Yosemite Cathedral Lakes

This was a great hike! I'm a novice hiker, but I'm a distance runner so I have a good base level of fitness. I was definitely out of breath during the initial mile or two of the hike. After that the hike was a little more gradual, but still a bit of a challenge. You see it all from heavy trees to large open fields. Even in mid-July there was a spot still covered in snow! We passed and played leapfrog with others on the trail, but I wouldn't call it crowded at all. We encountered the most people by the water, that is also where we encountered the most mosquitos. They were absolutely insane by both the upper and lower lake. We were basically constantly spraying repellent and it didn't seem to bother them. The mosquito nets look goofy, but I would have preferred one. On our way back down we did get stuck in a thunderstorm, complete with hail. There were a few rattling moments hearing lightning strike near by and being surrounded by dozens of trees that had been struck in previous storms. We all made it down safely, well sort of. I personally found the trail pretty easy to find and follow except in some of the areas right before the lakes. During the storm two members of my group found the trail hard to follow with the run off from the rain and they were lead into the woods. Long story short they eventually kept going downhill and made it to the road to catch a ride to the ranger station. Very stressful situation, they opted to just stay at the campsite the next day. Since there were several reviewers who mentioned the snow, I'd recommend taking this one on later in the summer. Since the trail can be hard enough to follow in some parts after the snow has already melted. Great escape from the valley crowds. We saw the upper and the lower lake and my hike was just over 9miles.

Cathedral Lake is a great hike for the novice hiker too. This 7 mile round trip hike is amazing just like most Yosemite hikes. The first mile is fairly uphill and there are granite steps in some places. There are a lot of low roots that can tripYou up so please keep your eyes out for those. The trail is fairly shady which is nice for those warm summer days. Once you reach Cathedral Lake you will not be disappointed. There are a ton of campsites and places to layout and relax for the day. I fished for about an hour and caught a beautiful native brown trout about 16"s long. This is the biggest fish I've got In Yosemite so far. I was using a small silver and blue castmaster.

While I was doing JMT, I had a sidetrip to Cathedral lake. Just 0.5 mile from JMT. Cathedral Peak is in the back of Cathedral Lake. The scenery was so beautiful.

This hike wasn't too strenuous for a beginner like myself. It's about an 8 mile hike roundtrip. The trail begins with a steep incline then levels off. The fact that it wasn't too difficult allowed my friends and I to admire the scenery instead of worrying about falling or tripping. Arriving at the destination was a little underwhelming because I was expecting more but the view of the lake was beautiful nonetheless.

This hike has it all... starting from the Tuolomne Valley, park your car near Shuttle stop #7, pack a light lunch and bring a towel, then prepare yourself for stunning views and the omniscience of nature. The hike is challenging for those who feel they are "unfit" - but if you partake in regular cardio, you'll manage just fine if you pace yourself. You'll see a lot of other hikers along the path, so don't worry about losing your way, the trail is well marked and well traveled. Once you get to the lower lake, find a semi secluded spot on the smooth rock face, sit down and enjoy all of the beauty that Mother Nature has to offer. If you're not afraid of some icy cold water, go for a dip before lunch. People swim here even in the fall.Depending on your level of fitness, this hike should take you around 3 hours (if you don't stop and take in the scenery). Just for it and enjoy!

Magnificent. Glorious. Spectacular. And a little mountain sickness.The trailhead does not scream at you here I am like others, so be watchful after Tenaya Lake. It is not crowded at all. We saw one couple on the trail. She looked like the Indy Car driver Danica Patrick. The hike is a 7 mile round trip hike at an elevation about 8500 feet and ending at the lake where it is 9800 feet. Bring lots of water.It is a good hike for beginner hikers like myself and my friends. It is very scenic and you most likely will see wildlife. On the way to the lake, we saw a family of deer and at the lake we saw a beaver. Along the way, there are numerous Kodak moments of towering rock structures.For some reason I could not hang with the girls. I work out regularly and I am the only one getting mountain sickness from the elevation. Next time, I will one up the female sex in hiking, but this time I was lagging behind. I kept pushing forward. After a bit, Alleluia, thank the Lord, we made it. This is where Danica Patrick (look a like) took a group picture for us. It was an amazingly still lake with huge gray mountains flanking it on all sides. It was pleasant and serene over at Cathedral Lake.A little bit of heaven on earth.

This is a relatively easy 7 mi hike which is a stone's throw away from the Tuolumne Meadows Campgrounds and a perfect all-day hike where you just can relax and enjoy nature.The first part of the hike had some pretty gnarly elevation gain. I appreciated my poles and hiking shoes for the steep ascent and later descent but the majority of my group just did it sans poles and in running shoes. I'd say the latter 70% of the hike up to the lake(s) is pretty flat and easygoing! I found that the scenery was pretty nice along the entire length of the trail but nothing compared to the Lower Lake. The lake itself was beautiful and I spent a few minutes just pondering life while sitting lakeside. It was super tranquil with terrific weather. You can easily see Cathedral Peak too from the lake area which made for some great photo opportunities. A couple of my friends waded into the lake while some other hikers said that they had a nice swim. We didn't visit the Upper Lake since we were pretty dog tired after relaxing at the Lower. We even saw some tents pitched by the lake which looked super fun.I would definitely do this hike again when I visit Yosemite!

Can't in good conscience give this place more than 2*.Why walk for 1+ hrs to see a lot of dead grass and trees, what looks like my kitchen's granite counter tops (mine is polished better by far), and an ugly jaggedly cut hill? Even Francis would think this Cathedral unforgivable.Save yourself lots of time and go somewhere else more scenic than this.

If only all of the hikes in Yosemite had this ratio of reward to effort. The two sustained uphill stretches of the hike are steeper than I expected, and the end of the hike is quite deceptive -- it keeps feeling as if you're "just about" to reach the lakes -- and then you're not there yet. But, wow. This isn't the first or only alpine cirque I've hiked to, but it was stunning beautiful and a great place to sunbathe, cool your feet, or even go for a peaceful (if frigid) swim.

I hiked plenty of trails in Yosemite during my visit but Cathedral Lakes seemed to be one of the busiest ones I came across. This hike will take you about 4 miles up the mountain and out to the big lake of Cathedral towards the peak. The trail is pretty easy for any average hiker, especially once you get towards the top. The trail starts off the road of Tioga Pass, there's a sign out front letting you know where to pull over. There's no real parking lot, you'll have to park on the side of the road. The very first mile or so will be nothing but steep climb going up small switchbacks until you get towards the top where it starts leveling out. There is lots of great rock formations to see along the way. Lots of beautiful views of Yosemite and picture spots. Once you reach the lake you can walk around or just sit on the massive boulder near the shore. Like I said before, this is a well traveled travel, it's hard to get lost because so many people hike it. Total hike is about 7 or 8 miles round trip and worth going on.