California · Hiking · Ansel Adams Wilderness · Near Yosemite Valley

Rutherford Lake

0.5 mi
round trip
111 ft
climb
9,781 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Rutherford Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name Rutherford Lake, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Sierra National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Rutherford Lake is an easy out-and-back hike in California's Ansel Adams Wilderness, within the Bass Lake Ranger District of the Sierra National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a short 0.48 miles long, with an elevation gain of 111 feet from the low point at 9,651 feet to the high point at 9,781 feet. The trail is natural surfaced and allows horses. Bikes are not permitted, and the route is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Tuolumne Meadows weather station run around 71°F for highs and 38°F for lows in July, with the station sitting roughly 1,087 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the hike run cooler. The hike sits close to other outings. Post Peak and Slab Lake are both within a mile, Anne Lake is about 0.1 miles away, and West Fork Granite Creek is about 3 miles off.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Upper Jackass Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 4.4 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Curry Village Pavillion

    Fast food

    On your way back · 15 mi
  • If it rainsEeekster, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Sierra Point

    Viewpoint

    In town

    Point in Yosemite National Park at the eastern end of the valley

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Eeekster, CC BY 3.0 (commons)

More in Yosemite Valley

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.