Skip Big Bear Lake's Crowds And Enjoy A Hike To These Scenic, High-Elevation Lakes In Yosemite National Park

California's Big Bear Lake has been bursting at the seams for years now. "I am a local and unfortunately, the town is overcrowded," one frustrated Redditor who lives there wrote in 2022, adding that "our grocery store shelves are empty. Every restaurant has more than a two-hour wait." In 2025, USA Today ranked Big Bear Lake third in the country for water sports, so the crowd situation (an average of 7+ million annual visitors, per BigBear.com) has hardly abated.

If that sounds more like an ordeal than a relaxing vacation amid nature, you might do better to skip Big Bear entirely and instead head for a secret cluster of three picturesque lakes in one of the less-visited regions of Yosemite. The hike to Sunrise Lakes, at around 3.5 miles one way, is short enough that you can backpack to its lakeside campsites, yet far enough to get away from it all, and it makes an excellent base camp for exploring the backcountry with just a day pack to carry. "It was perfection," one Redditor who took this approach noted, adding, "we could enjoy long afternoon naps, our Kindles, and scrambling around and exploring near our camp sites without feeling rushed or exhausted."

You won't be getting any pizzas delivered here, but the 3.5-mile hike in will certainly help diminish any crowds. There's even a seasonal backcountry camp with canvas tent cabins nearby to spend the night in, as well as dispersed backcountry campsites. Just be sure to rise early so you can catch that famous sunrise.

Sunrise Lakes themselves receive far less attention than Yosemite's better-known destinations. That isn't because they're ho-hum, but because Sunrise Lakes are seldom the endpoint destination for any backcountry expedition — that would be either the Sunrise High Sierra Camp, the John Muir Trail, or the gorgeous mountain scenery of Cathedral Lakes. Sunrise Lakes' low profile is exactly what makes them an uncrowded gem and your secret weapon for a peaceful backcountry getaway.

The Sunrise Lakes Trailhead, off Tioga Road near Tenaya Lake, is also where you would begin the underrated hike to Clouds Rest for one of the park's best views of iconic Half Dome. From the vantage point of Clouds Rest, all of the Yosemite Valley is spread out below you, and you're gazing across at the majestic face of Half Dome, where the people climbing up it look like a trail of tiny ants. The view may be worth the effort, but it's a long, difficult day hike at 12.6 miles.

Spending the night camping at Sunrise Lakes is a great way to spread the difficult trek to one of Yosemite's most spectacular viewpoints over an easy, idyllic weekend. Leaving your gear in camp (with your food and toiletries tucked safely in a required bear canister), you can day hike to Cloud's Rest to enjoy the view without the weight of a pack on your shoulders. The next day, you can hike back out the way you came or continue on to join the John Muir Trail to Cathedral Lakes as part of a longer 15.2-mile loop hike (also per AllTrails). From there, you can continue on to Tuolumne Meadows, then complete a 15.2-mile loop by hiking back to the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead along Tenaya Lake. To make a perfect three-day weekend backpacking trip, you could combine all these activities: hike to Upper Sunrise Lake on a Friday afternoon, drop your gear and visit Cloud's Rest, then hike to Lower Cathedral Lake on day two, and complete the loop back to the trailhead on day three.

When it comes to camping at Sunrise Lakes in Yosemite's High Country, you have a few options. If you're an advance planner, you can enter the reservation lottery for a stay at the Sunrise High Sierra Camp. It's one of five camps arranged along a 49-mile loop, each roughly a day's hike apart, and the secret way to backpack Yosemite and sleep in a warm bed every night. Here, you reserve a bunk in a canvas camping cabin, along with meals. This is a great introduction to backpacking if you're curious about the backcountry but not prepared to sleep on the ground. Sunrise High Sierra Camp is 5.2 miles from the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead, just one mile farther on the trail past Upper Sunrise Lake, so you can have a refreshing swim before heading to camp.

Camping at Sunrise Lakes High Sierra Camp is limited to one night, so if you're planning to use this destination as a base camp for Cloud's Rest, you will want to take advantage of the many backcountry campsites near the three Sunrise Lakes themselves. These also require a wilderness permit, which is subject to availability. Sixty percent of permits are awarded by lottery 24 weeks in advance, and 40% are released a week in advance.

The most direct route to Sunrise Lakes is from the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead, off Tioga Road near Tenaya Lake. The hike from here to Upper Sunrise Lake and back is 7 miles (per AllTrails). If this gives you a taste for Yosemite's wild side, there is lots more to explore along the scenic Tioga Road corridor until it closes for snow season.