Hikes in California

Old Cottonwood Creek Trail breaks from the popular Cottonwood Lakes Trail for a more secluded hike into Cottonwood Basin, visiting pristine meadows, alpine lakes, flowing creeks, and amber forests. The trail provides a lovely 8-mile day hike to South Fork Lake, with several options to extend to nearby lakes and peaks. Take Cottonwood Lakes Trail from Horseshoe Meadow as it runs downhill heading north through the Golden Trout Wilderness. ...Read more.

Rising to 14,042 feet, Mount Langley is less than five hundred feet shorter than Mount Whitney but receives far fewer visitors. While the lottery to get a permit for Mount Whitney can be challenging and competitive, Mount Langley's hikers can easily get a free permit on the day of their hike. The summit provides expansive views, solitude, and a deep feeling of accomplishment. ...Read more.

Cottonwood Lakes Trail provides a scenic romp through the Southeastern Sierra with alpine lakes and mountain views. Located south of Mount Whitney and west of the city of Lone Pine, the trail travels through the Golden Trout Wilderness and the John Muir Wilderness to end at the border of Sequoia National Park. This is a superb trail for day hikers and backpackers alike. ...Read more.

This mountain lake is 0.6 miles from Cottonwood Pass, making it an easy 8.2-mile round trip hike from Horseshoe Meadow. With just 1,330 feet of elevation gain en route to the lake, this is a desirable destination for day-hikers and a good first camp for backpackers. Follow Cottonwood Pass Trail to a junction at the pass with Pacific Crest Trail. Turn right and continue through a rocky forest of Foxtail Pines. ...Read more.

Cottonwood Pass Trail and Cottonwood Lakes Trail provide great portals into Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Park. Hiking begins at an elevation of 10,000 feet, providing a launch pad into the high sierra. Because you start so high up, acclimating is a key to avoiding altitude sickness. For this reason, a pair of first-come first-serve campgrounds offer a valuable resource for hikers. ...Read more.

At an elevation of 11,200 feet, Cottonwood Pass serves as a gateway to the Golden Trout Wilderness and Sequoia National Park. The pass is reached via a 3.5-mile one way trail from Horseshoe Meadow, which has an elevation of 10,000 feet, making this is one of the easiest passes for hikers to reach in the Eastern Sierra. A view of Trail Peak from Horseshoe Meadow Pick up the trail at Horsehoe Meadow Campground and begin hiking east over packed sand along the northern edge of Horseshoe Meadow. ...Read more.

On a hot summer day in the Sierra, what could be better than a cool water slide? Answer: a natural water slide. Fortunately, Giant Sequoia National Monument is nice enough to offer one. However, you wouldn't know it from the park literature. Nature's slip-n-slide goes unmentioned in handouts and websites. For that reason, many visitors miss out on this unadvertised attraction. ...Read more.

As the straightforward name implies, Dome Rock is a large dome... made of rock. The granite dome offers easy-to-reach views of Sequoia National Forest and Golden Trout Wilderness. A short dirt road ends alongside the 400-foot tall, 800-foot wide protrusion. From there, a quick trail takes hikers to the top. Dome Rock is similar to other granite domes common the Sierra Nevada Mountains. ...Read more.

For an overview of Giant Sequoia National Monument, hike the 5-mile round trip trail to Needles Lookout, where a watchtower built atop a formation of rocky spires provides an amazing view. A ranger is stationed in the lookout during the dry months to keep watch over the forest. You could spot a far-off fire from here, and the panoramic view from 8,254 feet is well worth the hike. ...Read more.

The Trail of 100 Giants offers a leisurely loop through a grove of giant sequoias. With easy access off the Western Divide Highway, this is practically a required stop on a trip to Giant Sequoia National Monument. Located within Long Meadow Grove, this trail gives visitors an opportunity to revel beneath these enormous beauties. Enjoy a half-mile paved loop or extend things a bit on a 1. ...Read more.