Buena Yosemite: Buena Vista Lake and Peak and Royal Arch Lake

Yosemite National Park

DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4  |  DAY 5  |  DAY 6  |  DAY 7  |  DAY 8

Red line for day 2. Click for interactive map

Yosemite bears are legendary, so the middle of the night sounds of one roaming up the creek were mildly concerning. It is true that most bear-at-night sounds are actually deer, but deer rarely roll rocks around with each step or two. It went right on past without checking out our camp, rolling rocks off into the distance. With morning, we found our bear cans undisturbed. Breakfast was had and we packed up and got moving.

A view across the valley. The dead trees may be from the 2016 Lakes Fire.

We saw several lesser used camps along the way, but none with obvious water access.

While we were looking forward to checking out Buena Vista Lake, we had the few lesser puddles of the Chilnualna Lakes to check out on the way. There are three, but only the two smaller lakes are near the trail with the larger one a short climb uphill.

The first of the Chilnualna Lakes, a rather shallow pond.

Dragonflies (or damselflies) danced over the water.

A view along the edge of that first of the Chilnualna Lakes.

Following the trail to and through the dip of land below the second lake.

The trail follows the outflow, or at least its path, of the third lake shortly and along there we found meadows full of wildflowers that had already gone to seed in the meadows of the previous day.

The flowers were numerous. Here, goldenrod, monkshood, and corn lilies.

The corn lilies were hypnotic.

A bee crawls way up a Sierra tiger lily.

The outflow of the lake was sometimes dry and sometimes large pools.

The corn lilies continued to entrance.

Even the shooting stars were still in bloom.

The third lake was very long and generally shallow too.

At the edge of the third of the Chilnualna Lakes.

Narrow-leaved bur-reeds bloomed in the shallows.

From there, we had another little climb through increasingly granite filled slopes to reach Buena Vista Lake. The climb came with a brief section of views as we passed a trail coming up from the valley area.

Stout and thinning trees on the granite slopes.

Quite a lot of view at the junction.

There's some view a bit more to the east, too.

Buena Vista Lake from a camped area on the northwest side.

We found campers at Buena Vista Lake, the first people we'd seen since the trailhead, then a group on horseback. There were a number of well used camping areas around it. We had a bit of lunch and the fellows went swimming. Daniil will take a dip, but Petr was committed to a longer swim. While the lake itself is nice to look at, it was agreed that it does not exactly have a nice view.

Taking in the whole of Buena Vista Lake.

The colors of the shallows and depths of Buena Vista Lake with Buena Vista Peak (the left cliff edged lump) behind it.

From the lake, the trail crosses the outflow and climbs again to Buena Vista Pass to cross over from Buena Vista Creek and the Merced River to Johnson Creek and the South Fork Merced River.

The pond at the outflow of Buena Vista Lake.

High meadows above Buena Vista Lake.

Besides being a bit slow hiking, I had a second trick for slowing down the crew. I had suggested we might head up Buena Vista Peak. Some take a route directly from the lake, but since we were going over the pass anyway, it made sense to start there. It was reported to be an "easy walk up" from there. Indeed, that's the way it starts, and pretty much the way it continues, but the finish has some boulder hopping that can cause one a little worry if not confident in the grip of one's shoes.

The sort of terrain one traverses if going off trail near the top of Buena Vista Pass and the mildly energetic cloud that also had our attention as we climbed.

Finding a view of the far side of the pass.

At least half of the route is along rocks and soil like this.

Buena Vista Lake from high above and that view that was obscured a bit at the junction before the lake.

Buena Vista Peak up ahead. It's the closer one, but the walking isn't so easy from here.

Arrived at Buena Vista Peak!

It was agreed that Buena Vista Peak does have a very good view. We did not continue on to the further peak, which the topo maps indicate reaches to one less contour line.

The further bump. To go further may gain a slightly different view.

Instead we snacked and watched the rain pour down, probably quite heavily, on the far side of the next ridge. And looked about the place in the other directions.

The distant rain and the cloud that generates it.

Southwest seems like gentle, lower mountains.

A sneak peak at the next bit of hiking.

The domes of the valley. Half Dome is on the left, Moraine Dome and Sugarloaf Dome in the middle, and Clouds Rest on the right with many more on the far side of Tenaya Valley.

Our journey will take us that way for a couple days.

Found the evening camp, Royal Arch Lake.

A closer look at those distant peaks above. The next camp will be below Gale Peak, just left of center.

When the storming clouds started stretching out a tendril toward our position on the peak, we started down once more. It had been quite a long diversion considering the short distance. Fortunately, although I had investigated other peaks along the route, it was the only one that had struck my fancy to actually go to.

Rain only seems to be threatening as we make our way back to trail.

Back on the trail, we continued over the top of the wide pass and down through meadows and forests and dry streams and flowing streams. Things got rockier as we dropped down.

One large meadow along the way.

An elaborate crossing considering there's no water.

Now there's some water.

And now crossing over rocky areas.

These areas offer slight views.

It certainly looks like a threatening cloud.

Arrived at Royal Arch Lake.

We found Royal Arch Lake to be quite agreeable to our camping desires. Camps could be found in the wooded area south of the lake although running water for gathering wasn't apparent. The stream we crossed above does not run into this lake.

There's a delightful roundness to the rocks at the north end of the lake.

Taking in Royal Arch Lake in a bad panorama from closer to the camping area.

So we set up camp in the shelter of the trees, well protected from any bit of storm, which didn't materialize.

Continue on to the next day ⇒




*photo album*


©2025 Valerie Norton
Published 14 Nov 2025