Tenaya Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
| Address: | Tioga Rd, California 95389, USA |
| GPS: |
37°49'58.3"N 119°27'50.8"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | California |
Lakes Trails Wildflowers Fishing National Park Motorized Use
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, and Swim
Tenaya Lake is one of the most visited destinations in Yosemite National Park. The lake is easily accessed by Highway 120/Tioga Pass road which runs along the north shore of the lake. On the east shore of the lake is a very large beach where most people will enter the lake to go swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. The road to the lake normally opens up in May, though depending on snow it might be later, and stays open until October.
This lake is surrounded by beautiful scenery and hiking trails. One of the most popular trails for visitors to take is the Cloud Rest/Sunrise Lakes trail because it offers the best views of the lake and adjacent mountains. Like all of Yosemite, the area surrounding Tenaya lake was formed by glaciers and includes some beautiful granite peaks and domes. From the west end, visitors will be able to see Polly Dome, Pywiack Dome, and Mount Conness.
When the road to the lake is open, many people enjoy driving up and enjoying all of the hiking and views nearby. The mountains and peaks nearby offer plenty of hiking and climbing trails for all abilities.
More Information
Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read More
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
- Head southwest on Northside Dr toward Cook's Meadow LoopToll road(2.9 mi)
- Keep right to stay on Northside DrToll road(2.1 mi)
- Continue onto El Portal RdToll road(0.9 mi)
- Turn right onto Big Oak Flat Road (signs for CA-120/Tioga Rd/Manteca)Toll road(9.5 mi)
- Continue onto Old Yosemite Coulterville RdToll road(344 ft)
- Turn right onto CA-120 EToll roadMay be closed at certain times or daysDestination will be on the right(31.4 mi)
Other Swimming Holes, Hiking Trails, Canoeing Areas, and Kayaking Areas Nearby
May Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
1.9 miles NWMay lake is a relatively small lake that rests at the base of Mt. Hoffman in Yosemite National Park. One of the park's most scenic lakes, May lake not only gets up close and personal with...
Hike, Swim 0.9-3.2 mi
Cathedral Lakes
Wawona, California
2.3 miles EOne of the busiest trails in the Tuloumne Meadows area, the hike to Cathedral Lakes is a gorgeous 7 mile walk to the perfect place to rest and recuperate. While there are several High Sierra...
Hike, Swim
Elizabeth Lake
Wawona, California
5.2 miles EElizabeth Lake is a gorgeous lake tucked underneath the High Sierras in Yosemite. It's about a 4.8 mile hike to reach it, with an elevation gain of 1000 feet. Even though it's not super long,...
Hike, Swim 5.7 mi
Ten Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
5.7 miles NWA 6.4 mile hike will lead you to three of the Ten Lakes at Ten Lakes Basin. There are three possible trails to take to see this phenomenon. The shortest begins at Yosemite Creek. The other two...
Backpack, Camp, Hike 6.0 mi
Glen Aulin
Wawona, California
5.8 miles NEThis is an 11 mile hike along the Tuolumne River to Glen Aulin. There is a view to take in at every turn on this hike, whether it's the Tuolumne River, Tuolumne Fall, Soda Springs,...
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
5.8 miles NEThis trail is a popular route to take in the Yosemite High Country because it is a good introductory hike into the backcountry. At the end of the hike there are several waterfalls as well as a...
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim 2.1 mi
Snow Creek Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
6.1 miles SWSnow Creek is one of the more difficult waterfalls to find in the valley, but in the spring and summer months, the elusive waterfall can be seen from the Mirror Lake Trail, a 5 mile loop around...
Backpack, Hike 1.9 mi
Half Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
6.6 miles SWHalf Dome is the most popular and difficult hike in Yosemite Valley. The trail is about 14 miles long with an elevation gain of 4800 feet. There are cables to help you scale up to the summit once you...
Hike
Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne County, California
7.1 miles NEA beautiful alpine meadow found in the upper Sierra Nevada Mountains. Open during the summer, this meadow offers excellent views of nearby granite domes and mountains. There is a roadway through...
Camp, Hike 4.0 mi
North Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
7.4 miles SWNorth Dome is a strenuous 10.4 mile hike that gives visitors a close up view straight at Half Dome from across the valley. It also has a unique view of Clouds Rest peak. Because the hike...
Backpack, Hike
Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
7.5 miles SWMirror Lake is a seasonal lake situated in a secluded corner of the beautiful Yosemite Valley. The lake sits at the base of Half Dome and allows a different perspective of the famous monolith....
Backpack, Hike, Swim 0.8-4.1 mi
Dog Lake and Lembert Dome
Yosemite Valley, CA
7.9 miles NEThe hike to Dog Lake is often paired with the hike to Lembert Dome, because the two are so close in proximity. Each hike by itself is 2.8 miles round trip, but Lembert Dome has an elevation gain of...
