The isolated backpacker’s campsite just off of highway 120 on the edge of Yosemite Valley
May Lake is one of Yosemite’s most scenic lakes, located just off 120. After parking and hiking a mile to the high sierra camp, you are isolated. During the approach you can see Half Dome and countless other surrounding features. At the camp you are surrounded by trees and a great view of Mount Hoffman with a crisp reflection in the lake.
After the dirt road and mile approach, seeing May Lake for the first time makes it all worth it. It is one of my favorite campsites in Yosemite and can be stayed at for free if you secure a wilderness permit from the wilderness center in the valley. Many hikers will use the May Lake camp as a checkpoint for the hike to Mount Hoffman, the large mountain surrounding the lake. If you aren’t up for that intense of a hike there are still some great activities you can do.
In a few minutes you can walk to a lookout ridge where you can see Half Dome and countless other mountain ranges in addition to getting a small amount of cell service. If you have a few hours, I would recommend hiking around the lake. If you go counter-clockwise you will start on a nicely weathered path. When we hiked it the path disappears into snow so we followed the sound of the river. On the other side of the lake from the campsites, you can see a beautiful river, rushing through a path it carved into the granite. While camping at May Lake, my friend Josh and I decided to follow the river as far up the mountain as we could. While the steep granite terrain made it a difficult climb, the views made it worth it. We continued hiking until we reached 10,000 feet of elevation. We took some pictures, enjoyed the view and then headed back towards the lake. The descent was sketchy but not impossible. While it took some careful foot and hand placements, it was nothing we couldn’t do.
As we continued to hike our loop around the lake we saw other natural features.
This river was flowing through the side of the hill, splitting and converging continuously creating a unique effect. Shortly after the water was a large cave, created by rocks stacked on rocks. The cave was nested in this huge pile of granite. After hiking through an annoyingly large patch of snow we made it back to the path and had returned to our campsite in time to cook lunch. There are many great things about May Lake, but one of the most unique things about it are its lack of people, large scale and relaxing nature. It is a great place to get some fresh air, relax and taking in the giant mountain towering above you. Another bonus is the small amount of cell reception you can get if you hike to the ridge. It’s just enough to contact parents and friends but not so much it becomes a distraction. This makes May Lake the perfect place to be isolated without being completely alone.
If you plan to camp here, make sure to bring enough water for your entire duration or a filtration kit so you can filter water from a nearby creek. There should be a working tap during the ‘on season’ but we were there at the wrong time. There are bear boxes all year round and when the campsite is open they have a bathroom. If you plan to have a fire build a fire pit and bring wood because there isn’t much up there. Bringing chairs would make the camping and cooking experience more comfortable, otherwise you will be sitting on the ground (This is what we ended up doing).
All in all, May Lake is a great isolated camping experience. I would recommend it to anyone who is confident in their camping abilities and wants a relaxing stay.
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