Mirror Lake
TRAIL USE
Day Hike, Bike, Run,
Wheelchair Access,
Stroller Access,
Child-Friendly
LENGTH
1.9 miles, 45 minutes–
2 hours
VERTICAL FEET
One-way: +115', –5'
Round-trip: ±120'
DIFFICULTY
TRAIL TYPE
Balloon
FEATURES
Canyon
Lake
Stream
Great Views
Geological Interest
FACILITIES
Bear Boxes
Campgrounds
Horse Staging
Lodging
Restrooms
Shuttle Stop
Store
Visitor Center
First cars and later shuttle buses went to Mirror Lake, but now the paved road is used only by cyclists, pedestrians, and a few cars with special permission. Hikers can also use quieter, parallel paths that are only open to foot traffic. Be forewarned that Mirror Lake is just a broad stretch of Tenaya Creek, not a true lake. In times of high water, it is quite impressive and reflective, but in July the flow diminishes and the width of the “lake” greatly decreases—indeed Tenaya Creek usually stops flowing late summer.
Maps
This trail is covered by the Tom Harrison Yosemite Valley map (1:24,000 scale), the National Geographic Trails Illustrated #306 Yosemite SW map (1:40,000 scale), and the USGS Yosemite Valley map (1:24,000 scale).
Best Time
To see the reflections in Mirror Lake, you need to visit during the time of maximum runoff, which is about early May–late June. Visitors arrive in Yosemite year-round, however, and most visit it later, when the “lake” is merely a wide stretch of Tenaya Creek—Bridalveil Fall (Trail 28) or Vernal Fall (Trail 32) are better choices late in the summer. As water levels drop, pools along Tenaya Creek, just before the end of the trail, become well-used family swimming holes.
Finding the Trail
The trailhead is located at Yosemite Valley shuttle stop 17, along Happy Isles Loop Road a little to the east of the stables and North Pines Campground. Because this road is closed to vehicular traffic, except the shuttle buses, take the shuttle bus to stop 17. Note that for those staying in one of the three nearby campgrounds, North, Upper, and Lower Pines, it is more efficient to walk east along Happy Isles Loop Road to this trailhead than to take the shuttle. Shuttle users can park their cars in either the Half Dome Village (Curry Village) parking area or the large day-use parking areas near Yosemite Village or the Yosemite Valley Lodge. There are water faucets in the nearby campgrounds or at Half Dome Village but not at the trailhead or along the walk.
Trail Description
The shortest route to Mirror Lake is along the paved bike path from shuttle stop 17 north to the lake. At shuttle stop 17, the low ridge you see just south of Happy Isles Loop Road is the valley’s Medial Moraine. Not formed by the converging Tenaya Canyon and Merced Canyon glaciers, as implied by its name, this is actually a recessional moraine left by the retreating Merced Canyon glacier.
The bike path starts north from stop 17, ▶1 from which you’ll see an adjacent outhouse plus a path immediately branching right. This spur momentarily reaches a trail that parallels the road and connects the Happy Isles environs to the Mirror Lake environs. It is slightly longer but quieter, more for the nature lovers, and it skirts an area of giant rockfall boulders that testify to the instability of Half Dome. This trail stays on the east side of Tenaya Creek, while the road soon crosses to its west, and at the highest water flows, it can be difficult to cross Tenaya Creek at Mirror Lake, so once you start up this trail, you may have to be content to stay on this side of the creek for your entire walk.
On the virtually level bike path, you walk, bike, or jog, first north then northeast, to Tenaya Creek Bridge (0.2 mile). ▶2 Standing on the Tenaya Creek Bridge, you can get a good idea of the status of Mirror Lake. If Tenaya Creek is a raging torrent descending toward you, Mirror Lake will be worth the visit, but if there is only slow water or no water at all, you will have to enjoy the view of Half Dome and Mount Watkins without their reflections.
Mirror Lake and Mount Watkins
Immediately before the bridge, a trail heads east to reconnect with the previously described parallel path to the east. Just a couple of minutes past the bridge, you reach a bike path junction on the left toward the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Ahwahnee) and on to Yosemite Village (0.3 mile). ▶3
Those bound for Mirror Lake curve right, pass another toilet, and make an easy traverse east over toward Tenaya Creek. Within minutes you will note a little-used junction on your left (0.4 mile). ▶4 This trail is another alternative to the paved route you are following, if you’d like to walk among the trees and boulders; you will reconnect with the paved road close to Mirror Lake. The last part of the path up to the seasonal lake is a moderate ascent alongside the creek, and those on rental bikes have to park them at the start of this ascent. After about 0.25 mile you reach a shallow pond—it was once deeper and until the mid-1990s was a popular summertime swimming hole, but it is paralleling the evolution of adjacent Mirror Lake, reverting to just a broad stretch of Tenaya Creek. Nonetheless, on an early summer visit, it is still crowded with children splashing and playing in the sand.
Passing yet another toilet, the paved road becomes a trail and you soon reach a right-bearing junction, the end of a nature loop taking you to the southwest edge of Mirror Lake (0.85 mile). ▶5 Continue straight ahead for now—you will return along this route. Indeed, in just minutes you reach a second junction (0.92 mile), ▶6 and this time bend right toward the lakeshore. Information placards tell you about the human and natural history of Mirror Lake, and of course, you are treated to beautiful views of the face of Half Dome. Here photographers gather to take seasonally reflective photos. Take a minute to look for the light-colored scar to the left of Half Dome, where a large rockslide occurred on Ahwiyah Point in March 2009. The nature loop takes you back to the trail on which you ascended, and you will return to the shuttle stop via this route (1.9 miles). ▶7
If you have time to explore further, there are a number of add-ons in the area. To get the mirrored reflection of Mount Watkins (in times of high water), continue straight ahead at the northern junction with the Mirror Lake nature loop and walk out to the lakeshore a little farther north on any of the well-used use trails. Farther north again, if you continue onto the Valley Loop Trail, westbound, you can visit the Indian Caves, with several caves located among dozens of house-size boulders, wonderfully enticing to children. To reach these, continue straight ahead at the northern junction with the Mirror Lake nature loop, cross a small bridge, and turn left at the T-junction with the Valley Loop Trail in 0.1 mile. Last, from this same T-junction, if you turn right, you can take a 2.7-mile loop trail that continues northeast along Tenaya Creek, officially the easternmost extent of the Valley Loop Trail. This trail has limited views but is a superb forest-floor walk with abundant birdlife, forest flowers, and towering trees. Along the south side of the loop, you walk through the base of the Ahwiyah Point rockslide, admiring how plants are once again emerging among the rubble. If you take this loop, you will return to the Mirror Lake environs on the far side of Tenaya Creek and must either cross the creek to reach the road or continue along the aforementioned parallel trail that also leads to the shuttle stop.
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▶1 | 0.0 | Start at shuttle stop 17, Mirror Lake |
▶2 | 0.2 | Tenaya Creek Bridge |
▶3 | 0.3 | Right at bike path junction |
▶4 | 0.4 | Straight where alternate trail diverges left |
▶5 | 0.85 | Straight ahead at southern Mirror Lake nature loop junction |
▶6 | 0.92 | Right onto Mirror Lake nature loop (north end) |
▶7 | 1.9 | Return to shuttle stop 17, Mirror Lake |
MILESTONES