Mirror Lake Loop at Yosemite

Easily one of my favorite hikes in the whole world.

​This is an easy 5-mile hike in Yosemite Valley, and it's relatively flat. The titular lake, Mirror Lake, generally diminishes to a trickle every fall. In this drought, though, it was bone dry. I kept hiking past the "lake" along Tenaya Creek and when I got to the footbridge at the furthest point there was water to be found in some small pools of Tenaya Creek. This is my favorite spot in Yosemite. The best time to go is in the late afternoon, early evening. The light is just beautiful as it passes through Tenaya Valley, and it illuminates Half Dome as it sets behind North Dome. 

Bonus photos

Here are photos from an earlier trip to Mirror Lake, in 2011!