Dog Lake & Lembert Dome Loop: Yosemite National Park – Yosemite Valley, CA ❤️❤️❤️

9/16/2022: This is a good hike to Dog Lake (we were the only ones there) and then to Lembert Dome (we were definitely not the only ones there). Dog Lake is pretty, but not spectacular like the Cathedral Lakes. From Lembert Dome you get beautiful views. The going is a little sketchy going up the dome but as long as you wear boots and take your time, you should be fine. However, if you are afraid of heights, then you might want to reconsider. The dome is pretty popular, but we were able to get some quiet time up there as well. The bonus was that we were able to eat lunch on Dana Fork where there was rushing water and clear pools in the white granite. Very nice.

Key: Lakes | Forest | Views | White Granite | Backpack | California | National Park Service | Yosemite National Park | High Sierra

• 5.7 mile loop – I would not take 5-year old grandson up Lembert Dome. However, Dog Lake should be fine.
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Elevation range: 8593' to 9418' gross: +967'
• Traffic: Moderate to Heavy
• Getting There: No issues
• Trail Obstacles: Hiking up and down Lembert Dome requires good boots. I know young folks will do it with tennis shoes, but not me. I (and probably you) need the grip that good Vibram boots can give. Don’t take little ones up the dome unless they are very good at climbing and not afraid of heights.
• Fees: See Park Service for fees and reservations. Yosemite NP requires reservations.
• Trailhead Coordinates: 37.87702, -119.35308 (Lembert Dome Picnic Area)
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• Management: National Park Service
• Alltrails Info
  • Rod’s Alltrails activity

Marg’s Notes: Dog Lake and Lembert Dome. Last night Rod invited our neighbors over to our campfire. We met Pete from Mass. & Aaron & Charlotte(?), son & mother from Texas. Had a great conversation. Aaron & mom stayed until 10:30! It was very cold. I had a hard time sleeping because I was cold! Got up ~7:00, made our tea & coffee, then headed towards Tuolumne Meadows about 8:00. We started hiking ~9:15. On the way there, I got a little dizzy so had water & a bar. Then I felt better. Our hike was through forest. Fairly steep at the beginning! Warmed us up! Dog Lake was ~2 miles in. Very pretty. Chatted with some people from England who had been in the U.S. for 2 months w/ their 1 year old. We hiked back to catch the trail to Lembert Dome. A nice hike & not as tough as we expected. When we got near the dome, we encountered a large group of French people. They had a guide…we sort of followed them up! At the top we had great 360° views. Chilly & windy too! We waited to go all the way up until the group came down. On the way back to the car we took a different trail to make a loop. Part of the way was on the John Muir Trail/PCT. Had lunch on the Dana Fork River. Beautiful! Then walked back thru meadows to the car. Picked up more firewood! Had a rest when we got to camp.

Mashed taters & turkey.

Rod’s Ramblings from the Trail: Starting at 9:22 because of construction stoppage and it is 45°. There were about seven cars in the parking lot. And I think some of those were construction workers. We're going clockwise on the trail. At 0.6 mi there's a real nice log to sit and take a break as it is fairly steep hiking up but nothing too bad. At about 0.8 miles you pop out onto the flat that leads to the lake. It is wooded and very pleasant. After a mile we have seen no one. I think it would be silly just to do the Lembert Dome hike and not also tack on Dog Lake. It is about a quarter of a mile to dog lake from the intersection. We have now met seven other people on the trail, four of them were in a group backpacking for like 12 or 13 days together, a young woman, and a couple who have been doing a trip in the US for 2 months. And they had a 1-year-old baby girl with them. We are currently alone at Dog Lake. It is a big lake. We got to dog lake about 10:20. It would have taken less time, but we stopped and chatted with folks. And rested a couple of times. It is now 10:47 and we are on our way to Lembert Dome. The altitude here is 9,173 ft. We took advantage of the clean water at dog and washed face and hands. Probably should have washed my feet too, yuck. The Lake was about 1.5 miles in. This is an extremely well-marked trail with signs at the intersections and the whole nine yards with mileage from intersection to point of interest. We've reached the top of the dome at 11:43. Sadly there is a travel group from somewhere in Europe up here and a lot of people sort of hogging the top. But it was good to follow them up because they knew the route. There's a chipmunk or ground squirrel taking a look at us right now, a big fat guy. I suspect he wants a handout. Elevation is 9,460 ft. It is a little tricky coming up but not terrible. Do make sure to wear boots and never try it in tennis shoes. You need the traction from the boots to get up this thing. We have hiked 3.4 mi to reach the top to include dog lake. We're going down because it is a little bit on the windy side now, and chilly. There was a couple going up to the dome and they hadn't reached the rock part yet, but they were just wearing tennis shoes and hopefully they'll stop at the false summit and say that's not for us, especially since they had a baby in a backpack. We are having lunch on Dana Creek. It is gorgeous with granite rocks and beautiful water. When you reach Dana Creek turn right and go a couple hundred yards down the trail and there's a little path that will take you to a beautiful lunch spot with running water and beautiful scenery. There's no one here although the roads just 200 yards from us. Finish the hike at 1:30. 5.6 mi. A great hike.

People: Last night, per Marg, we met Pete from Mass. & Aaron & Charlotte(?), son & mother from Texas. Had a great conversation. Aaron & mom stayed until 10:30! We had such a good conversation and enjoyed each other’s company so much that Aaron and I exchanged emails with a promise to keep in touch, especially when I finish this website. They have a place to crash in Portland if ever they want to visit the Great Northwest.

Two young guys backpacking for 12 or 13 days. We met these guys, probably college age, at the intersection of the Dog Lake/Lembert Dome trails. We talked about hiking and backpacking. They were really nice young men. When we parted, I told them to keep in good health and do this (backpacking and hiking) for as long as they can. They assured me they would.

Couple from England with 1 year old baby girl. Met them leaving Dog Lake as we approached it. I said hi to the baby and that started a whole conversation. They had been in the US for two months. They were getting ready to return to Portland to head back to England and resume work. It had been a good vacation for them. I wish I could have taken two month vacations when I was in my 20’s. Oh wait! I did! Two years in Fiji with Marg – Peace Corps.

Lunch Spot: Our lunch spot was very nice. As described above, it was on Dana Fork after crossing Tioga Pass Rd. Water sluicing over white granites and a few deep holes in the rock that must have taken million years to carve out.