On a day with a stormy forecast in Mammoth Lakes California, I was looking for a short hike I could get in before the rain came. I had already decided on hiking to Heart Lake, but to make the day a bit longer, I decided to head up to Emerald Lake as well!
While I paired this hike up with the Heart Lake Trail, this alone makes for an excellent short hike in Mammoth. There is close to 400 feet of climbing, but this is an easy hike that pretty much anyone should be able to complete! If you want an easy hike for the whole family, this might be the one for you!
Miles/Elevation:
1.7 miles
393 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 Convict Lake.
About Mammoth:
Make sure you have our ultimate road trip playlist if you’re driving to Mammoth!
Located on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada, Mammoth is a small mountain community known for great skiing, alpine lakes, and world class hiking. The town itself, Mammoth Lakes, named for the numerous nearby lakes, has about 7,000 people, and is one of the largest communities for hours in any direction.
At around 8,000 feet of elevation, Mammoth lies just above the desert treeline. Head out of town and within a mile you’ll be in the scrubland of the high desert. Head towards the high peaks of the Sierra and you’ll very quickly enter the alpine pine forest!
Mammoth Mountain is home to the area’s top ski resort. At just over 11,000 feet, this volcanic complex gets great snow in winter, and in the summer is converted into a mountain biking mecca!
Above the town, the lakes basin offers tons of camping. Situated around Lake Mary, Lake George, Horseshoe Lake, Twin Lakes, and others, campgrounds like Coldwater and Lake Mary provide hundreds of wooded sites. Just don’t expect much for phone coverage up here!
Getting To Mammoth:
The first challenge in getting to this trailhead is to get to the Eastern Sierra. The closest town is Mammoth Lakes, and that will be most people’s base camp when visiting Heart Lake.
Located in the high desert of eastern California, Mammoth is a surprisingly remote place considering it’s in California. The closest sizable city is Reno, about three 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 Mammoth 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:
From the town of Mammoth Lakes, continue through town and uphill on Lake Mary Road. This road will take you all the way to the lakes basin. Once in the lakes basin, continue to Around Lake Mary Road, and turn left onto this one lane paved road.
Continue on Around Lake Mary Road until you reach Coldwater Campground on the far side. The trailhead is actually in the back of Coldwater Campground, so you’ll need to turn into the campground and continue all the way to the back. There is a large parking area for day use visitors.
The Heart Lake Trail:
To Emerald Lake:
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
From the parking lot at the end of Coldwater Campground, the Emerald Lake-Skelton Lake Trail heads straight into the forest and begins climbing. It’s pretty easy to find, although there are a couple of other trails in the area. Be sure you’re on the right one because you could end up miles in the wrong direction!
The trail itself is well graded and pretty smooth overall. It’s not paved, but there aren’t too many rocks or steep steps to deal with either. You won’t have much for views for most of the hike as the forest is pretty dense here, so looking out at the surrounding peaks isn’t an option.
The trail climbs pretty much continuously as you make your way to Emerald Lake. It’s not overly steep, but you will be gaining about 400 vertical feet in less than a mile. It’ll be a workout for most casual hikers.
On your right for much of the trail is Coldwater Creek. You don’t spend much time right next to the creek, and there aren’t really any swimming opportunities along the creek, but you should be able to hear it for pretty much the entire trail.
Emerald Lake:
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
After the .8 miles or so ascent, you will arrive at Emerald Lake. The views looking over Emerald Lake towards the high peaks beyond is very nice. You get a great view of Emerald Lake in the foreground, the trees in the middle ground, and granite spires in the background!
Emerald Lake itself is very small and not great for swimming. You could swim here, but it’s pretty green and a bit scummy, so I personally wouldn’t get in the water, especially when there are so many great swimming spots around Lake Mary and the other lakes in the basin!
Finishing Up:
From Emerald Lake, it’s an easy descent back to the trailhead. The trail down as you’ll have seen is a gentle decline, and goes by quickly. If you want more, continue on to Skelton Lake for a moderate day out, or all the way to Barney Lake and Duck Pass for a tough day!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 8/10
This hike isn’t even 2 miles, so considering it has an alpine lake, great views, and is a nicely maintained trail makes it pretty good compared to other short hikes. This trail isn’t overly spectacular, but it does pack a lot in for such a short hike.
If you are looking for an easy hike in the Mammoth area, this is worth doing. However, I don’t think this is the best short hike in Mammoth. Definitely check out Crystal Lake and Convict Lake first, and if you have time, Emerald Lake is another good option!
Pros:
- Easily accessible
- Lake at the end
- Doable for most people
Cons:
- Lake is a bit scummy
- Views aren’t as good as other easy hikes in the area
Alternative Hikes:
When To Hike To Emerald Lake:
Mammoth has tons of bears so make sure to be bear safe!
The Eastern Sierra in general have an excellent climate for hiking, and that holds true for the Mammoth 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. Snow can linger 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 snow free from May until sometime in late October or November.
In terms of the ideal time to visit, I would probably lean towards spring, just after the trails are clear of snow, or fall. In spring, the trail should be clear of snow by May, but the mountains will still have lots of snow up high! In fall, you would be able to see some awesome colors as winter arrives!
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 in the spring!
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