At the far southern end of the high Sierra, there is a stunning chain of lakes set under rough rocky peaks at extremely high elevation. The Cottonwood Lakes lie at just over 11,000 feet of elevation at the very southern end of the big mountains of the Sierra Nevada, and are actually reached by a long but pretty mellow day hike.
Placed just to the south of the southernmost 14,000 foot peak in California, Mt Langley, the Cottonwood Lakes are one of the last bastions of alpine terrain. To the south, the Sierra begin dropping down into the desert, but here, there is incredible alpine terrain to be enjoyed! This area looks and feels like a desert, but with stunning alpine scenery!
Miles/Elevation:
14.4 miles
1,654 feet vertical gain
About Inyo National Forest:
At nearly 2 million acres, Inyo National Forest is a massive area of soaring peaks, desert, ancient forest, and incredibly rugged alpine terrain. Inyo contains the Big Pine Lakes, Mt Whitney, the lower 48’s highest peak, along with some of the world’s oldest living things, the ancient bristlecone pines.
Covering large swathes of the Eastern Sierra Nevada and White Mountains, as well as much of the Owens Valley, Inyo National Forest actually is one of the least forested national forests in the country. First protected by president Theodore Roosevelt in 1907, the forest was initially created to facilitate the creation of the Los Angeles Aqueduct.
Nowadays, Inyo National Forest is much more well known as a world class outdoor destination. With renowned wilderness areas such as the Ansel Adams Wilderness, the Golden Trout Wilderness, and the John Muir Wilderness, many of the best backpacking routes in the country pass through Inyo.
In addition to backpacking, there are many other amazing locations in Inyo National Forest that can be easily accessed in a day, either by hiking or by car. These include Mammoth Lakes, Convict Lake, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, June Lake, and Mt Whitney.
Much of Inyo National Forest does not require fees for day use, though some limited access locations may require fees. There is no fee to park at the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead.
About The John Muir Wilderness:
There is no greater conservationist than John Muir, and there is no greater wilderness than the one which bears his name! Containing over 650,000 acres of wild lands, this protected region lies along the Sierra Crest near the eastern edge of the range. The eastern escarpment of the Sierra rises up to 8,000 feet in extremely dramatic fashion, which allows for incredibly dramatic views in the area.
The John Muir Wilderness is bounded by the Ansel Adams Wilderness in the North, the Golden Trout Wilderness in the south, and the Sequoia and Kings Canyon Wilderness to the west. To the east lies more accessible land in Inyo National Forest and the deserts beyond. There is a minor branch of the wilderness which juts south along the western edge of Kings Canyon National Park.
With nearly 600 miles of hiking trails, this wilderness truly is a hikers paradise. This region contains many of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada, including Mt Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. Beyond Mt Whitney, there are 57 peaks with an elevation of 13,000 feet or more in the wilderness!
For day hikers, mountaineers, rock climbers, or fishermen, this place is magical, but it may be at it’s best when used for backpacking! The John Muir Trail, a 200+ mile backpacking route traverses the wilderness along with the trio of Sierra Nevada national parks, and a major chunk of the Pacific Crest Trail passes through the wilderness as well!
The John Muir Wilderness experiences heavy use and is the second most visited wilderness in the U.S.. Overnight access is strictly limited, and permits are required for all overnight use, as well as some day use areas like the Mt Whitney Trail.
About The Golden Trout Wilderness:
This hike actually begins in the northernmost part of the Golden Trout Wilderness, a 300,000 acre wilderness area in the southern Sierra Nevada. Named for the extremely rare Golden Trout, this wilderness protects that species native habitat. Elevations range from under 700 feet to nearly 13,000 feet at Cirque Peak.
While the Golden Trout Wilderness does contain some really high elevation areas, this is not the typically imagined high Sierra. A large part of the wilderness includes the Kern Plateau, an area of forest covered hills punctuated by mountain meadows. While this area is beautiful, it’s not the high jagged peaks of the neighboring John Muir Wilderness.
The Golden Trout Wilderness is contained within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest. Permits are required for all overnight use in the wilderness, and bear proof food storage is strongly recommended.
Getting To The Eastern Sierra:
The first challenge in getting to this trailhead is to get to the Eastern Sierra. The closest town with real facilities is Bishop, though the very small town of Lone Pine is closer.
