Twenty Lakes Basin

Twenty Lakes Basin may just offer the best combination of High Sierra beauty and accessibility. Just outside Yosemite's northeast boundary, Twenty Lakes Basin is in the shadow of Mount Conness and North Peak. It's ideal for a day hike or a weekend backpack trip, with or without a camera. Even though much of the basis is above 11,000 feet, you're starting at that elevation so it's fairly manageable. Anyone in reasonably good shape could circle the loop trail in a day, with plenty of time to appreciate the beauty. If you don't want to tackle the entire loop, I recommend the left (west side) fork. 

The basin's countless (well, certainly more than twenty) lakes, large and small, some fed by waterfalls, could keep you occupied for days. But if that's not enough, you can turn your sights to crystal-clear snow-fed streams, an abundance of wildflowers, and looming granite peaks.

How to get there

Eastbound (leaving Yosemite) on Highway 120, about two miles east of the Tioga Pass entrance station, take the left turn onto the road to Saddlebag Lake. At (not particularly scenic) Saddlebag Lake you can hire the water taxi for a reasonable charge, or walk the level but extremely rocky mile-and-a-half to the north side of the lake. Once on the far side of Saddlebag Lake, the scenery improves immediately. You won’t walk far before encountering alpine lake after alpine lake.

Highway 120 is closed from November through May (give or take a few weeks), so Twenty Lakes Basin is definitely a summer-only location.