Budd Lake

Budd Lake sits at about 10,110 feet in the granite high country above Tuolumne Meadows, tucked below the north face of Cathedral Peak at the head of Budd Creek. There's no maintained or signed trail to it — just a use-path that follows Budd Creek roughly 3 miles up from the Cathedral Lakes trailhead. It's a destination for hikers comfortable navigating without mileage signs, not a casual afternoon walk.

Getting There

Most people pick up the route from the Cathedral Lakes/John Muir Trail corridor west of the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, then follow the Budd Creek drainage cross-country up toward the lake. The National Park Service classifies Budd Creek as a cross-country entry point rather than a listed, maintained trailhead — it doesn't appear on the official Wilderness Trailheads map, though it does carry its own permit quota.

Permits and Camping

Day hikes to Budd Lake need no permit. Overnight trips draw on the Budd Creek wilderness quota — 3 reservable in advance and 2 walk-up permits per day — issued through Yosemite's wilderness permit system. Camping itself is restricted well beyond the lake: parties on a Budd Creek permit must camp at least four miles from the Tioga Road corridor and clear of the Cathedral and Elizabeth/Nelson Lakes areas, which makes Budd Lake itself more of a day-hike or pass-through stop than a camping destination.

What Surrounds It

The lake sits inside a ring of some of the Cathedral Range's best-known rock — Cathedral Peak, Cockscomb, Echo Peaks and Echo Ridge, Matthes Crest, and Unicorn Peak all rise nearby. It's as much a common approach for climbers headed into that terrain as it is a hiking destination in its own right.