When you start a hike in the acclaimed Whitney Portal, most would assume that you’re on your way up the lower 48’s highest peak. However, there is actually another awesome trail that has a fraction of the traffic, huge views, alpine lakes, scrambling, and none of the shenanigans that go into getting a Whitney Permit. That trail is the Meysan Trail.
Beginning at the Whitney Portal Campground, the Meysan Trail climbs Whitney Portal’s neighboring valley. The end point of the hike is rugged and fantastic Meysan Lake, but just because you aren’t hiking up to Whitney doesn’t mean you won’t be working. This trail climbs nearly 4,000 feet, and ends with an off trail scramble. Didn’t get a Whitney permit? Looking for a legit acclimatization hike? This might be the perfect hike for you!
Miles/Elevation:
12.1 miles
3,737 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 do require fees.
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 its 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.
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 a bit 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:
Follow highway 395 to Lone Pine. Once in Lone Pine, turn onto Whitney Portal Road. Follow Whitney Portal Road as it climbs towards Whitney Portal for 11 miles. The trail actually begins in the Whitney Portal Campground, but there is a small pullout on the main road next to the campground for hikers. Park in this small pullout, unless you are camping at Whitney Portal.
Tips:
- Start early or hike on a cool day. There is little shade but lots of heat.
- This is a rough and at times precarious hike. Be prepared and don’t expect a manicured trail.
The Meysan Trail:
The Lower Trail:
The trail begins at the Whitney Portal Campground, so depending on where you park, you may need to hike through part or all of the campground. Follow the campground road as it loops counter-clockwise. Eventually, you will start seeing signs for the Meysan Trail near where it branches off to the right. It’s actually pretty well marked so you shouldn’t have too much trouble.
Once on the trail, the incline almost immediately picks up and you begin climbing. After only a couple tenths of a mile, you’ll emerge back onto paved roads. The trail actually crosses a road up here where there are a few cabins perched on the hillside. Follow the road for a very short distance, then again veer off onto the Meysan Trail.
Whitney Portal is nestled in a valley below numerous gigantic peaks, and the Meysan Trail takes you into the next valley to the south, also surrounded by gigantic peaks. The first bits of hiking will take you around the ridge which makes up the boundary between these two valleys.
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Early on, you’ll have some awesome views and really interesting bits of trail. Whitney Portal itself is perched thousands of feet above the nearby Owen Valley, and once you reach thinner tree cover you’ll immediately have views looking 4,000 feet down!
This is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
And while the trail quality early on is pretty good, there are a few nerve racking spots. At times, the trail crosses steep sandy slopes where the trail is a 10 inch flat spot on an otherwise steep and loose sandy hill. Not the most secure place to be!
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
Once you round the corner and are in the valley proper, the hike is a long slog up steep, switchback laden, trail all the way up. You’ll have nice looks up towards the high peaks above, and frequent peeks back towards the desert behind and below. The trail is generally good, and while it is steep, you should actually make decent progress on the well constructed path.
After about 4 miles of hiking and 2,000 feet of climbing, you’ll arrive at a flat section which will offer some respite. Here, the forest thickens, the trees close in, and the hiking gets easier! Not for long.
The Upper Trail:
After this short flat area, you’ll begin the steepest part of the day as you approach the lakes at the top of the valley. The next mile plus will see you ascending 1,000 vertical feet. It’s definitely tough now!
The trail quality over the first 4 miles or so is pretty good, but that takes a serious dip once you’re at this point. The trail will continue to be at least fine, but it gets steep, loose and slippery in spots, and narrow.
At this point, the switchbacks are more or less a constant companion. Switchbacks kind of suck, but they are better than the alternative: hiking straight up. Anyway, after a tough mile or so, you’ll reach the first of the lakes.
Driving up 395? Make sure you have the Top Down Lifestyle playlist!
The first two lakes are very small and easy to miss. Grass Lake and Peanut Lake are often skipped over, but if you’re a perfectionist, you might still want to check them out. If not, stay to the right and continue climbing.
Head north to check out my favorite Eastern Sierra hike, Palisade Glacier!
After another 200 feet of climbing, you will reach Camp Lake. Camp Lake is a popular place to camp (shocking I know) and is located in an alpine meadow surrounded by soaring rocky peaks. I didn’t go up to the water’s edge, but this is a very pretty spot and would make for an awesome campsite.
