About
Length (round trip)4.8 mi
ShapeOut-and-Back
DifficultyModerate
Elevation gain1,000 ft up
Typical time3 hr
TrailheadTuolumne Meadows campground
SurfaceForest trail with a steady climb
Best seasonWaterfalls peak in May and June. Tioga and Glacier Point roads open late May or June and close with the first big snow.
DogsNot allowed
What you'll see 🌄 Big views🏞️ Lake🌼 Wildflowers

The trail climbs steadily to a glacier-carved lake at the base of Unicorn Peak in the heart of the Cathedral Range. A one-mile trail circles the lake. The trail begins at the back of the B loop in the Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Distance: 4.8 miles (11 km) round-trip Elevation gain: 1,000 ft (305 m) Time estimate: 4-6 hours Tips & Seasonal Information Pets and bicycles are not allowed on hiking trails. This trailhead is only reachable by vehicle when Tioga Road is open, typically late May or early June to sometime in October or November. Tioga Road closes after the first significant snowfall. Overnight parking on this road, including this trailhead, ends October 15. For current road and weather information, please call 209/372-0200 (press 1, then 1).

Tips
Starts inside the Tuolumne Meadows campground. The meadow at the lake is fragile - stay on the rock.
Location

Tuolumne Meadows campground

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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Trail data: USGS National Map / PAD-US, the National Park Service, state agencies, and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Access and conditions change — check with the managing agency before you go.