. Quota (reservable) Quota (first-come, first-served) Restroom. Next hike to the bottom Cloud's Rest (get water on the way), and find a camping spot. No mosquitoes when we were there mid October. saw some different animal's and evidence of a mountain cat. California Travel and Tourism Commision, P.O. Since this is the beginning of a few trails such as the hike to Clouds rest, it is a busy trail. Overall the hike seemed to me to have three sections, the first section near the Tenaya lake is mostly flat and very good. Water is brisk but warm enough to swim. Overall I recommend these lakes if you want to see as much of Yosemite as I do. Doing the switchback while unable to lift my right leg more than 3" from the ground was an adventure! This short, one-mile, downhill jaunt from the hairpin turn on the road to Sunrise makes a great detour when hiking the Palisades Lakes trail, or a nice warm up before tackling longer hikes like Burroughs or Dege Peak from Sunrise. Vault toilets but no water available. Follow the paved access road from the trailhead parking area across the outlet of Tenaya Lake to a trail junction. The lakes are cool and refreshing and the wildlife abounds. As from Wednesday 13th May following the lifting of certain Covid 19 restrictions by our Prime Minister, we are pleased to announce the re opening of Sunrise Lakes for angling only. Must haves- lots of water, protein snacks, good camera, solid hiking boots and thick breathable socks. Insultingly beautiful at times; when you crest the hill, head to the right a bit and keep an eye out for a magnificent panorama view. Posts about Sunrise Lakes Trailhead written by peaksandpotatoes. Sunrise - Fiske Lake Trailhead by MinnesotaSoundscapes.com published on 2011-12-19T14:37:51Z. Sunrise Lake Base Camp. Fees are $35 per vehicle or $30 per motorcycle. Ends in a valley at high sierra camp. That section was by far the most difficult part of our 3 day hike from Tenaya to Yosemite Valley. Easy, gradual ascent from Tenaya Lake trailhead for about 1.5 miles, then some really brutal switchbacks for another mile, with a 1000 ft gain. Cathedral Lakes. Very low usage, at least when I was there. Trailhead Amenities: Driving Directions. If you are entering on foot, horse, or bike the fee is $20 per person. All current rules still apply but more importantly the government guidelines and rules regarding Covid 19 must also be applied. I did this hike on a whim, needing to kill some time. The Forsyth Trail descended sharply for the first half mile, winding down a granite staircase through stands of wildflowers. From Tenaya Lake, cross Tenaya Creek and soon begin climbing up to the Sunrise Lakes. Sunrise Lakes Condos, Sunrise Florida. Chain Lakes in the extreme southeastern portion of Yosemite is a lesser-known "backdoor" into Yosemite. 9. Posted by saturdaysummits on October 28, 2017 October 28, 2017. Probably because it’s closest to the trailhead. Yosemite- Sunrise Lakes. Sunrise Lakes Trail is a 9.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Yosemite Valley, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Sunrise Lakes Notice. Incredible views on way up to summit. Stream Sunrise - Fiske Lake Trailhead by MinnesotaSoundscapes.com from desktop or your mobile device. The north woods comes alive with a … The hike was challenging but it was all worth it for the views. Sunrise Lakes Trailhead. Sunrise/Merced Lake: Sunrise Lake trail begins at the Tenaya Lake trailhead and travels 3.3 miles to the campsites on Sunrise Lakes. We set up tents on the rocks to have a screen room to protect us from their attacks which do come in waves. Lots of switchbacks and steps. Ascend the final uphill above higher Sunrise Lake and come down on the other side of Sunrise Mountain. The sunrise lakes trail to Cloud's rest is 12 miles round trip, I think. Passing over rocky sections of trail, listen and look for pikas; if you’re quiet you’ll be able to spot them. The water temperature in late August was absolutely perfect, and there were no bugs to speak of. The middle section is a steep switchback area which seemed to go on for a long time. It has amazing camping spots over to the right with staggered rock platforms for tents etc. From Sunrise Lakes, we retraced our