Located in the desert of eastern California, Bishop is a surprisingly remote place considering it’s in California. The closest sizable city is Reno, about three and a half hours to the north. Los Angeles and Las Vegas are both a bit over 4 hours away, and the Bay Area is about 6 hours away.
The main highway to access Bishop and the broader Eastern Sierra area is highway 395. 395 runs from just north of the Los Angeles area all the way north to the Canadian border. Reno to Bishop is a straight shot down 395, and Los Angeles is a straight shot north on 395.
There are a couple of small airports in the area, namely Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. However, commercial flights are either sporadic or non-existent. Driving from a larger metro is the easiest way to access the Eastern Sierra for most.
Getting To The Trailhead:
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Take highway 395 to Lone Pine. In Lone Pine turn onto Whitney Portal Road to head towards the Sierra Nevada. After 3 miles on Whitney Portal Road turn left onto Horseshoe Meadows Road. Follow Horseshoe Meadows Road for 19 miles as it climbs nearly 6,000 feet into the mountains. Upon arriving at Horseshoe Meadows, turn right to head towards the trailhead parking area.
The Cottonwood Lakes Trail:
To The Lakes Basin:
From the trailhead, hop onto the obvious Cottonwood Lakes Trail. The trail will initially gain some mild elevation and then descend 50 feet or so. That amount of elevation gain may seem trivial, and it honestly is, but it’s noteworthy given how flat the first couple of miles of this hike are.
This is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
There is honestly very little to say about the first 4 miles or so until you reach the lakes basin. There are a pair of creek crossings: one at 1.5 miles and one at just over 3 miles. Both are easily manageable. There are a handful of intersections, but simply continue straight. This hike is also well marked so you really shouldn’t be getting lost.
The first 3 or 4 miles of the hike follows the valley created by Cottonwood Creek. Since you’ll be following the creek bed, there is little elevation change, and after 3 miles you’ll reach the turn off for the Golden Trout Campground.
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
From this point, the trail kicks up and enters into its longest and steepest stretch of sustained elevation gain. Over the next 2 miles or so you’ll gain about 1,000 vertical feet. 500 feet per mile isn’t anything crazy, but it will be a noticeable change from the trail thus far. Also, remember that you will be approaching 11,000 feet on this climb. That’s real elevation, and if you are not acclimated, it’ll feel tough.
Exploring The Lakes:
After just under 5 miles on the trail, you’ll crest the big climb of the day and enter the Cottonwood Lakes Basin. Ahead, the crowded views of trees and woods are gone, replaced with expansive panoramas of 13 and 14 thousand foot peaks! Highlighted by the southernmost 14er of the Sierra Nevada Mt Langley, this is a pretty sweet view!
Driving up 395? Make sure you have the Top Down Lifestyle playlist!
While the view is awesome, there is actually still a ways to go before actually reaching any of the lakes. The next obvious feature of the hike is a pair of empty/dried up ponds. They may hold water early in the year, but when I hiked this trail in July, they were empty sand flats. Still, the view was cool!
If you want a challenge head north and try the 18 mile Thousand Island Lake Loop!
Just over a quarter mile beyond these dried up bodies of water, you’ll reach the first lake of the day. You’ll follow the trail around a stand of trees, then down a small slope, before emerging at Cottonwood Lake #3.
It’s weird to not arrive at lake number 1 first, but oh well! Lake 3 is a long and thin body of crystal clear water set below cliff bands of the plateau connecting Cirque Peak and Mt Langley. It’s legitimately a really nice lake, but keep going to reach 4 and 5!
Head north to check out my favorite Eastern Sierra hike, Palisade Glacier!
There is a short but steep 130 foot climb or so between lakes 3 and 4 and 5. Follow the steep and sandy trail, and in just a few minutes you will arrive at Lake 4. To me, Cottonwood Lake #4 is the most picturesque of the entire chain. Set within an amphitheater of stone, the water is surrounded by thousands of feet of granite cliffs. Beyond the lake is the infamous Old Army Pass, a rough unofficial use trail heading towards Mt Langley.
