Cathedral Lakes Trail Reviews

I am 70 years old, in so-so shape. This hike is definitely not easy for me, with lots of uphill. But it's one of my favs because I love Upper Cathedral Lake, with that great Cathedral Peak next to it that looks like a saddle-shaped razor on top.

I did this hike a few months ago. There's now a large parking lot for this hike, and since this hike is so popular, the lot is much better than having to park along the roadside. It does make the hike a little longer though, as you have to walk to where the hike used to start.

All in all, a great hike.

Didn't realize it at the time, but I had altitude sickness from before we were even at the trailhead. The parking lot is at 8500ft already. I had a headache in the parking area and felt tired just tying on my hiking boots, but I just thought it was general fatigue from all the driving. I felt awful the whole way through but assumed it was lack of mental fortitude. I didn't realize until it was too late that it was reckless to have kept ascending and to not have listened to my partner when they suggested we turn around. I felt nauseous and short of breath and could barely walk 10 ft without needing to lean on something. Thankfully several kind strangers helped my partner and me return safely. They gave me electrolytes, extra water, tips on altitude sickness, offers of sugars and food, and offers to use an SOS button if we needed it (if we had kept ascending we 100% would have needed it). Sorry, I didn't get your name, but to the campers right by Lower Cathedral Lake - you saved my life. And to Roxana and the others who passed us on the trail, thank you for offering your assistance as well.

Despite almost dying, I did have a few moments of rest to appreciate the scenery. Lake was beautiful. Trail was beautiful and well shaded at the beginning. Awesome white bark pine near the top! If we ever come back we should stay overnight at the trailhead elevation so I can acclimate to the altitude better, and build up my red blood cell count. Turns out altitude sickness can get dangerous very fast.

There was a fire warning at the trailhead but I also think it would be helpful for a "warning, signs of altitude sickness" description sign.

We really struggled on the first half of this hike up to the lakes and my S/O almost threw in the towel due to the massive amount of swarming sand flies you'll have to survive for the first 2-ish miles, almost all uphill. Be prepared with towels under hats or netting because otherwise it's going to be hell, at least in the summer!

However, once we got above the 2nd big uphill section the flies went away and we were rewarded with a nice lovely flat section most of the way to the lakes. Which wow... blew us away! And made up for the entire hike.

The way down is much smoother sailing + faster, and by the time it was evening it seemed the flies went away (though maybe it was just because we weren't sweating nearly as much).

After a few hikes in the Touloumne area, we were ready to check off another beautiful hike with a reward lake view at the end with Cathedral Lake. It was understandable that snow was still around, but the entire trail was a hot mess with clear path lasting a short while. After we got up to where the Cathedral Peak is we totally lost the trail. We kept forging through the snow/ice but eventually gave up as we had our children (7/9) with us and we didn't want to get seriously lost. It was disappointing to have missed the lake this time. Will try again next year & hope the restoration will carve out a well defined path for hikers!

Just back from an overnight to Cathedral Lake with my young son. We planned to spend two nights there, but the mosquitoes were unbearable so we shortened to one night. Bug repellent was useless against the swarms. Literally dozens on you at once. The wind provided some relief, but even then they were bad. They disappeared at dusk. The upside is that we hunkered down in our tent and played cards, which was fun and memorable. We cut out at 5.30am while there was still frost on the ground.

The hike to the lakes is strenuous at first but not too difficult. The first part of the hike is the most steep, and is made harder by the fact that your body won't have acclimated to the height yet. Once the first climb is out of the way, the rest of the hike is mostly flat through beautiful forests and meadows.

Once reaching the split in the trail, I would recommend the lower lake first (or second depending on whether you save the best for last). Basically, both lakes are magnificent, but the lower lake is something else. With a view to Tenaya Lake on one side, and a backdrop of Cathedral Peak on the other, the lake is stunning. Unfortunately there was slight wind on the day that I went to the lake, so I didn't get to experience the reflection of the peaks off the water, but I imagine it would be incredible.

The upper lake, like the lower lake, is beautiful, but doesn't have as impressive a backdrop as its counterpart. When visiting the lakes in July of 2015, the direct trail to the upper lake was closed for restoration, but by meandering over some rocks for a bit, I was able to sit on the rocky wall on one side of the lake and enjoy lunch with a great view.

If you aren't a seasoned hiker (I'm not) you might be a little tired after hiking to, and walking around, each lake. Also, I didn't encounter any problems with mosquitos in July, though perhaps going earlier in the year they would be more of a threat. Overall, a truly breathtaking hike, and one that should not be missed.

The hike itself is not that amazing (beautiful evergreens and a couple nice little views of large granite objects), but the upper lake is completely bonkers. (It sounds like the lower lake is too.) The two biggest things to know:

1) If you're not used to it, the altitude will slow you down. It makes you lose your breath faster going uphill (and there's a lot of uphill on this hike) and could give you dizzy spells if you bend over and stand up too fast. (Like when you are moving stuff into/out of your tent.) Pack as light as you can for the climb.

2) The bugs are relentless. We went on 6/27. It's funny we didn't really get the bugs during the hike up until we got to the lake. However, they stayed on us the whole time after that at the lake and then all the way back down to the trailhead at Tioga Rd. the next day. We did escape them for a few hours when we climbed up Tressider Peak. The wind and altitude up there seemed to clear them away. Ahhh. We also brought a large mosquito net (the kind that goes over a bed) and strung it up between two trees. It was lightweight and worth it.

