Lake Vernon is located in the Tiltill Valley

Tiltill Valley

Tiltill Valley is a remote valley in northern Yosemite National Park. It is accessible only to hikers and equestrians. The valley is most easily reached via trail heads in the vicinity of the Hetch Hetchy Valley and Lake Eleanor...

 in the northern sector of Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...

 just north of Hetch Hetchy Valley

Hetch Hetchy Valley

Hetch Hetchy Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in California. It is currently completely flooded by O'Shaughnessy Dam, forming the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The Tuolumne River fills the reservoir. Upstream from the valley lies the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The reservoir...

. The surface elevation of the lake is 6568 ft (2,002 m). Due to the remote location of the lake it is usually only accessed as a backpacking destination. The area surrounding the lake was once home to a band of Sierra Miwok

Valley and Sierra Miwok

The Plains and Sierra Miwok , were the largest group of Miwok Native American people...

 Indians, and numerous artifacts can be found in the area. Lake Vernon is the source of Falls Creek, which feeds Wapama Falls

Wapama Falls

Wapama Falls is the larger of two waterfalls located on the northern wall of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. Arguably the most powerful waterfall in Yosemite National Park, it flows almost year-round and during peak flow has been known to inundate the trail bridge crossing it, making...

.