Ten Lakes Gear Checklist
Ten Lakes is a short but steady climb from the Yosemite Creek trailhead over a 9,700-foot pass into a basin of alpine lakes. Writers carry a big park map for the view from the pass, wind-ready shelters for the basin, and plenty of water for the dry stretches. The park requires an allowed canister at the lakes, and trailhead food lockers handle what stays in the car.
What shapes your gear on Ten Lakes
- Trailhead and quota
- The Ten Lakes trailhead has a daily quota of 24 people by lottery 24 weeks ahead and 16 more released a week ahead. It has a vault toilet, and the park says every trailhead has food lockers unless a row says otherwise.
- Distance and climb
- Two trail pages put the round trip at about 13.4 miles with roughly 3,000 to 3,100 feet of gain. A third writer, coming from the far side on a loop, calls it only about a 6-mile hike in. The trail starts near 7,600 feet and reaches Half Moon Meadow at about 8,900 feet after four miles.
From Calipidder, The Outbound and SoCal Hiker: Day Four: May Lake / Ten Lakes Trail Junction to Ten Lakes
- The pass
- Writers disagree on how hard the last stretch is. One calls it about three quarters of a mile of straight up above Half Moon Meadow, another says the trail steepens for another mile to a pass near 9,700 feet, and a third counts 800 feet of switchbacks in about a mile on the way out and puts the pass at 9,670 feet. All three say the view from the top is the payoff.
From Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin, Calipidder and SoCal Hiker: Day Five: Ten Lakes to White Wolf
- Where people camp
- The first lake below the pass is the busiest. A 2013 June group found it nearly empty in a dry year and a late September pair shared the whole basin with one other party. Another hiker skipped the official trail, walked the shorelines and found a quiet site at the far end of a different lake.
From Calipidder, Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin and The Outbound
- Cold, wind and bugs by season
- Late September brought dark by evening, a hard wind overnight and a cold morning. A mid-June group in a dry year found the water warm enough to swim and the mosquitoes out but not at their peak. A June loop party fought wind pitching shelters at the eastern lakes.
From Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin, Calipidder and Backpacking Light: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, returning through 10 Lakes Basin
- Water on the way
- Water runs near the trail but there are only a couple of creek crossings before the meadow, and one June writer expected them to dry up soon. A September party found no water in Yosemite Creek at the junction below the meadow and relied on what they had carried.
From Calipidder and SoCal Hiker: Day Five: Ten Lakes to White Wolf
What the agency requires on Ten Lakes
An allowed bear canister
Food storage is mandatory and an allowed canister is required in all of the Yosemite wilderness. Food includes trash, toiletries and drinks. Hanging food is illegal. Overnight the canister stays within eye and ear shot of where you sleep. Boxes sit at the trailhead, but the park does not list any at the lakes.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS): Wilderness Regulations, Yosemite National Park (NPS): Bears & Food Storage While Backpacking and Yosemite National Park (NPS): Trailhead Information
A wilderness permit in hand
A permit is required for any overnight stay, must be on you, and is valid only for the trailhead, dates and party it lists.
A campsite 100 feet from water and trail
Camp on an established site on a durable surface, at least 100 feet from any water source and from the trail, and never on meadow vegetation.
A fire and stove plan
Campfires are allowed only in existing rings below 9,600 feet and at least 100 feet from water and trail. They are banned above 9,600 feet, and so are Sierra stick stoves. The lakes in the trip reports sit at 8,950 and 9,400 feet, under that line, but the pass does not.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS): Wilderness Regulations, SoCal Hiker: Day Four: May Lake / Ten Lakes Trail Junction to Ten Lakes and SoCal Hiker: Day Five: Ten Lakes to White Wolf
A way to pack out paper
Used toilet paper and hygiene products are carried out, not buried or burned.
What hikers carry on Ten Lakes
A large-scale map of the park
A hiker who stood on the pass says most of the northern half of the park is in view, and a bigger map turns the view into a list of named peaks and canyons. Another pair spent the stop picking out peaks they might climb later.
From Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin and Calipidder
A shelter and cord that can take wind
A September pair saw the wind rise through the night and met a stiff breeze again on the pass the next morning. A June loop party had trouble pitching shelters at the eastern lakes. One hiker hung a hammock at the far end of a lake away from the main trail.
From Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin, Backpacking Light: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, returning through 10 Lakes Basin and The Outbound
Jackets you can shed on the way down
A cool, windy morning on the pass called for jackets, and by Half Moon Meadow the same hikers were back in shirtsleeves. The climb back out is the only real gain on the return, so layers come off early.
From Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin and Calipidder
Water capacity for the dry stretches
Creeks run near the trail but cross it only a couple of times before Half Moon Meadow. A September party found Yosemite Creek dry at the junction and kept going on what they carried. A June writer filled up at the meadow and doubted the flow would last.
From Calipidder and SoCal Hiker: Day Five: Ten Lakes to White Wolf
A sun layer for the switchbacks
A September party started the climb back out in the cool morning because the sun heats the switchbacks fast. The trail also crosses open granite and sunny stretches before the shaded forest, according to a June writer.
From SoCal Hiker: Day Five: Ten Lakes to White Wolf and Calipidder
Fishing gear
A June group caught dinner limits in about half an hour, and a September writer says fishing can be good although the first lake is said to have fewer and less hungry trout.
From Calipidder and Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin
Repellent that fits in the canister
Mosquitoes were out by mid-June but not yet at their peak, and the writer expected the swarms a few weeks later. The park wants mosquito repellent stored in the canister with the food.
From Calipidder and Yosemite National Park (NPS): Bears & Food Storage While Backpacking
15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Ten Lakes
Camping at the first lake without looking around
The first lake below the pass draws the most people. A hiker who left the trail and explored the shorelines found a better site, and a trail page says the other lakes give solitude to anyone willing to explore.
From Calipidder and The Outbound
Packing for the ranger's snow report
In June 2013 rangers warned of plentiful snow and iced lakes. The writer suspected exaggeration, and the lake was free of ice and warm enough to swim. A dry year can differ from the warning, so ask the wilderness center the week you go.
From Calipidder
A hot, late climb out
The way out starts with 800 feet of switchbacks, and a September party noticed the sun heating them quickly even after an early start.
Shoes left outside the shelter
A June writer sleeping in a bivy had a deer return again and again through the night and joked about it running off with the shoes.
From Backpacking Light: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, returning through 10 Lakes Basin
Gear questions for Ten Lakes
Do you need a bear canister at Ten Lakes?
Yes. The park requires an allowed canister for all food, trash and scented items in the Yosemite wilderness, and hanging food is illegal. The park lists food lockers at the trailhead, so food you leave in the car can go there.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS): Wilderness Regulations, Yosemite National Park (NPS): Bears & Food Storage While Backpacking and Yosemite National Park (NPS): Trailhead Information
How far is the Ten Lakes hike?
Two trail pages give about 13.4 miles round trip with 3,000 to 3,100 feet of gain from the Yosemite Creek trailhead. One writer coming in on a loop calls it a hike of about 6 miles in. The pass sits near 9,700 feet.
From Calipidder, The Outbound and SoCal Hiker: Day Four: May Lake / Ten Lakes Trail Junction to Ten Lakes
Are campfires allowed at Ten Lakes?
Only in existing fire rings below 9,600 feet, at least 100 feet from water and trail, and with the fire attended. The lakes in the trip reports are at 8,950 and 9,400 feet, so a ring can be legal there, but the pass is above the line.
From Yosemite National Park (NPS): Wilderness Regulations, SoCal Hiker: Day Four: May Lake / Ten Lakes Trail Junction to Ten Lakes and SoCal Hiker: Day Five: Ten Lakes to White Wolf
How many people can start from the Ten Lakes trailhead each day?
The park lists a quota of 24 people reserved by lottery 24 weeks ahead and 16 more released one week ahead.
Are mosquitoes bad at Ten Lakes?
It depends on the season. A mid-June group found them out but not at their peak and expected more in the coming weeks. Another writer in late September mentions only cold and wind.
From Calipidder and Backpacking Light: Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin
Sources
- Wilderness Regulations · Yosemite National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Bears & Food Storage While Backpacking · Yosemite National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Trailhead Information · Yosemite National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Yosemite: Ten Lakes Basin · Backpacking Light, Paul Wagner · Forum thread
- Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, returning through 10 Lakes Basin · Backpacking Light · Forum thread
- Overnight Backpack to Ten Lakes in Yosemite · Calipidder, Rebecca · Blog
- 10 Lakes Basin in Yosemite · The Outbound, Kyle Frost · Blog
- Day Four: May Lake / Ten Lakes Trail Junction to Ten Lakes · SoCal Hiker, Greg Glass · Blog
- Day Five: Ten Lakes to White Wolf · SoCal Hiker, Greg Glass · Blog