Hike Mirror Lake

Mirror Lake Trail

Once upon a time, Half Dome’s reflection in Mirror Lake was beautiful to behold, a living postcard admired by generations of Yosemite Valley visitors.

Now such reflections are rare now, and will soon be no more.

Never a deep body of water, it was a pond naturally enclosed by a rockfall. In 1890, humans enhanced the little lake’s reflective qualities by constructing a dam.

Mirror Lakes usually dries up a summer’s end. In years past at this time the park service dredged the lakebed, hauling away tons of sand and gravel. The excavated material was spread on winter roads to gain autos better traction on the snow.

In 1971, this practice was stopped, and each year hence silt has accumulated to make Mirror Lake ever-smaller. These days Mirror is quite literally just a shadow of its former self, a gravely lake bottom fringed by a meadow with a branch of Tenaya Creek flowing through it.

Mirror Meadow, er, lake, nevertheless remains a popular destination for day hikers. The setting, even sans reflection, still inspires, and kids enjoy frolicking in and along Tenaya Creek.

In the old days, a parking area for autos (later a shuttle bus stop) was situated close to the shores of Mirror Lake. Now the shuttle bus stops a mile from the lake and you may choose to walk the distance along a paved road or hoof it along a bridle trail.

Beyond the lake, you may extend your walk by tramping up and down the narrow canyon cut by Tenaya Creek. The extra distance rewards with a bit of forested solitude.

The hike: Saunter (usually with lots of company) along the paved road, soon crossing Tenaya Creek on a stone bridge. The road winds with the river, climbing gently to Mirror Lake.

At the bridge you can lose some of the crowd by joining the dirt bridle trail that travels through a very mixed forest of oak, Douglas fir, incense cedar and big-leaf maple to the lake. Despite the guided platoons of rental horses (stand aside to let them pass) and plethora of road apples, the bridle trail is an enjoyable and altogether more peaceful walk than the paved route.

Once at the lake, such as it is, locate the bridle trail on the north side and begin walking on a meandering trail that leads away from the lake.

You’ll travel amidst forest and ferns, passing a junction with the trail leading to Tenaya Lake, then reaching a wooden bridge that spans frisky Tenaya Creek. Now you follow the Bridle Trail along the south side of the creek. Look up from your nearly level trail to admire Basket Dome and Half Dome. Continue past the Mirror Lake site 0.25 mile, cross Tenaya Creek on a footbridge, then rejoin the paved road leading back to the shuttle bus stop.

Yosemite Hiking Trails >>  
Hetch Hetchy | Mariposa Grove | Wawona Meadow | Glacier Point 4 Mile Trail
Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley | Half Dome Trail | Yosemite Falls | Vernal & Nevada Falls
May Lake | Cathedral Lakes | Clouds Rest | Gaylor Lakes | Lembert Dome | Lukens Lake
Merced Grove | Mirror Lake | Mono Pass | Mount Dana | North Dome | Taft Point
Ten Lakes | Tenaya Lake | Tuolumne Falls | Tuolumne Grove | Tuolumne Meadow