Big Pine Lakes Trail in California is one of the most trappy hikes you can do in the United States. Whether you are day hiking or backpacking Big Pine Lakes, the view once you reach the glacial lakes will take your vapor away. Located in the John Muir Wilderness, in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, this is a strenuous day hike that takes you deep into the forest to picturesque turquoise lakes.
This hike is one of the biggest skillet list hikes in California that must be washed-up if you are an voracious hiker and outdoor adventurer. From the first time I saw photos of these glimmering turquoise lakes, reminiscent of Lake Louise in Canada’s famous national park, I knew I had to go. For years I had planned to only hike to the lakes as a day trip considering I was not into backpacking, but as luck would have it, I became a backpacker! (Check out other amazing overnight backpacking trips in California.)
Below Im going to share how you can hike to one of the most trappy places in California. Everything you need to know on how to visit the lakes and some detailed information on the trail that takes you there. And trust me, the watercolor is truly that turquoise – photoshop is not needed here!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are unite links, meaning at no spare forfeit to you, I will earn a legation if you click through and make a purchase.
Hiking & Backpacking Big Pine Lakes Trail
Below I go through the most commonly asked questions well-nigh hiking or backpacking the Big Pine Lakes Trail. In unstipulated though, the trail starts at virtually 7,600 feet of elevation. The trail to the first lake is virtually 4.8 miles with virtually 3000 feet of elevation gain. The route to the second lake only adds a bit increasingly to your hike as it is very close.
Overall, this is not a difficult trail and it not overly steep, but it is a continual climb from the get go, with a few switchbacks withal the way.
For those looking to do this as a day hike, plan to hike at least 10 miles, but closer to 11 miles depending how far up the trail you go.
Where is Big Pine Lakes in California?
Big Pine Lakes is located in the heart of the Eastern Sierras of California. It is roughly 10 miles west of the small town of Big Pine and virtually 15 miles south of Bishop. Its moreover not too far from Mammoth, which makes it a good place to visit en route to Mammoth Lakes.
How Do I Get to Big Pine Lakes?
The Big Pine Creek North Fork Trail is rather remote. It is located at the end of Glacier Lodge Road. The only way to wangle this zone is by car. Since it is quite remote, camping near the trailhead or staying nearby in Bishop the night surpassing are unconfined options. We camped which was perfect. If you need parking, you can either park at the wiring of the trail near Big Pine Creek Campground or if it is full, you will need to park in the overnight parking lot a bit remoter away.
What is the Weightier Time of Year to Hike to Big Pine Lakes?
The weightier time of year to hike Big Pine Lakes is in late (late) Spring without the snowmelt, summer or early fall surpassing the first snow. Summer is the height of the season, plane though it can be very hot and much of the trail is exposed with little shade.
Our recommendation is moreover to go mid-week if you can swing it as summer weekends do get very rented with day hikers coming in from nearby Bishop.
Do You Need a Permit to Hike Big Pine Lakes?
If you plan to do the Big Pine Lakes trail as a day hike, you do NOT need a permit. Permits are only required if you plan to zany overnight at the lakes. Permits are quite limited and do require a reservation. You can reserve a wilderness permit here.
For increasingly information on tips to backpacking, trammels out our 21 Practical tips for Backpacking.
How Long is The Hike to Big Pine Lakes?
The hike withal the North Fork of Big Pine Lakes in total is virtually 15 miles going when to the furthest lakes, however most visitors only make it to the first lake, second lake and third lake, which are right next to one another. Depending on your speed, standardization to the upland and fitness level, hiking to lake 1 can take anywhere from 3.5 hours to 4.5 hours. With our packs, and stopping for many breaks, it took us well-nigh 4 hours to reach lake 1 and 4.5 hours to reach lake 2.
What is the Elevation Change at Big Pine Lakes?
The starting elevation of the the Big Pine Lakes trail is at virtually 7,600 feet. The elevation proceeds to the lakes is virtually 3,400 feet (at virtually lake 3). If you protract on to the Palisade Glacier past the Sam Mack Meadow, it is 4,400 feet approximately.
Big Pine Lakes Trail Tips & Information
- Bring a water filter to replenish you water plane if you are only doing a day hike. There is no wipe water misogynist otherwise.
- Note, there is a vault toilet at the trailhead, but none without that point. Bring supplies & remember to pack out.
- The trail is hot during the summer, so plan to go early or later and have plenty of sun protection.
- If the day use parking lot is full, plan to add flipside .6 miles to your journey each way.
- The trail is unmistakably marked, but I do recommend having it saved offline on All Trails Pro if possible.
Managing the Altitude
The Big Pine Lakes trailhead starts at virtually 7,600 feet in altitude, going up to virtually 10,500 at Lake 3. For the Eastern Sierras this isn’t the highest upland you can find, but it is a decent upland which can be troublesome for some people. Upland sickness does not stupefy everyone the same way. For many people they may only notice a bit of breathlessness when walking and hiking, for others it’s a real issue that can be debilitating. As you go higher in elevation, there is less oxygen to outbreathe in which impacts how your soul feels.
What exactly are the symptoms of upland sickness?
