Recovering from a sprained ankle, and coming off two consecutive long hikes during which I made said ankle worse, I was looking for an easy trail that would just get me outside and get my legs moving! What I decided on was the Convict Lake Loop outside of Mammoth Lakes California.
This easy hike circumnavigates Convict Lake itself, and allowed me to just get out and get some steps in! I wasn’t expecting too much, and honestly at 2.5 miles you generally can’t, but this ended up being one of the better short hikes I’ve done!
Miles/Elevation:
2.5 miles
180 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.
Getting To The Eastern Sierra:
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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 Convcit 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 Convict Lake:
From Mammoth, Convict Lake is about 10 miles outside town. Head back to highway 395, and begin by heading south. 5 miles or so later, you will turn right onto Convict Lake Road. Follow this road up into the mountains until you reach the lake!
Once you arrive at Convict Lake, the only thing left to do is park. Parking anywhere along the perimeter of the lake is fine as you’ll be doing a loop anyway, and you have lots of spots to choose from. The most obvious spots are right along the side of the road, however these can fill up. There is one parking lot if you take a right at the boat ramp, and another if you turn left near the campground. Either is fine!
I parked in the parking lot next to the campground, but again I walked past all the other parking areas as I completed the loop!
The Convict Lake Loop:
Out Along The South Side:
From the parking lot near the campground, head back to the main road and cross over to a paved path along the lakes edge. This first part of the trail actually parallels the road as the parking lot you started at is not at the end of the road. Continue on this paved trail until you reach the turn around area on the road.
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
Once at the end of the road, the paved trail ends and you start on the hiking portion of the hike. As you leave the road behind, there will likely be tons of people around enjoying the lake. I did this hike in summer, and it was super busy. Tons of families were picnicking, swimming, fishing, and all around enjoying the outdoors. I imagine there would be quite a bit fewer in colder parts of the year!
Throughout the first half of the hike as you head towards the mountains, you will have awesome views of the high peaks beyond Convict Lake. The mountains here have incredible colors and textures, and are definitely some of the most distinct mountains I have seen! Pretty much the entire time hiking out you will have great views looking at these artistic peaks!
The trail is continuously well graded, and very little elevation is gained or lost. The biggest downside for me while hiking here were all the boats continuously driving up and down the lake. I love boating and have no ill will towards boaters, but it’s not exactly an idyllic setting when you have party music coming from pontoons the entire hike! Oh well, it’s a shared space, and if you really want quiet you shouldn’t come to one of the busiest lakes in the area!
The Far Side:
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
Once you reach the far end of the lake, the trail takes a 90 degree turn as you continue to shadow the shoreline. At the far end of the lake, there are a handful of small streams that feed the lake itself, and you will have one or two small creek crossings, and a short section of boardwalk to traverse. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t get your feet wet!
On the far end of the lake, you will reach the only real intersection of the day. There is a trail that heads deeper into the mountains from Convict Lake, but it’s pretty obvious not to go that way. You’re doing the Convict Lake Loop. Stay by the lake!!
Back Along the North Side:
After the intersection, the remainder of the trail follows the side of the lake which you have yet to hike next too back to the parking lot and outlet of the lake.
The views hiking out are generally not as good as you will now be looking away from the high peaks and back towards the desert. I made it a point to turn around and look at the view behind me pretty often, and maybe the best view of the day is from this side of the lake over and across towards a peak hidden earlier on!
The trail on this side of the lake is a bit more open with fewer trees, and has a more desert-like feel with lots of sage around. I did see a couple of deer on this part of the trail though so that was cool!
Once you’re back to the pavement, you’ll first emerge at the boat landing parking lot, and from there it’s a quick walk along roads and sidewalks back to the campground parking lot. Unless you started here, in which case you are done!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 9/10
Is this hike as incredible as the Big Pine Lakes Trail? No of course not, so it might seem weird that I’m giving it a 9/10. However, I compare like trails to like trails, so I don’t compare this short 2.5 mile walk to a massive 15 mile hike.
When you compare this trail to other 2.5 mile-ish trails, there aren’t many that are better. The views are awesome, the trail makes for really nice walking, and it’s super accessible. Not to mention you could bring a cooler and have a picnic, or continue into the backcountry for longer hikes.
As long as you come into this hike knowing that it is going to be busy, it is going to be a bit noisy because of all the people, and you aren’t actually getting into the wilderness, you should really enjoy this trail. For what it is, a short walking path around a lake, this is about as good as it gets!
Pros:
- Excellent views
- Easily accessible
- Smooth hiking surface
Cons:
- Lots of people
- Lots of noise
- No sense of wilderness
Alternative Hikes:
When To Hike The Convict Lake Loop:
Make sure you have our ultimate road trip playlist if you’re driving to Mammoth!
The Eastern Sierra in general have an excellent climate for hiking, and that holds true for the Convict Lake 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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