You get a nice high start, and the trail is excellent. Turn left at Lubken Canyon Rd, a narrow and unlikely shortcut through a private Pheasant Hunting Club. This longer route gives you more time in lovely foxtail pine woods, contouring and staying relatively flat at 11,000 feet. Because the hike is arguably easier than Mt. Backpacking Cottonwood Lakes Loop & SummitIng Mount Langley - Inyo National Forest. Aim to hike after the snow has melted—usually late June or July. WHERE: About 225 miles (4 hours) north of Los Angeles. SUMMIT. 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. It’s the Overall Winner in our Best Satellite Messengers and Personal Locator beacons story because of its light weight, ease of use, and reliability. We figured that section of trail would feel anticlimactic at the end of our trip so best to get it out of the way in the beginning. You’ll find streamlets flowing everywhere. The Cottonwood Lakes Trail gives you easy access to Mt Langley. Special fishing regulations in Cottonwood Lakes Basin. Both will be in our upcoming Best Sunshirts story. If going counter-clockwise, it may be worth considering taking New Army Pass instead (see next variation). We used the Feathered Friends Egret (women’s) and Feathered Friends Swallow (men’s) on this backpacking trip. Right after hopping across Rock Creek, turn right following signs for the Army Pass Trail. Climb about 300 feet over a quarter-mile to an incredible vista. Patagonia Active Briefs and Patagonia Essential Boxer Briefs, featured in our Urban Hiking Packing List. Outside of the park, dogs must be leashed. Photo by Liz Thomas, Elevation gain/loss: 3901 feet/ -3890 feet. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. The Montbell Chameece Cap with Earwarmers is warm for its weight and packs down well. You’ll follow Rock Creek through a gentle open valley. Cottonwood Lakes Trail provides a scenic romp through the Southeastern Sierra with alpine lakes and mountain views. The trail turns west and at around 4.5 miles you enter an open meadow with excellent views of the Sierra Crest ahead. At 4.4 miles, take a side trail to the right collect water at Chicken Spring Lake, which is tucked into one of the rocky cirques below Cirque Peak (12,894 feet). They’re comparable in length, though New Army is slightly longer and more elevation gain (but not by much). Water from creeks, lakes and springs should be treated before drinking. View 3181 homes for sale in Cottonwood Lakes, take real estate virtual tours & browse MLS listings in Thornton, CO at realtor.com®. A variation of this trip uses New Army Pass to avoid the snow of Old Army Pass early in the seasons. Side trails branch to Muir Lake, Hidden Lake, South Fork Lakes, Cirque Lake. If you have extra food or garbage in your car, you can store them in those boxes (and don’t have to carry them into the backcountry). The trail flattens. The Eastern Sierra Transit Authority runs a bus from Lone Pine to other areas in Inyo and Mono County. Head east on Main St out of town, on Flowery Trail Road, toward the ski resort of 49 Degrees North. It requires watching a short video and is printable at home. While we didn’t have the second map, we really wish we did. Lower Soldier Lake This 19.2-mile loop crosses Cottonwood Pass and New Army Pass to visit a beautiful lake that is an ideal camping spot for backpackers heading higher and deeper into the Sierra. The green meadows in the Cottonwood Lakes Basin looking towards Cirque Peak. Plan an extra day for your trip if you plan to climb this peak. Cottonwood Lakes Basin limits overnight use to 60 people/day from May 1-November 1, with 60 reserved for advance permits and the rest as walk-ups. Explore Inyo National Forest - Wilderness Permits in Inyo National Forest, California with Recreation.gov. Close. The trail was well-maintained and had no snow, so we felt comfortable wearing these lightweight trail runners on this kind of terrain. Stay straight through shaded, relatively flat trail across the expansive Horseshoe Meadow—a green and inviting flat area rare in the Sierra. Nestled in a quiet basin only a stone’s throw from Snoqualmie Pass, pristine Mirror Lake is a destination to be enjoyed by the whole family. High Sierra Trails website makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of any of its maps. It’s a favorite in our Arizona Trail Gear List. WHERE: About 225 miles (4 hours) north of Los Angeles. Yes, 2 days The words: Cottonwood Lakes Sharp granite cliffs rimmed this upper corner of Cottonwood Basin. On my most recent trip, we parked at