Lyell Creek & Alpine Meadows 🏞️🐟

🌲⛰️ Along the John Muir Trail in Tuolumne Meadows, the path follows the serene flow of Lyell Creek—one of the most peaceful and picturesque stretches in the Sierra. The crystal-clear water moves slowly, gently weaving through wide alpine meadows beneath a backdrop of granite peaks and open sky. Every bend in the trail offers a new, quiet view of the stream’s shimmering surface 💧🏞️.
Some sections of the creek are wide and shallow, with sunlight sparkling off smooth stones below, while others deepen into calm pools with dark, glassy reflections. In both, trout can be seen gliding effortlessly beneath the surface 🐟. Even in the deeper stretches, the water is so clear that you can spot fish hovering in the shadows or drifting with the current, undisturbed by the stillness of their world.
The beauty here is subtle and pure—wildflowers bloom near the banks 🌼, grasses sway in the breeze, and the only sounds are the occasional birdsong and the soft trickle of water. Lyell Creek invites you to slow down, look closer, and appreciate the quiet rhythms of nature that define this gentle part of the JMT.
#hiking #JMT #TuolumneMeadows #LyellCreek #hiking #SierraNevada