The symptoms of upland sickness can range from summery to severe headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue and difficulty sleeping.
For most people, symptoms of upland sickness can uncork within a few hours of getting to higher elevation. However, we have seen it happen several times that it takes a little longer to really notice or that the symptoms come and go.
While hiking in Ecuador I didn’t have any issues at upper upland until 2 days into our trek (going lanugo in upland even) when I began to finger nauseous. For my son, who rarely notices the altitude, he has occasionally felt lattermost fatigue out of nowhere on hikes virtually 10,000 feet plane without days in a similar altitude. As soon as we come when lanugo on the hike, energy levels increased and he felt when to normal.
How to Prepare & Finger Your Best
In our experience, the best thing to do to prepare to go into higher altitudes is to hydrate very well. We typically drink electrolyte drinks for the 24 hours prior to visiting higher elevations. If possible protract to drink at least one electrolyte drink per day while in upper upland as well to help alimony any symptoms away. These are our favorite powder packets to add to our water.
Additionally, stave alcohol, drink a ton of water (3-4 liters a day), eat increasingly carbs and go up in elevation slowly. If you wits symptoms that are not reducing with water, electrolytes or pain reliever medication, get lanugo to lower elevations.
Where to Stay: Big Pine Lakes Camping
Regardless of whether you plan to day hike or walkabout the Big Pine Lakes trail, you will need a place to stay that is tropical by. There are several options for camping right at the trailhead that make the trip much increasingly enjoyable as it is a bit of a momentum from the nearest town of Bishop, but many people do this from there. If you do stay in Bishop, plan to get a very early start as the parking lot fills up by 7 a.m. in the summer.
Big Pine Creek Campground
Our top recommendation for where to stay is Big Pine Creek Campground. This small 30 site campground is nestled withal the Big Pine Creek offering a respite from the hot summer sun. The campground is small, as are the sites, so if you are with a group I would consider getting several sites next to one another. This campground is the closest campground to the trailhead, making it the most user-friendly for day hikers as well as backpackers.
Upper Sage Unappetizing Campground
The next closest campground for the trailhead is the Upper Sage Unappetizing Campground. While this is not my first recommendation, if you just need a place to stay surpassing heading off backpacking, this will be fine. The campground is not as shaded as Big Pine Creek, but offers many sites and increasingly space for groups. This campground is closer to the overnight backpackers parking zone than the main trailhead, so you might considering driving to the trailhead if you are not sure how much stamina you will have for the hike.
Sage Unappetizing Campground
Just a touch remoter from Upper Sage Unappetizing is Sage Unappetizing Campground. This would be my second nomination campground if Big Pine Creek is full. This campground is partially shaded and has nice sites withal the river. Again, the sites are not unchangingly huge, so if you have a group, plan to typesetting 2 sites next to one another.
Glacier Lodge
Glacier Lodge is a strange little place thrown into the mix here. It is privately owned, but located just outside the gates of the trailhead and at the end of the road by the Big Pine Creek Campground. This lodge offers momentum in spots (not scenic, but does the job) for RVs or tent camping. They moreover have small rustic cabins for rent as well as package promotions with pack mules and supplies to throne up to the lakes. Kids will love the not self-ruling trout swimming to fish. Supplies can be purchased/rented from the small shop here.
Big Pine Lakes Trail Report
July 2023 Update: The trail leading up to Lake 2 is mostly well-spoken of snow, however accessing the trail past this point still has considerable amounts of snow. It is recommended you have hiking poles and some sort of traction for your shoes (crampons or microspikes). Additionally, much of the trail is quite muddy with some sections up to toddle deep with water and mud. Bring uneaten socks plane for day hikes.
Depending on where you uncork your hike at either the main trailhead or the overnight hikers parking lot, the whence of the trail will be a bit different.
For us, we began our hike at the overnight hikers parking lot at 6:30 a.m. The sun was once well up in the sky, splendorous lanugo on us. The first 2 miles of the trail is unrelenting. Straight up hill with zero shade. I would say that looking when this was the toughest part of the trail both going up and coming when down, mostly due to the sun exposure and little breeze.
As you make your way up the trail, you will go up a few rocky switchbacks that lead you to the infamous John Muir Wilderness sign that everyone stops to take a photo with. Here you will moreover pass by waterfall #1. This is a nice spot to have a quick break, reservation your vapor and tomfool lanugo if it is hot already.
Lon Chaney’s Cabin
The next bit of the trail is not as steep, offering a bit of respite for your legs and lungs. You will soon come upon the Wilderness Rangers Zany or Forest Service Motel which is moreover known as Lon Chaney’s Cabin. This is the halfway point and a unconfined place to take off your packs if you are backpacking, put your feet in the water and have a good rest.
From this point on, the trail meanders through manzanita fields, through lush forests with wildflowers lining path in early summer and wideness a few streams. There is one increasingly set of switchbacks with no shade surpassing you tideway the first lake.
Reaching the Lakes
Here you can ooh and ahh at the eyeful surpassing making your way lanugo to the shore or you can protract on to Lake Two. Our recommendation is to protract on to Lake Two. There is a trappy “beach” at this lake with Temple Crag as the scenery that is a favorite for Instagram photos and jumping in the water to tomfool off.