the Horseshoe Meadows Equestrian Camp/Hiker Overflow area so we can start the hike heading downhill towards the Cottonwood Pass Trail. We test. Montbell U.L. Later in the season, this may be your last water opportunity before Rock Creek, so if you’re heading on, be sure to top up here (see below for Water Planning). At Treeline, we want you to buy right the first time. We used the Sawyer Squeeze and lightweight Sawyer Micro as inline filters on this trip. Obtain permits at any Inyo National Forest visitor center. It’s the route most folks take up to Mt. 5. From Memorial Day weekend through October 31, all food, trash and scented items must be stored in bear-proof containers. August is usually a safe month for snow and may have fewer mosquitoes, though it will be warmer, and not all water sources may be flowing. After 9.5 miles, reach wildflower-lined Rock Creek—a perfect place to take a lunch or camp. This is a great place to camp and get in some swimming. Old Army Pass sits at the west end of 4th Lake. We’re big fans of Tom Harrison Maps, which are easy to read and ground-truthed for accuracy. Someone else may be standing on the other side of a boulder trying to figure out how to get around, too. Just label them with your name and re-entry date. Historically, there has been a high level of bear activity in the Cottonwood Lakes area. You decide. Group size must be limited to 8 people or less (some parts of the loop are up to 15, but it’s 8 if you want the full loop). If you’re headed to the high country in the early spring or late fall, see our Shoulder Season Backpacking Gear article. RECOMMENDED HIKE: A strenuous 27-mile loop follows Horseshoe Meadow via Cottonwood Pass trailhead to Rock Creek along the Pacific Crest Trail, then up the creek, over 12,400-foot New Army Pass, and then exiting through Cottonwood Pass trailhead in Golden Trout Wilderness. Langley (you can read about that side-trip below). A nice footwear compromise for this trip would’ve been hiking shoes, which are designed to feel like a trail runner but have stability more like a boot. Because the route is at such a high altitude, having adequate sun protection was important. Rock Creek does become intermittent after a mile, so fill up your water when you can (at mile 10, the trail crosses Rock Creek and *usually* water still flows there). While this isn’t one of the jackets in our Best Rain Jackets article, it’s popular with thru-hikers because of its lightweight. The Cottonwood Lakes Trail gives you easy access to Mt Langley. Cottonwood Lakes This scenic trail through a lake-filled basin provides a 10-mile round trip day hike to Long Lake and a 7.5-miles one-way trek to New Army Pass on the border of Sequoia National … Pass the junction with the New Army Pass Trail at 3.5 miles. 100% Upvoted. Often campfires are banned everywhere in California during the summer. There’s also a McDonalds in Lone Pine that seems to excite many backpackers. Located near Horseshoe Meadows, the Cottonwood Lakes Basin has many pristine alpine lakes and creeks located between Mount Langley and Cirque Peak. The stats: Trailhead: Cottonwood Lakes Trail Passes: New Army Pass and Old Army Pass Trip odo: 17.6 miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,900/3,900ft For Days? Hike by alpine lakes, wildflower-lined streams, and twisted ancient foxtail pine forest straight out of Ansel Adams—under the shadow of 14,000-foot tall Mt. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, and nature trips and is best used from June until October. From there, you’ve got 3.5 shady miles following Cottonwood Creek down to an intersection. It’s approved by the Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group for use in National Parks as well as Forest Service areas that require bear canisters. Photo by Liz Thomas. Between May 1 and Nov. 1, overnight use is limited to 60 people / day. Climbing over New Army Pass the trail continues into Sequoia National Park and eventually joins the Pacific Crest Trail. The Cottonwood Lakes Trail is the main hiking path from the southernmost of the eight principal access routes into the Eastern Sierra - Horseshoe Meadows Road, which heads south from the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, climbing 5,000 feet over 17 miles to the trailhead, beside the eponymous meadow, which lies at approximately at the divide between the southernmost, lower elevation section of the mountains … 6/20 - … It begins at the Horseshoe Meadow parking lot at an elevation of 10,000 feet. 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