Lembert Dome/Young Lakes Trail

Lembert Dome Hike:
This is an awesome, easy hike that is easily done in an afternoon.
We stayed at Tuolumne Campgrounds and actually hiked to the trail head which was super convenient but added an extra mile each way to the approximate 3 mi trek to the top of the Dome (made it 5 mi round trip).
Getting to the top of the Dome looked quite intimidating when standing at the base but it turned out to be a relaxing trek up. This hike is easily done in regular hiking/​running shoes and is mostly covered until you reach the Dome. The last part of the trip up the Dome can be relatively steep and involved a bit of scrambling on all fours to reach the top, which was totally worth it. There are some great views of the surrounding area from the top of Lembert so bring your camera for some great shots.

Activity Type: Hiking
Nearby City: Modesto
Length: 2.8 totalmiles
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Trail Type: Out-​and-​back
Local Contacts: Yosemite National Park
One way to characterize the hike up 9,450-foot Lembert Dome is «a lot of view for relatively little effort,» yet the dome looks absolutely impossible to scale when regarding it from the trailhead. For the time-​short (but not stamina-​short) traveler, able to do only one quick hike in the Tuolumne Meadows area, this is the one to do. You’ll have Tuolumne Meadows at your feet, and a parade of peaks from Cathedral Peak all the way to Mt. Dana at Tioga Pass. Geologists say Lembert Dome, located at the east end of Tuolumne Meadows, is not a true dome (such as Sentinel Dome) but a roche moutonée; the French phrase «rock sheep» describes a glacier-​carved formation recognized by its sheer front and sloping back. The roche moutonée was named for shepherd-​naturalist Jean Baptiste Lembert who worked for a decade in Tuolumne Meadows, beginning in 1885. An unsolved mystery to this day is who shot him dead in his cabin – and why – in 1896. Another pleasant path beginning from the Lembert Dome trailhead is the one leading to Dog Lake. The shallow lake, one of Yosemite’s warmest, attracts swimmers and picnickers.

The trailhead starts at 8680 feet and you ascend to 9400 feet after 1.5 miles if you go to Lembert Dome. The thinner air at this elevation does get to you, as I noticed myself puffing harder.
It’s not an easy hike, but you are rewarded with fantastic views at the top of Lembert Dome. Just be careful going downhill, and make sure your shoes have good traction!
(We didn’t go to Young Lakes)

Before 2010, the only time I’d been to Tuolumne Meadows was a day trip from Crane Flat when I was a teenager. And I saw this large rock with a slightly slanted side, and thought «hey, I can go up there.» It took about 29 years :-D, but I made it to the top of Lembert Dome in 2010.
It’s a pretty easy hike, and takes less than an hour to get to the top. There are two ways to go, and both start with a slightly steep uphill. Lembert Dome is at the end of a short spur.
It’s such an accessible hike that I saw a wide range of ages at the top, from pre-​teens to those even older than me (I’ve been 29 for many years now). And why not? It’s rock climbing without a lot of effort. The view is tops all around. And it’s probably the only way to get a look of all of Tuolumne Meadows. Note also that the part that can easily be seen from the Meadows is *not* the highest point.
If you’re reading this, you already know that Yosemite National Park is not just the Valley. You could have a great vacation in this section alone. And if you do, then going to the top of Lembert Dome should be on your itinerary.

For those who are not in shape to do the killer Half Dome hike, here is an easier alternative with still an awesome payoff of having top of the world views and the experience of hiking/​climbing on «exposed» rock («exposed» meaning if you fall you could tumble to your death, no guardrails like Glacier Point) with a ¹⁄₅ of the energy expenditure
The Young Lakes Trails is 5 to 10 miles round trip depending on where you go. We went to Dog Lake first, then doubled back and took the fork to Lembert Dome. The hike took only 3.5 hours round trip. This is a moderately strenuous hike with a good amount of uphill; not really bad at sea level, but at 8600 – 9000 feet some can get winded early on. My legs and butt toned by 8hr days in front of a Mac were burning just 5 minutes into the climb, but it went away after a while. Most of hike is shaded by trees, which is a good thing. Dog Lake is a decent size alpine lake. Pretty to look at. Peaceful. Not crowded.
Lembert Dome is the star. Rock climbers can scale the face from the parking lot just off the Tioga Road, but hikers can simply walk up the back side or take the challenging steeper trek up the face starting from just east of the parking lot. We went up the back of it. Once you see granite, you get awestruck. There is plenty of rock to hike around without going to the top. The part leading to the summit is pretty steep and you wish you had cables like on Half Dome, but if you are careful and fearless, it is quite doable. I saw 6 year old go up with her dad.