May Lake

May Lake sits in a glacier-carved bowl below the granite dome of Mount Hoffmann, reached by one of the shortest rewarding hikes in Yosemite's high country. The trailhead is just off Tioga Road (Highway 120), and the payoff — a still alpine lake ringed by lodgepole pine and bare granite — comes fast enough for families and casual hikers to manage in an afternoon.

Trail Details

• Distance: about 2.3 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: roughly 485 feet
• Trailhead: May Lake Road, a short spur off Tioga Road

The climb is steady but short, gaining most of its elevation in the first mile before leveling off at the lake's southeast shore.

At the Lake

May Lake High Sierra Camp sits along the north shore, and backcountry campsites with bear boxes, a water spigot, and a flush toilet line the southeast side for wilderness-permit holders. May Lake is a park drinking-water reservoir, so swimming is not allowed there — fishing, however, is permitted under Yosemite's general fishing regulations, and the lake holds brook trout.

Getting There

Tioga Road is a seasonal high-elevation route that typically opens once snowpack clears in late spring or early summer and closes with the first heavy snowfall of fall — check current park conditions before you go. Once the road is open, May Lake Road adds a short paved spur to the trailhead parking area.