Washburn Lake

Washburn Lake sits at 7,605 feet in Yosemite's high country, several miles upstream from Merced Lake along the upper Merced River. This is backcountry in the true sense — no road comes near it, no day hike reaches it, and the only way in is a multi-day trip through some of the park's quietest wilderness.

Getting there

The standard approach starts at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley, climbs the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Falls, and continues through Little Yosemite Valley and along the Merced River past Bunnell Cascade to Merced Lake High Sierra Camp — itself a demanding trip of roughly 13 miles one-way with well over 4,000 feet of gain. Washburn Lake sits a further few miles upstream from there, following the river through open granite country. Plan on two nights out at minimum if you want to actually enjoy the place rather than just survive getting to it.

What's there

• Informal, at-large campsites scattered along the lake's south end — Yosemite's backcountry uses dispersed camping, not numbered or assigned sites
• A wilderness permit required for any overnight stay along this route
• Far less foot traffic than the Half Dome/Merced Lake corridor closer to the Valley
• Open meadow and granite scenery typical of the upper Merced River drainage

Because this is a remote high-country lake fed by cold snowmelt, treat it with the same caution as any Sierra backcountry water: check current conditions and stream crossings before you go, and don't count on cell service anywhere along the route.