Ten Lakes

Ten Lakes is Yosemite's backcountry reward for hikers willing to earn it. The first few miles climb steadily through red fir and lodgepole pine forest — pleasant enough, but saving the drama for later. Around the halfway mark, the trees thin out and you hit granite slabs as the trail pushes toward Ten Lakes Pass, a leg-sapping ascent that gains most of its 2,200 feet of elevation in concentrated bursts. Once you crest the pass, the payoff is immediate: a sprawling alpine basin dotted with glacially carved lakes, ringed by granite domes and subalpine meadows. The descent into the basin feels like stepping into a postcard you didn't think actually existed. At nearly thirteen miles roundtrip, this isn't a casual stroll — it's a full-commitment day hike that rewards strong hikers with one of Yosemite's most scenic and uncrowded lake basins.