Today’s blog is special to me because it recalls a hike we used to do whenever we visited beautiful Yosemite National Park as a family, when our boys were young. The photos in today’s blog were taken in 1995 when sons Bryan and Evan were 5 and 3 years old respectively. It brings back special memories of our family vacations during what was my favorite time of my life.
(My wife, Sylvia, walking with our two sons on Mirror Lake Trail)
Mirror Lake Trail is not a trail that will challenge you, but it’s a nice easly hike for those with limited mobility or small children to undertake as there is only 100 feet (30 m) of vertical. The valley can be hot in the summer, but there’s a lot of shade along the trail, and you’re walking through one of the most beautiful valleys in the world. Views of the majesty of the Sierra range are often visible.
The hike begins at the Mirror Lake Trailhead (free park shuttle stop #17). There are a few options you can take. The shortest is a 2 mile (3.2 km) round trip to lake and back; longer is a 5 mile (8 km) loop around lake. We’ve done both options and enjoyed taking our time, letting the kids play, stopping for rest breaks and snacks. It might take up to a half day to walk a few miles, but the point was in being there, and not in racing through it.
(Mirror Lake during high water)
The first mile to the trail is paved, then if you continue on the loop you will be on a standard unpaved wilderness trail. The best time to do the hike is during late spring, when there’s still some water in Mirror Lake and you can (from the correct angle) see the mountains reflected in it. Mirror Lake is in the process of silting over and in time will be Mirror Meadow. During the dry summer months, the lake already all but disappears.
A highlight of the hike are the unique views you get of Half Dome, taken close to it’s base and looking up along it’s glaciated flat surface. It’s hard to believe the vertical surface of Half Dome is climbable, but many have done it over the years.
(Bryan and Evan playing along Tenaya Creek)
Part of your walk is along Tenaya Creek, which is really a small river in May and early June as it drains the snowmelt from the high Sierra. Our kids enjoyed trying to skip rocks into it and using sticks to dig into the muck. At the end of the walk, the kids were tired but looking forward to an ice cream cone!
It’s a fun and easy thing to do in a park that has some of the most challenging trails in America. Bring your own drinking water and snacks. This trail is open year-round but in winter it can be icy and snowy, so use caution.
