Mirror Lake - A Lake Turning into Meadow

A stop on Yosemite Valley, a free self-guided tour.

You've walked about a mile up along Tenaya Creek to reach this quiet spot in Tenaya Canyon, squeezed between Half Dome and North Dome. Look up: Half Dome's cliffs tower almost straight overhead.

Mirror Lake is the last remnant of a large lake that filled much of Yosemite Valley at the end of the last Ice Age, after retreating glaciers left a natural dam of rock debris behind. Over thousands of years, sand and gravel washed in and filled that lake, creating the flat valley floor you've been driving and walking on all day.

Now the same thing is happening here. Mirror Lake is slowly filling with sediment and turning into a meadow. Come in spring for the best reflections; by late summer and fall it often shrinks to a few pools or dries out completely, a living lesson in how the valley was built.

Bring water, stay on the trail, and keep well back from any wildlife along the creek.

Getting here: Ride the free shuttle to the Mirror Lake trailhead stop, then walk about a mile up the paved road and trail to the lake. The road is closed to most private cars; check nps.gov for the current shuttle schedule.

Did you know?: Geologists call the vanished lake that once filled the valley Lake Yosemite. The flat valley floor is its filled-in bed.

Photo op: From the lake's edge, frame Half Dome towering above the water. On still spring mornings it reflects in the surface.

Nearby: Services are limited here, so bring water and snacks. The nearest food is at Curry Village, a short shuttle ride away.

More on Wikipedia: Mirror Lake · Tenaya Canyon · North Dome

Mirror Lake - A Lake Turning into Meadow

Stops on this tour