Nestled In Yosemite National Park Is An Underrated Mountain Hike To Stunning Lakes And Wildflowers

Yosemite National Park is famous for its bucket-list hiking trails, from scenic paths to waterfalls to the iconic day hike to Half Dome. But some of the park's best hiking adventures aren't particularly well-known, like the Gaylor Lakes Trail. This underrated mountain hike offers stunning views of lakes and wildflowers.

The 2.6-mile round-trip hike, considered moderate in difficulty, isn't long. However, it begins at a high altitude of almost 10,000 feet and features a steep ascent into the mountains, so the journey can be unexpectedly tiring. The National Park Service suggests allowing yourself plenty of time (up to three hours), drinking plenty of water, and taking breaks along the way. Luckily, with spectacular natural scenery surrounding you throughout the trip, stopping for a hydration pause and a photo op isn't exactly a hardship. 

The hike begins next to Tioga Pass, the eastern entrance to the park. The trail then climbs uphill to a ridge, where you'll take in gorgeous panoramic mountain views, including the majestic Mount Dana (13,061 feet), one of the highest peaks in the park, known for its pyramid-shaped summit. Then the trail slopes gently downhill to the beautiful Gaylor Lakes valley and the pristine, turquoise-blue Middle Gaylor Lake, framed by snow-capped peaks and green meadows. To add about a mile to the hike, continue onward (and upward) to Upper Gaylor Lake, quiet and striking with cold, clear water that reflects the surrounding mountains. After taking in the lake views, turn back and start retracing your steps back down to the starting point.

Colorful wildflowers bloom along the Gaylor Lakes trail in summer, adding to its charm. Early in the season, look for buttercups, alpine laurel, and Sierra butterweed at lower elevations, while alpine asters, fireweed, and angelica brighten the path later on. Up on the high ridge before you drop down to the lake, hikers may spot ranger's buttons, wallflowers, mountain monkeyflowers, and alpine paintbrushes, to name a few.

According to hikers who've experienced it, another element that makes Gaylor Lakes Trail special is that it's usually uncrowded. "Great secluded hike to a gorgeous lake," said one reviewer on AllTrails. Others mentioned they only saw a few other hikers. The trail is "one of Yosemite's great overlooked hikes," say the experts at Yosemite Hikes, an online guide to day hikes in the national park. "Indeed breathtaking!" chimed in another hiker on Google Reviews. "Surprised that it's not a popular spot." 

You can park at the trailhead, but it's only accessible by car from late May through October or November, depending on weather — the access road closes after the park sees its first major snowfall. As of writing, entrance to Yosemite National Park is $20 to $35 per person, though non-U.S. residents must pay an additional $100 fee, which is also applicable at a few other of America's most-visited national parks. There's camping nearby at the Tioga Lake Campground and the park is about a four- to five-hour drive from San Francisco and its international airport.