Trip date: 7/22/2019

Location: Yosemite National Park

Permit/Pass: Private car, van, pickup truck, or RV: $30/car ($25 November through March), valid 7 days. Arriving on foot, horseback, bicycle, motorcycle or non-commercial bus: $15/person. Yosemite Pass (annual pass): $40. America the Beautiful--National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass: $80

Directions: From the west: Hwy. 120 becomes the Tioga Rd. at Crane Flat, where it turns north only to very soon work its way back to the east. From this junction drive 39.6 miles to Tuolumne Meadows where you'll take a left turn into the Lembert Dome/Dog Lake/Soda Springs parking area. From the east: At the junction with Highway 395 in Lee Vining take Hwy. 120 west 19 miles (you'll pass the Yos. Pk. Tioga Entrance) to a right turn into the Lembert Dome/Dog Lake/Soda Springs parking area. The trailhead is next to the bathrooms on the north side of the lot.

Synopsis: It's not super-easy, and it's not carefree, but it would be hard to find a hike with a better effort/payoff ratio than this beauty. The climb up the west side of the dome can be steep in sections, and the ascent of the dome itself requires caution. But for a jaunt that can be knocked off in a couple of hours, the views from the top are epic-adventure worthy.

Trail map: NPS map

Trail sequence: Dog Lake/Lembert Dome trail / Lembert Dome loop trail / Lembert Dome spur trail / Lembert Dome Loop / Dog Lake parking / John Muir trail

Type: Point to point

Distance: ~3.5 miles

Elevation: Min. - 8613', Max. - 8762'

Profile:

Rating: Moderate (factors: altitude, steep scrambling)

Notes: Due to a program glitch the first half of this hike is missing both from the profile and the track. It begins at the top of Lembert Dome so the elevation change data show a descent to the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge area (which should still be relatively representative of the hike). But the mileage is obviously quite shortened.

Track: Lembert Dome (2nd half) - Yosemite NP: GaiaGPS

Turn by Turn:

  -- From the trailhead head north for a few tenths of a mile through the trees before reaching a granite area and the first junction on the left. This trail heads east to Soda Springs and beyond. Continue straight (northeast) on the Dog Lake trail.

  -- Soon you begin climbing switchbacks as you pass the west side of Lembert Dome, with increasingly pretty views to the west of Tuolumne Meadows. After about three quarters of a mile you reach another junction, this time on the right, which heads around the back side of Lembert Dome. Stay right to take this trail.

  -- For a half-mile or so you circle around the north side of the giant rock formation, eventually reaching a trail junction shortly after turning to the south. Take the trail on the right heading west to the top of the dome.

  -- As you near 0.5 or so miles of steady ascent you reach the the rock. Continue west to the top, picking your way along the rock ledges to a level stretch just to the east of the highest section. From here the ascent gets steeper and calls for caution. (Losing footing at the wrong time on this part of the dome could start a tumble down the rock face that would be nearly impossible to arrest.)

  -- Once your appreciation of the amazing views has been satiated, carefully head back down the rock face and follow your steps eastward to return to the dirt trail.

  -- Return along the dome spur to the junction with the main trail. Turn right (south) here to begin a series of descending switchbacks, eventually coming to Tioga Rd.

  -- Cross the road and drop down to the Dog Lake parking area, continuing south across the lot and road to connect to the east-west (John Muir) trail next to the road. Turn left (east) here to head back to the Tuolumne Lodge parking area.

Photo gallery: Flickr