Rainbow Lake to Slab Lakes

LMPL (let's be honest, the full name is a mouthful) is situated just below the crest of Merced Pass, and can be accessed by hiking south from Yosemite Valley, or north from Chiquito Pass. This is a stunning and much less crowded spot to camp, or a great way to access some of the less climbed mountains like Merced, Ottoway, or Red Peak. In this write-up, I will outline the route starting from th...

The hike begins at Mono Meadows trailhead along Glacier Point Road, first descending 2.8 steep miles to Illilouette Creek. Above the Illilouette Junction, take in views of the Valley's granite domes before beginning the post-burn forested slog. The trail covers an additional 10 miles of relatively ho-hum trail, skirting the epic Mount Starr King and gaining elevation slowly but surely. This sec...

There is easy parking in the Mariposa Grove parking lot. There are a variety of trails through the grove; you can follow the NPS guide maps to see each of the iconic trees. These include tunnel trees you can walk through as well as overturned trees showing the immense root systems. From the parking lot, it's 3 miles and 1200ft. elevation gain to the Wawona Point Vista (Elev. 6,810 feet).

The Journey to your final destination can get a little tricky once you get on the dirt roads. From the Bay Area it will take you about 3 hours to get into Oakhurst, then another hour to get to the Wilderness Area simply because of the windy and not maintained roads. On that note I would suggest taking a car with a decent amount of clearance. You won't necessarily need a 4x4 but I would suggest ...

The hike to the Wawona Swinging Bridge is a 0.7 mile dirt path. Start at the trailhead located next to the parking lot. The hike is surrounded by many trees which offers a lot of shade. For the first couple of minutes the trail is fairly straight. You then begin to hike down for just a minute or two until you're parallel to the river. After about 15-20 minutes of slight elevation gain you are m...

Crescent Lake is another beautiful spot a long the Beuna Vista loop. Starting at the Chilnualna Falls Trailhead in Wawona, you start your journey climbing about 4.6 miles and 2,300 feet to the top of Chilnualna Falls (always a good place to rest). Beyond the falls, continue a long the trail and always head east at each fork in the trail. There will be signs for Royal Arch and Johnson Lakes to d...