Just over a slight rise, Cottonwood Lake #5 is mere feet from number 4. Lake 5 is also very pretty, and in the background is 14er Mt Langley, but I think I still prefer Lake 4. Again both are great, but you can only sit and take your snack break at one, and I choose to sit and look over 4!
From Lakes 4 and 5, retrace your steps back past Lake 3 and the dried up ponds beyond. Back past the ponds, there is a trail intersection. Take a right here. Going straight would take you back towards the trailhead, but turn right to get to the final 2 lakes.
The trail will take you across a large open meadow which is just below Lake 1. Cross the stream in the middle of the meadow, and continue until reaching the trail on the far side. Take a right, and very quickly you will arrive at Cottonwood Lake #1.
Lake 1 isn’t nearly as scenic as 3, 4, and 5, but it’s still a nice area. The trail also doesn’t really approach the water’s edge, so you’ll pass at a bit of a distance. Continue just past Lake 1 and you will quickly arrive at Lake 2. Lake 2 is set just under rocky cliffs and while the view doesn’t include any of the high peaks of the area, it is again a very nice setting.
It may be asked are Lakes 1 and 2 worth going out of your way to see. I would say that they are worth hiking to, although while I would certainly head back up to see Lakes 3, 4, and 5 again, I would probably skip past 1 and 2 were I to go back. Lakes 1 and 2 are a quick side trip, and you might as well get to all five if you’re going to make it up here!
Hiking Out:
From Lake 2, the hike is a simple return on the same trail as earlier. However, the beginning of the return trip is slightly different. While you could go all the way back towards the dried up ponds across the meadow below Lake 1, there is a more straightforward trail that makes this hike something of a lollipop.
Head straight past Lake 1, and past the trail you crossed the meadow on. You are on the New Army Pass Trail, and just beyond that intersection, this trail will begin descending down towards Cottonwood Creek and the trail you were on earlier.
This trail is more or less the same as the trail you climbed up, but it’s kinda nice to see something different, even if it’s just slightly different. After about a mile and a half of descending on the New Army Pass Trail, you’ll arrive back at Cottonwood Creek. After crossing the creek, you’ll reach the Cottonwood Lakes Trail which takes you back to the trailhead!
It’s kind of a long and monotonous final few miles, but after an annoying little climb just before the end, you’ll be back!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 8/10
This is a classic “destination is excellent but the journey isn’t type” of hike. The first nearly 4 miles is a very uneventful walk through the woods while the final approach to and trails around the lakes are awesome. At least the walk through the woods is on mostly nice trails, although they do get a touch sandy at times.
This is a really good hike, but with the uneventful woods walk it’s definitely not a 10/10. If the lakes and mountains at the end were out of this world amazing, I would probably give it a 9/10, but for me there are prettier lakes and prettier mountains to be found (though the views here are really good). This is a very good hike with excellent views, and it’s definitely worth exploring the Cottonwood Lakes at some point, but there are better trails in the Sierra.
Pros:
- A ton of alpine lakes
- Great views
- Excellent trail quality
Cons:
- Fairly long and tedious walk through the woods to start and finish
- No true wow moments
Alternative Hikes:
When To Hike The Cottonwood Lakes Trail:
The Eastern Sierra in general have an excellent climate for hiking, and that holds true for the Lone Pine area. Most days from spring until late fall you will have tons of sunshine, and storms are pretty sporadic, possible, but not daily.
The limiting factor with this hike is snow. You’ll be hiking all the way up over 11,000 feet, so snow can linger well into the summer, and early winter storms could snow this area in early in the year. As a general rule, I’d expect this area to be passable between mid June and sometime in October.
In terms of the ideal time to visit, I would probably lean towards earlier in the summer, just after the trails are clear of snow. Most years, that will be in mid to late June. For one, there will be more water around, in the lakes, streams, and any potential waterfalls. The environment will also be a bit more vibrant than later in the year, though fall colors could be very nice.
I think the big one though is that early season fires are much less common than fires in late summer or fall, so you are more likely to have clear, sunny days that are not choked with smoke early in the summer!
Links For Further Reading:
Cottonwood Lakes Trail | Map, Guide – California | AllTrails
Cottonwood Lakes Trail – Inyo National Forest
Cottonwood Lakes Hike – HikingGuy.com
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