Young Lakes via Glen Aulin Trail Gear Checklist

What shapes your gear on Young Lakes

Two permit trailheads, one set of lakes

The park lists Young Lakes as 13.6 miles round trip with 1,300 feet of gain and medium permit demand, reached via Dog Lake or Glen Aulin. One guide says each day carries more permits for the Dog Lake trailhead, and another blogger names the Glen Aulin trail as the fallback when Dog Lake permits are gone.

From Yosemite National Park (NPS): Tuolumne Meadows Backpacking Trails, Backcountry Emily and Somewhere Sierra

How the Glen Aulin approach runs

A 2010 hiker started at Soda Springs near the stables and went north on the Pacific Crest Trail, passing the Young Lakes spur after a couple of miles. A 2022 hiker started at the Lembert Dome picnic area, took a short stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail, passed Soda Springs, then climbed north through pine forest and reached the Dog Lake junction in early afternoon, with 1.5 miles left to Lower Young Lake.

From Ted's Outdoor World and klauskomenda.net

Coming down the Glen Aulin trail

One blogger walked up via Dog Lake and came back on the Glen Aulin trail from Lower Young Lake to the Wilderness Center lot, 7.3 miles with about 550 feet of climbing and 1,800 feet of descent. She called it her recommended route.

From Backcountry Emily

Elevation

Tuolumne Meadows sits near 8,700 feet and the lakes near 9,800. A magazine guide gives 9,973 feet as the high point and 9,880 feet for Lower Young Lake, and says the trailhead is at 8,584 feet. Gain figures differ by source: 1,300 feet from the park and 1,389 feet from the magazine.

From klauskomenda.net, Sierra Rec Magazine and Yosemite National Park (NPS): Tuolumne Meadows Backpacking Trails

Where people camped

The park's trail stops at the first lake, and a worn informal path goes on to the second and third. One party camped near Middle Young Lake just off the trail. Another used the north side of the lower lake and found large sandy areas with views of Ragged Peak and Mount Conness. A July party picked the far side of the lower lake in trees, and found the trail thin between the middle and upper lakes and gone near the top.

From Yosemite National Park (NPS): Tuolumne Meadows Backpacking Trails, klauskomenda.net, Backcountry Emily and Somewhere Sierra

Parking

A blogger warns that the trailhead pin most maps show, right off Tioga Road, does not allow overnight parking. Another says the lot Google labels Dog Lake and Lembert Dome is actually the Glen Aulin lot, and suggests the Wilderness Center lot if you plan a loop, which adds about half a mile of flat walking.

From Somewhere Sierra and Backcountry Emily

What hikers carry on Young Lakes

• A rented bear canister

  A 2022 hiker rented one at the Wilderness Center and sat through the ranger's free talk on how to use it and pick a site. The agency puts the canister 25 to 50 feet out. One blogger says to keep it within 50 feet so you can hear a bear, and another says about 50 yards.

  From klauskomenda.net, Yosemite National Park (NPS): Bears and Food Storage While Backpacking, Backcountry Emily and Somewhere Sierra

• A head net and repellent for the upper lakes

  A July 2022 party met a significant mosquito population at the Middle and Upper lakes and brought a head net and picaridin. They were swarmed within minutes at the upper lake, but bugs were lighter at the lower lake where trout rose in the water.

  From Somewhere Sierra

• A sleep system for a near-freezing night

  One blogger says a bag good to 20 degrees plus an insulated jacket is usually enough in the High Sierra, and found ice on the tent fly in late September. A July party got considerably colder than expected and leaned on a wool shirt and warm socks.

  From Backcountry Emily and Somewhere Sierra

• An offline map app

  A 2022 hiker navigated with a trail app in offline mode, which cleared up the one or two spots where the path was not obvious. A July party says the trail fades above the middle lake and disappears near the top of the upper lake.

  From klauskomenda.net and Somewhere Sierra

• A way to treat creek and lake water

  Water comes from the creeks along the way and from the lakes, and one hiker says to treat it with a filter or by boiling. A September party refilled at Delane and Dingley Creeks. Late in the season Dingley was a modest stream with a single easy crossing.

  From klauskomenda.net and Backcountry Emily

• A stove for shoreline cooking

  With no campfires above 9,600 feet, a July pair carried a stove down to the lake shore to cook instant rice and ramen at sunset. A magazine guide notes fishing is possible from each lake.

  From Somewhere Sierra and Sierra Rec Magazine

• Sun protection for the exposed climb

  A September hiker says the route mixes forest and open slope with thin tree cover, and wore UPF clothing or sunscreen. A July hiker wore a sun hoody by the lake and in the exposed meadow sections.

  From Backcountry Emily and Somewhere Sierra

• Microspikes in a big snow year

  The basin faces north and melts out slower than the south-facing trail below it. One blogger says an ice axe is probably unnecessary since there are no drop-offs, but microspikes help if snow lingers.

  From Backcountry Emily

Gear questions for Young Lakes