Hike, Swim
Devil's Bathtub
Yosemite Valley, California
8.3 miles SWDevil's Bathtub is one of those destinations that's a little more off the beaten path of Yosemite tourists. It's just above the Majestic Yosemite (AKA Ahwanhee Hotel). Earlier in the...
Swim 0.7 mi
Lukens Lake
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
8.3 miles WLukens Lake is a small lake in the White Wolf area of Yosemite National Park. The hike is a short, 1.6 mile walk through a forest to the secluded lake surrounded by trees and a small...
Hike, Swim 2.9 mi
Upper Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
8.5 miles SWYosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America, standing at 2,425 feet. It's made up of Upper Yosemite Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls, and the middle cascades. Lower Yosemite Falls...
Hike 1.9-2.9 mi
Mist Trail
Yosemite National Park
8.6 miles SWThe mist trail is a small breakoff from the John Muir Trail through Yosemite National Park. It's called the mist trail because of the heavy amount of mist that hikers walk through as Vernal and...
Backpack, Hike
Merced River
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
9.1 miles SWThe main fork of Merced River at Yosemite National Park is a perfect place to fish, swim, raft, and even pan for gold. The river circles around the center of Yosemite Valley, and almost every...
Camp, Swim, Whitewater 3.6 mi
Lyell Canyon
Wawona, California
9.1 miles ELyell Canyon is a breezy, 8 mile hike through the Tuloumne Meadows of Yosemite. While it is a little bit of a longer hike, the total elevation gain is about 200 feet, making it pretty flat and...
Hike 0.7 mi
Cook's Meadow Loop
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
9.3 miles SWCook's Meadow Loop is a shorter, smaller hike inside Sentinel Meadow. Cook's Meadow Loop is just under a mile and takes about 45 minutes to complete, depending on how long you stop at each...
Hike 0.3 mi
Glacier Point
Yosemite National Park
9.4 miles SWLocated in Yosemite National Park, Glacier Point gives a birds-eye-view of the park you can't find anywhere else. It can be accessed by both hiking and driving through the park, though the roads...
HikeNearby Campsites
Ten Lakes
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
5.7 miles NWA 6.4 mile hike will lead you to three of the Ten Lakes at Ten Lakes Basin. There are three possible trails to take to see this phenomenon. The shortest begins at Yosemite Creek. The other two...
Backpack, Camp, Hike 6.0 mi
Glen Aulin
Wawona, California
5.8 miles NEThis is an 11 mile hike along the Tuolumne River to Glen Aulin. There is a view to take in at every turn on this hike, whether it's the Tuolumne River, Tuolumne Fall, Soda Springs,...
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
5.8 miles NEThis trail is a popular route to take in the Yosemite High Country because it is a good introductory hike into the backcountry. At the end of the hike there are several waterfalls as well as a...
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim
Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne County, California
7.1 miles NEA beautiful alpine meadow found in the upper Sierra Nevada Mountains. Open during the summer, this meadow offers excellent views of nearby granite domes and mountains. There is a roadway through...
Camp, Hike
Merced River
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
9.1 miles SWThe main fork of Merced River at Yosemite National Park is a perfect place to fish, swim, raft, and even pan for gold. The river circles around the center of Yosemite Valley, and almost every...
Camp, Swim, Whitewater 4.0 mi
Saddlebag Lake
Lee Vining, California
14.0 miles NEA man-made lake found in the Inyo forest, resting at about 10,008 feet above sea level, Saddlebag Lake is located just outside the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite National Park. This lake has some of...
Camp, Canoe, Hike
Crane Flat
Big Oak Flat, Yosemite National Park
19.2 miles WCrane Flat Campground is a meadow and forest between Tuolumne and Merced Groves of Giant Sequoias. The campground is 30 minutes outside Yosemite Valley, has restrooms and picnic...
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Snowshoe
Crystal Lake
Mammoth Lakes, California
29.4 miles SEUnlike many hikes in the Sierra's, Crystal lake can be done as a day hike and as the perfect way to get away for a bit. As hikers make their way to the lake, they will see the monolith Crystal...
Camp, Hike
Briceburg Recreation Area
Midpines, California
32.8 miles SWCamp, Kayak, and Swim near Midpines, California
Camp, Kayak, Swim
Wild Willy's Hot Spring
Mammoth Lakes, California
39.8 miles EWild Willy's Hot Springs, also known as Crowley Hot Springs, is a spring located in Long Valley. Long Valley is home to one of the highest concentrations of geothermal surface water in...
Camp, Hot Springs
Crowley Lake Campground
Crowley Lake, California
42.2 miles SENestled amidst the stunning Eastern Sierra region, Crowley Lake BLM Campground near Benton, California, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by nature enthusiasts and camping aficionados. With...
Camp
Standish Hickey Area
Lakeshore, California
42.8 miles SEStandish-Hickey is an inland river canyon that runs along Highway 101 just 180 miles from San Fransisco. It's home to a two-mile stretch of the south fork on Eel River, where many...
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Kayak, Swim