From the upper lake you can scramble all the way up Tressider Peak for top of the world views of Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Glacier Point and everything else to the south. Beautiful meadows and boulder formations up there too. And not a soul around. (Except a pika I spotted from a distance on a cliff!) There is no trail, you can just find your way easily using only the peak itself as your reference point. (As long as there's not too much snow.) On the way down, you just need to head towards Cathedral Peak. The upper lake is right between the two peaks. Fun way to explore.

Between Cathedral Peak, the upper lake, Tressider Peak and its views, this was one of the top 5 hikes of my life. And I'm not inexperienced. If you get a chance, do it!

Beautiful area. The climb is nice too. You can sort of feel the elevation if you're not used to it.

Couldn't find the damn lakes though. I was up here early May 2014 and there was still a bunch of snow on the ground and footprints going off into 50 different directions but I just couldn't figure out a way to get to the lakes without risking getting lost in the snow.

Wish the park would get off their butts and mark a trail to get to the lakes...

Very pretty hike. Did this hike on 7/15/2013. Based on comments from Russ and other reviewers, it would seem that this hike will be more or less enjoyable depending on what time of day and what time of year you take it. We started at 8:00 AM. No wind at all. Almost no mosquitoes on the way there. The forest was pleasant, and the trail seemed fine to me. There were no places where you could go off the trail for more than a few steps without realizing it quickly (of course, there is no snow on the ground in July). The meadow before the lake was easily crossed with one short rock hop along the way. There are various ways to get across the meadow to the lake, and if you go in late May or June, I suspect you have to be more careful to avoid getting wet. We had no problem in July. The lake itself is beautiful and the surrounding peaks are stunning (particularly Cathedral Peak). The shelf on the east side of the lake is great for picnics. The return hike to the trailhead was done later in the morning and the mosquitoes had apparently woken up, and were far more aggressive (having trash from sandwiches in our backpacks probably didn't help, either). If you are looking for a moderate hike of less than 10 miles, but still something that will keep you busy for 4 hours or so (depending on how long you stay at the lake) this is a worthwhile hike (very early in the morning might help if you want to avoid the bugs).

I absolutely loved this hike! The scenery was amazing. The deep forest cover & the smell of trees mixed with the high altitude lets you know you're somewhere special. The first part of the hike from Tioga Road is all uphill, so take your time as you can really feel the altitude. My calves were burning as I was getting a great workout. But once you're about a mile and a half in, the trail levels out. My only dislike was once we got to Cathedral Lake, we had to evacuate. The mosquitoes were attacking us! I think I will do this hike again in late summer when the mosquitoes thin out a bit. Overall awesome hike.

If you're going on a hike for views, don't take this one. Sure the lake looks beautiful, but the trek there is not worth it.

I would classify it as strenuous to very strenuous, but that could be because I wasn't adjusted to the elevation yet. The trail is also not maintained at all in parts and it's only luck that we didn't stray too far off of it. It's uphill both ways, though thankfully downhill for the last mile or so on both ends (which doesn't make either part easier).

Also, the picturesque photos you might expect of the lake with reflections didn't happen on my hike because of the wind. I don't know how bad, or often the wind is up there, but it totally ruined the photos I was hoping to get.

Also, when I was there in early June, it was empty (the whole round 7 mile trip to the lower lake we passed about 25 people). There was also lots of snow still on the ground in certain parts of it making the already difficult trail hard to find.

Ok, I think the last person who reviewed this is too bitter. Yes, the trails are a bit misleading, and no, it's not AS pretty along the way as some of the hikes in the valley. But you're missing the point! Hiking, in itself is an experience to appreciate because you're out in NATURE -- not behind a desk or a TV or a joke of a LCD fixed to the top of a treadmill.

I did this hike with a friend in late October of this year. Both of us really enjoyed it. The uphill feels more difficult than it actually is, because you start around 8,000 feet above sea level. If you have sensitive lungs or asthma (like I do), you notice the altitude and thin air within the first .25 mile. I had to pace myself to go slow and steady, and breathe deep and drink lots of water. Once my body acclimated about 2 miles in, I was fine.

The meadows before the lake were magical. The skies were so blue and clear, and the contrast of the yellow grass, the green speckled granite and the cobalt blue skies were breathtaking. My friend had never seen anything like it, and I was happy to take her Yosemite virginity with the Cathedral Lakes hike.

The lake itself was also great, it was a bit windy that day so we didn't get as much reflection as what I would have hoped for, so I'll definitely come back and do this again.

I have no idea why this trail is so popular. The Muir Trail at this point appears to have not been maintained in decades. The trail is eroded to the point where it is grey sand, mixed with roots, rocks, boulders and horse manure. It was like walking on an uphill beach. During busy times, the dust lingers in the air, and sticks to your skin. The burnt and stunted forest block out any views of the surrounding mountain and around the 5 mile mark, an avalanche buried the trail with boulders the size of school buses. You are on your own at this point, as there are no markers to help find the trail. After hiking for 7 miles without any worthwhile scenery, you get to the meadow in front of the lake. While Cathedral Lake is pretty, and the peaks around it are impressive, I did not feel that this hike was worth the trouble of getting there. [Editor's note: it's 3.5 miles one way to the upper or lower lake if you start at the Tuolumne Meadows trailhead.]