Day Hiking Elizabeth Lake - Yosemite National Park
Today let’s check out this cool little day hike to Elizabeth Lake - you’ll find this alpine lake in the high country of Yosemite National Park. It’s a relatively easy Yosemite day hike and sits just below Unicorn Peak. Great place to have lunch or just go for a dip.
We went there for the first time this summer (early July) and it was such a pleasant surprise. It’s a relatively small lake and the trail there is easy to follow, and well-maintained. As you hike you can see Unicorn Peak and the Cathedral Range through the trees, streams snaking through a meadow as you get closer to the lake, along with views looking back out towards the peaks behind Tuolumne Meadows.
From the trailhead it’s about 2.2 miles to the lake with around 900 ft of elevation gain. I’ve always seen Elizabeth Lake on the map but - like with so many of the day hikes in the park - kept skipping over it for the bigger landmarks (like the Mist Trail, North Dome, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, or the many waterfall hikes). I always wondered what it looked like, so we made a day of it and I’m so glad we did.
This one is well worth your time. I can’t speak to what the trail “traffic” is like on a busy weekend but when we went we had the place all to ourselves. Clear water and plenty of rocks to hang out on along the lake shore. What’s not to love about a day hike like that.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Unicorn Peak from Tuolumne Meadows
WHERE TO PARK: If you aren’t staying at the Tuolumne Meadows campground then you’ll want to park somewhere close to it and walk to the trailhead. You can usually find parking along Tioga Road or you can try the parking lot near Lembert Dome.
WHERE’S THE TRAILHEAD: You start from the backside of the Tuolumne Meadows campground. You’ll see plenty of signs throughout the campground pointing to the trailhead. You can also download an app (I recommend All Trails or Gaia, I have both) and download the map to your phone beforehand.
TRAIL DIFFICULTY: I’m an avid hiker, and for Yosemite I felt the out-and-back trail was relatively easy. This part of Tioga Road is already at a higher elevation so keep that in mind. You start climbing elevation right from the start of the trailhead, then towards the end it levels out and is a comfortable walk to the lake. We parked just off Tioga Road near the Tuolumne Meadows Store / Grill, so in total our trip was 5.71 miles and took us just under 4 hours, including time to lunch by the water.
WHAT TO BRING: Pack a lunch, some snacks, water, and if you’re game to carry a little extra weight, you might wanna pack some lightweight chairs in. They’ll be more comfortable than the rocks out there along the lakeshore and it’s a nice spot to hang out. FYI no camping is allowed at or around the lake.
BUGS & WILDLIFE: As with any of the areas near water in Yosemite, if you’re there while the weather is warm… bring bug spray or spray yourself down before you hit the trail. You’ll have a great time enjoying the lakeside views but be warned, you will be sharing these spaces with a few mosquitoes too. We were lucky to see some deer along the way, but you may come across marmots and black bears too. Be mindful of best practices about being in bear country, ask a ranger if you’ve never been to Yosemite before.
HOW BUSY IS THE TRAIL: We went in the middle of the day and no one was there mainly because the park was empty (due to COVID-19 and the limited Yosemite day permit system). But I imagine since it’s a day hike with a trailhead off a major road and under 5 miles, that it would have more folks on it in the busy summer season. As with all Yosemite trails, your best bet is to go early to beat any crowds.
MORE VIEWS FROM THE ELIZABETH LAKE TRAIL
Here’s some more shots from the hike to help you decide if you wanna add it to your list when you’re visiting Yosemite National Park. Be sure to pin and save this post to your travel board as a resource for later.
Btw, if you’ve got any questions about this trip, the park, or trail specifics - leave them in the comments below & I’ll get back to you. I’m an open book when it comes to sharing info with fellow hikers, backpackers, and photographers.
Elizabeth Lake with Unicorn Peak above