Lower Sunrise Lake

Lower Sunrise Lake is the first and easiest to reach of the three Sunrise Lakes, a chain of granite-rimmed pools tucked below Sunrise Mountain in Yosemite's high country. The trailhead sits at the west end of Tenaya Lake on Tioga Road, and the round trip to Lower Sunrise Lake runs about 6.4 miles with roughly 1,300 feet of elevation gain from a trailhead elevation of about 8,150 feet. Most people treat it as a full-day hike, and it also serves as the first leg for hikers continuing on toward the Middle and Upper Sunrise Lakes, Sunrise High Sierra Camp, or Clouds Rest.

The Route

The first stretch out of the Tenaya Lake trailhead is fairly level, winding through forest along upper Tenaya Canyon. Past the trail junction, the route turns steep, climbing roughly 1,000 feet in about a mile up a series of rocky switchbacks before opening onto the granite basin that holds the lake. It's a workout on the way up, but the terrain stays straightforward — no technical scrambling, just sustained climbing.

Good to Know

• Parking is at the marked "Sunrise" trailhead lot on the west end of Tenaya Lake.
• The trailhead is only reachable while Tioga Road is open, typically late spring or early summer through October or November depending on snowpack.
• Afternoon thunderstorms are common over the Sierra high country in summer — get an early start and plan to be off exposed granite before storms build.
• Elevation here is significant (8,000-9,000+ feet), so pace yourself on the climb if you're not acclimated.