For the adventurous, you can protract on to lake three, which is not much remoter than lake two. To be honest, if you are tired, I wouldn’t protract on further. The fourth Lake is not turquoise and is increasingly of a swimming color, while the fifth lake is a trappy undecorous verisimilitude it’s still not quite as spectacular as Lakes 1-3.
We did not make it to Black Lake, the Sixth Lake or the Seventh Lake during our visit, but squint to explore them next time.
Beyond the Lakes
For those of you who have uneaten stamina and/or are backpacking, we highly recommend making your way to the Sam Mack Meadow on the trail to the glacier. This trappy meadow makes you finger like you have been transported to Switzerland. A icy undecorous river runs through verdant untried fields dotted with little ponds teeming with fish and frogs. It’s an veritably peaceful place to explore and/or camp. The trail is mostly up, through rocky boulder areas, but with a unmistakably specified path. The mosquito can be relentless, so bring spray as well as water filtration to fill up your bottles.
We did not protract on to the Palisade Glacier as the river was a bit too full for us to cross. What we heard is that without the initial ascent, the path is non-existent and it consists of pursuit cairns and climbing up boulders withal the way. If you go, let us know how it is!
Obtaining your Big Pine Lakes Trail Permit
If you are interested in woodland camping at Big Pine Lakes, you will need to obtain a permit for overnight use. These can be nonflexible to come by with most of the permits allotted 6 months in advance. For those who are not that into planning, you have the opportunity for walk up permits 2 weeks prior to the hike.
Note, permits are moreover issued for the South Fork trail, but this is not for Big Pine Lakes.
In 2023, walk up permits are still stuff issued online through the recreation.gov website. One week surpassing your permit is valid you will be worldly-wise to print the very permit – which is required when backpacking. Moreover note that the person listed on the permit MUST be with you during your trip.
Where to Set Up for Woodland Camping
For those of you lucky unbearable to have received a permit for woodland camping, there are a multitude of options on where to set up your tent. Some hikers seem to know exactly where to go and protract past Lakes 1-2, while some are increasingly tired and squint to set up at the primeval spot possible. We stayed at Lake 2, but there are some unconfined spots virtually Lake 3 which would offer a bit increasingly privacy since not so many day hikers make it that far.
Things to Consider for Setting Up Camp
— You cannot set up your zany closer than 300 feet to the water.
— You will want to be tropical unbearable to the water for easy filtration for cooking/cleaning.
— Ideally you want to squint for unappetizing spots that have been used previously, which is evident by lack of rocks/brush.
— Many people set up on the waddle cliffs overlooking the water which offer spectacular views morning and night. It can get windy though, so make sure to secure your tent somehow so that it doesn’t fly yonder during the day!
— Remember to store your withstand canister at least 100 feet yonder from your campsite & to alimony ALL of your scented items in the box at all times as the chipmunks are notorious for getting into things quickly!
Big Pine Lakes Trail Weather
The weather at Big Pine Lakes is variable much like other locations in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range. The day time temperatures can get quite warm. During our last day, it was 93 degrees as we hiked down, which is very hot when there is no shade or breeze. In the spring and fall, however temperatures can dip lanugo quite a bit with the lakes plane partially freezing by Oct. The weightier bet is to continually trammels the weather surpassing your trip and to prepare for both hot, unprepossessed and rainy weather.
Big Pine Lakes Swimming
Only the bravest who can manage the icy unprepossessed temperatures of the lakes will find it enjoyable to unquestionably swim in the Big Pine Lakes. Most people tend to dip in and out quickly. The water is very unprepossessed and can rationalization hypothermia quickly so be cautious going too far into the water plane though you may be hot and the undecorous water feels refreshing.
Big Pine Lakes Fishing
We did not fish officially during our visit, but we saw many people heading up and lanugo the mountain with their fishing poles. Like all places in the Eastern Sierras, you need a sport fishing license to legally fish if you are over the age of 16. You can get your fishing license here. Children unelevated the age of 16 are not required to have a license, but the adults in the group should secure one surpassing heading out.
What to Bring for a Day Hike
In unstipulated our recommendations for a day hike on the Big Pine Lakes trail include:
- Water and water filtration to replenish your supplies (We use this type of filtration)
- Snacks, supplies things to alimony your energy up
- Hiking poles
- Good traction hiking shoes ( I love my Altra Lone Peak)
- Moisture wicking gown (wool and increasingly wool!)
- Sun protection / sunscreen / hat
What to Bring for Backpacking Overnight
I won’t go through everything here that you should bring for an overnight backpacking trip on the Big Pine Lakes trail as I have an unshortened post defended to packing for backpacking. The most important things are obvious like a sleeping structure, tent/hammock, whatever you prefer, water filtration, supplies and of undertow a withstand canister. Withstand canisters are required here.
Enjoy your hike or backpacking venture withal one of the most trappy section of California with the looming Sierra Crest whilom you. The Big Pine Lakes trail will be one that you won’t soon forget.
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