The Scramble To Meysan Lake:
However, the true star of this valley is Meysan Lake, and to get there you still have some work to do. Continue past Camp Lake, sticking to the right side of the valley. Ahead of you is a giant pile of rocks. Meysan Lake is on the other side of that pile of rocks, and to get to it, you’ll have to climb over that pile of rocks.
It may seem alluring to try and hike up the creek that flows into Camp Lake from Meysan Lake, but I would advise against that. The terrain apparently gets super rough and you’ll be doing some fun rock climbing moves to get there (if every online article is to be believed). I didn’t go this way so I can’t verify that it’s super rough, but it certainly didn’t look easy from a distance.
If you want a challenge head north and try the 18 mile Thousand Island Lake Loop!
Instead, stick to the right and follow a very small creek and grassy area. There is a light use trail that follows this little gulch upwards, and this is where you want to be. Continue along this stream until the use trail ends. Then, it’s into the rocks on your left.
Make sure you make it to all of the Big Pine Lakes at some point!
There really is no easy way to reach Meysan Lake. You’ll have to scramble your way up this boulder field, and because this hike sees so little use, there really isn’t a well marked set of cairns to follow. I did see some from time to time, but they weren’t helpful to me in finding the easiest path.
You really will have to find your own way up, but I can give some advice. I found it easier to traverse left across the face as opposed to staying right. On the right side the rocks seemed smaller and looser whereas on the left there were more slabs and larger boulders.
When you look up at the rock field, you may see some large granite steps. The easiest route I found was up to those steps, and then around the left side of them. Best of luck, but really the scrambling isn’t that hard. I doubt anything I saw ever even approached class 3!
Eventually, you will crest the highpoint of the boulder field and see Meysan Lake! Meysan Lake is truly a sight to see. Set in an alpine bowl of stone, this is about as sparse of an environment as I’ve seen. It definitely feels wild!
On the near side of the lake the rough and rocky terrain continues all the way to the shoreline. From my vantage above the lake, I would have had probably a 100 foot descent down to the water, so I elected to just relax up above!
Across the water, Meysan Lake is guarded by some of the highest, most rugged, terrain in the Sierra. A trio of 13,000 foot peaks make up the immediate backdrop beyond the water: Mt Irvine, Mt Mallory, and Mt Le Conte. From the summits of those peaks 14ers like Mt Whitney and Mt Langley would be easily seen!
Hiking Out:
Meysan Lake is definitely an incredible place, and it made for a perfect lunch spot! After some refreshments, it was time to head back. The hike back to Whitney Portal is a simple return trip along the same trail, so there isn’t much for directions you’ll need to remember.
The scramble down from Meysan Lake to Camp Lake goes quickly, and I found the route finding to be much easier than on the climb up. From there, the descent over the next mile to mile and a half is pretty brutal. This is the section with 1,000 feet of climbing in just over a mile, so it’s not just you, it’s really steep!
Once you pass that steep section though, the hiking is easy and you should make good progress. You’ll have about 4 miles with 2,000 feet of descending to do, so not really that steep of a descent. Before long, you’ll be back at the trailhead having done a hidden gem in the Eastern Sierra!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 9/10
On paper this hike is close to a 10/10. Good views throughout, scrambling and exposed trail, big mountains, lakes, not much traffic, it kind of has it all. In person, all of that on paper goodness plays out as a really good hike. However, I just didn’t quite feel it enough for this one to be a 10/10.
For whatever reason, I didn’t love the scenery here. Enjoyment of scenery is definitely a subjective thing, but to me the mountains around here aren’t necessarily pretty. They’re impressive, but not pretty. This is a really good hike that is way under traveled given its awesomeness, but not a 10/10, though to be fair a 9/10 lake hike is pretty darn good!
I guess a simple way to put it is like this: will you be talking about this hike years from now? I won’t, so for me it’s not a 10/10.
Pros:
- Excellent views throughout
- Little traffic
- Alpine lakes
- Scrambling and sections of exposed trail
Cons:
- Hot with little shade
- Scenery is more brutal than beautiful
- Never a true wow moment
Alternative Hikes:
When To Hike The Meysan 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 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, though snow could last later and come earlier.
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:
Meysan Trail | Map, Guide – California | AllTrails
Meysan Lakes Trail – Inyo National Forest.
