Yosemite Wilderness Permit — Ten Lakes

Ten Lakes: what makes it different

Ten Lakes is the Tioga Road trailhead for everything north of Yosemite Creek: the Ten Lakes Basin, Grant Lakes and the long walk to Tenaya Lake. It sells 24 lottery and 16 week-ahead places a day, the largest quota of any trailhead on this road, and NPS puts its demand at Medium.^1,3,2

Getting to the start

The trailhead is on Tioga Road. A 2021 Sierra News hike report describes a dirt lot on the north side, where the trail starts, with bear boxes and trash cans, and a paved lot across the road with restrooms. NPS lists a vault toilet. Permits for Tioga Road west of Olmsted Point are issued at Big Oak Flat Information Station.^9,1

Calipidder puts the trailhead at about 7,600 feet, and the 2021 report gives a low point of 7,490 feet. Recreation.gov warns that the permit is void, with no refund, if Tioga Road has not opened. It usually opens in late May.^8,9,7

The first leg

The trail climbs through forest and then over granite to the pass. Calipidder describes about 4 miles to Half Moon Meadow at roughly 8,900 feet and about 1 mile more to Ten Lakes Pass at roughly 9,700 feet, where the basin comes into view. Recreation.gov also names Half Moon Meadow and a ridge with views of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and the north country.^8,7

The lower trail crosses the burn from the 2020 Bluejay Fire, according to the 2021 report. Part of the climb has no tree cover, so the author suggested a cooler day. The same report found the trail dusty, with rocky stairs and switchbacks, and a closed branch at the Lukens Lake fork that was clearly marked.⁹

Terrain and difficulty

NPS says hikers ascend through forests to the panoramic pass and then descend to the lakes, and counts 11.8 miles round trip with 1,500 feet of gain. Trip reports measure more. Calipidder lists 13.4 miles and about 3,100 feet, Outbound 13.38 miles and 3,035 feet, and the 2021 Sierra News report 12.35 miles and 2,590 feet for a trip that adds Grant Lakes. The reports also differ on time: a 2017 comment on Calipidder says the hike took over five hours, longer than the 3 to 4 hours often quoted.^3,8,10,9

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Ten Lakes, overnight wilderness, lottery share: 24 people a day. NPS trailhead page, updated May 11, 2026. The Big Oak Flat window for Tioga Road west of Olmsted Point is June 18 to October 14, 2026.¹
• 2026 daily quota at Ten Lakes, overnight wilderness, week-ahead share: 16 people a day. Released first come, first served seven days ahead. NPS prints it as a separate column.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

NPS says the Ten Lakes trailhead is the permit for destinations northbound on the Yosemite Creek trail, while the Yosemite Creek Campground trailhead is for southbound ones. Pick by direction, not by distance.²

Camping is banned at Lukens Lake. Campfires are allowed only in existing rings below 9,600 feet. Calipidder's camp lake is listed at about 8,947 feet, while the pass sits above the limit.^4,8

Where it leads

Recreation.gov calls this the most direct route to Grant Lakes and the Ten Lakes Basin. A short side trail from the pass reaches a viewpoint over the basin and the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, according to Outbound, and the official trail runs past two of the largest lakes.^7,10

Longer trips continue to Tenaya Lake. NPS lists Ten Lakes to Tenaya Lake at 20.4 miles one way with 4,350 feet of gain, through the South Fork of Cathedral Creek, with the reverse possible from the Sunrise Lakes trailhead.³

What trip reports say

A June 2013 Calipidder overnight found only small patches of snow near the pass, though rangers had warned of heavy snow and iced lakes. The author camped at the first and busiest lake, saw few people, and noted that mosquitoes were present but not at peak. A companion caught fish within minutes.⁸

On September 2, 2021, Candace Gregory of Sierra News hiked to Grant Lakes in 12.35 miles and found the trail well signed but rocky, with trail crews at work.⁹

An Outbound listing by Kyle Frost describes camping at the far end of a lake with good swimming and leaving the official trail to reach a lake seen from the pass. A 2016 reviewer called it a favorite short backpack with easy access to High Sierra views.¹⁰

When to go from here

Early June can still hold some snow near the pass, but the 2013 report found far less than rangers had predicted. By September 2021 the trail was dry and dusty, and the writer wanted a cooler day for the sunny climb. The Tioga Road window of June 18 to October 14 covers it.^8,9,1

NPS pages disagree on the start of reservations. The Reservations page (June 2026) says May through October and the Wilderness Permits page (December 2025) says late April through October. For this road the trailhead page gives June 18.^6,5,1

Compare with nearby entry points

• White Wolf Campground: White Wolf Campground is the permit NPS names for camping along the trail to Ten Lakes or Double Rock from the White Wolf side. Its quota is 6 lottery and 4 week-ahead people, against 24 and 16 here. A 2012 Backpacking Light loop came back over Ten Lakes Pass from the basin and walked about ten miles through forest to White Wolf.^2,1,11
• Yosemite Creek: Yosemite Creek is the Tioga Road permit for southbound destinations along the creek, with 15 lottery and 10 week-ahead people, and a vault toilet like this trailhead. Ten Lakes covers the northbound side.^2,1
• May Lake: May Lake is on the same road but is a two-mile walk with a High Sierra Camp. NPS lists its permit demand as Very High against Medium for Ten Lakes, even though May Lake's quota is smaller at 15 and 10.^3,1

Sources

1. Trailhead Information, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Trailhead Information, frequently asked questions, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Tioga Road (West of Olmsted Point) Backpacking Trails, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Wilderness Regulations, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Wilderness Permits, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Wilderness Permit Reservations, Yosemite National Park, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Yosemite National Park Wilderness Permits (Ten Lakes division), Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Overnight backpack to Ten Lakes, Yosemite, Calipidder, June 2013. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Hiking up Ten Lakes Trail to Grant Lakes, Sierra News, Candace Gregory, September 2021. Read 2026-10-15.
10. 10 Lakes Basin in Yosemite, The Outbound, Kyle Frost, reviews 2016. Read 2026-10-15.
11. Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and Ten Lakes loop from White Wolf (trip report), Backpacking Light forums, June and July 2012. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Ten Lakes permit