steps back to the trail junction with all the signs. If the parking lot is full you can park along side the road on the north side. Your legs maybe a bit sore afterwards as mine were, but definitely its worth checking out. Yes. This trail is marked hard for a reason, that real hard and steep ascent up to the Clouds Rest junction. Still a good leg workout as well as nourishment for the soul. Beautiful trail, no mosquitos right now, very few people (for an overnighter on a Sunday). Bear right at this junction to reach Sunrise Lakes. Lots of invisible mosquitoes that eat you alive. Probably the biggest downer to this trail. really peaceful and lovely views. There’s a bit of a climb in the middle. When you want to enjoy lakes but don't want to share them with the hordes at Tenaya Lake, head for Sunrise Lakes. Which saves you 220 feet of steep elevation gain and 0.5 miles off the roundtrip. I was having major issues with my right hip flexor, so I only dragged myself to the first lake and returned. Great day hike out to sunrise camp and back, diverse terrain and scenic view points. An easy backcountry destination with stunning alpine lakes and meadows lies just off Tioga Road in northern Yosemite National Park. Answer 1 of 2: My group is backpacking for four days and starting from McGurk headed to Tenaya Lake. 9. Valid Parking Permit: Yellowstone Entrance Fee. The lake was beautiful with half granite, half forest surrounding the lake itself. Lots of trees. 15. Drive up early to catch the sunrise (there’s a reason this site on the Eastern aspect of Mount Rainier is named Sunrise), and then hike far above turquoise-green lakes and into the rugged, sparsely beautiful landscape of the alpine on this gorgeous trail. From here it descends for another 2 miles to the campsite at “Sunrise Lake” at elevation 6,250 feet. Extremely serene place to be. Hike to Sunrise Lake. It’s nice, but keep going. You cross a few small bodies of water, one of which you have to fully get into to cross, and the water is cold (for consideration); mosquitoes hang out in those general areas pretty bad so have repellent handy. Hey everyone, I have booked a trip for my son and I to do a backpack from Sunrise Lakes to Happy Isles, via the CRT and with a stopover to summit Half Dome (our wilderness permit is for June 11-14). Here you’ll find an array of wildflowers surrounding the lake. Note that in late July, it's mosquito feeding time, and you are dinner. The third is supposedly the most popular. Nice trail along 4 lakes. Scenery: Considering that the trailhead is at the fabulous west end of Tenaya Lake, and that all three Sunrise Lakes combined are less than half the size of Tenaya Lake, you might find yourself weighing the virtues of just hanging out at Tenaya, especially about a mile and a half into the hike, once you start up the switchback-laden climb to the trail juncture. On the second day of this trip, my companion and I woke up around 7:00 am and leisurely packed up our campsite. Box 1499 , Sacramento, CA, 95812-1499, Phone: 800-862-2543. Hiking length: 9-mile loop. Find the travel options that best suit you. 6. From the Cascades Lake trailhead, the trail drops down to the dam then climbs gently for about 1 mile to “68 Lakes”. Start out at the Tenaya Lake Trailhead, where you can head directly onto the trail for Clouds Rest or you can branch off after 2.7 miles to Sunrise Lakes. Most visitors start this trail at the USFS Quartz Mountain Trailhead about .75mi to the south of Chiquito Pass.The climb is fairly gradual over variably dusty, sandy and rocky trail, but there are several instances of climbing that are cool spots to catch ones breath. Definitely in the “hard” category though not as hard as Mist trail to Nevada Fall. Before We Begin… This lake is part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.. If you can survive the switch backs, the trail is well worth the effort! Great. Wowwww...Three lakes to choose from, but I think the one closest to Tenaya is my favorite. Rome2rio makes travelling from Tuolumne Meadows to Sunrise Lakes Trailhead easy. Once you are at the lakes it's excellent for a mud bath. Switchbacks are brutal from Tenaya Lake. From the junction with the Clouds Rest Trail, take a left onto the Sunrise Lakes Trail and hike east, following signs for Sunrise High Sierra Campsite.Cover mostly level ground though open woods and after about 1/2 mile you'll reach the Lower Sunrise Lake. I have heard of very large swarms of mosquitors in mid-Summer, though by the time I got there (mid-August), they were totally absent. I found myself wondering how long this would last as most people seemed to slow and need extra time to get through here. Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International License. Trail is busy, mostly with hikers heading to Cloud's Rest. The people who wrote this article apparently camped right at Cloud's rest, which I didn't realize this was an option (but it sounds awesome), however I'm sure it isn't necessary. We were thinking of driving over to Tenaya Lake, leaving the vehicle there and then finding transportation back to the McGurk Meadow trailhead. We stopped by one of the lakes on the way down to admire the view and a coyote just waltzed by us on the trail, unfazed and on his way to his destination. The Cathedral lakes were way better probably the best part of the trail is the valley that surrounds the High Sierra camp. Trailhead: Sunrise Lakes. Suggest you forget about the altitude gain and enjoy the views! Drive CA-120/Tioga Road for 27.8 miles to a small parking lot on your left(south). This means a Northwest Forest Pass is required on your dash for trailhead parking.. Lucky for you, a pass is very easy to obtain. Then comes another hard ascent up back to the lakes. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. Here, the High Sierra Camp, nestled on the mountainside, looks out over gorgeous meadows to the rugged peaks of the Cathedral Range. Once you have made it to the lakes the views are beautiful and there are ample places to set up camp. The trip can be to the Sunrise lakes or to the high sierra camp. Beautiful day hike with lunch at the first lake on the rocks. The left fork leads along the southern shore of Tenaya Lake. Trailhead. This trail begins from the Tenaya Lake Trailhead along Tioga Road slightly west of the lake. I've been to many lakes and this is one I plan on returning to in the future. Would hike it again and maybe try for an overnight permit - no bugs encountered. There are three lakes, one a little off trail you will need to look for, but all are pretty and set in a beautiful location. Find all the transport options for your trip from Tuolumne Meadows to Sunrise Lakes Trailhead … Nice hike, don't be fooled by the short distance, sturdy knees needed for this one! Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. We passed the Sunrise Lakes and looked around at the seemingly-abandoned Sunrise High Sierra Camp. Start out at the Tenaya Lake Trailhead, where you can head directly onto the trail for Clouds Rest or you can branch off after 2.7 miles to Sunrise Lakes.This allows you to break up the hike, spend a night relaxing and help you have an early start back on the trail. The lakes were nothing real special. The third lake was our favorite — has some nice camping spots and lots of fish. Whichever lake you choose, you’ll be taking the Sunrise trail towards Tenaya Lake, until it intersects the Clouds Rest trail. You'll be rewarded at the 'top' (if ending at the lakes) with an idyllic place to lounge and enjoy a swim. After reading posts on here, I am increasingly worried this will not … Makes a nice loop to Cathedral Lake and Tuolumne Meadows if you don't mind hitching a ride back to Tenaya. lol. From US-395: Travel north or south to Lee Vining and just south of the town take CA-120/Tioga Road west. Parking Permit Required: Yes. Took a dip. Photos. Probably should have done some research for something easier, but I pushed through. great trek. I think 90% of the hike I could hear other hikers. Below is the “out-and-back” Sunrise Lake … 2. Got slammed with five-minute hail storm in early september. 10. Sunrise Lakes. The night I spent there, I saw two backpackers and a guy flyfishing. The lakes are pretty. Beautiful view of Half Dome and into Yosemite Valley when you are done with the switchbacks. Trail Wiki® is a registered trademark of Trail Wiki, a nonprofit organization. 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