Lee Vining, California

This is one of the most recogizable lakes on the John Muir Trail and is known for being one of Ansel Adams' favorite places to photograph. Banner and Ritter Peaks tower over the tree covered islands and make for incredible scenery. This is a good spot to spend the day eating lunch and swimming ou...

Make the .75 miles detour off of the John Muir Trail to reach this spot and you won't regret it. Lower Cathedral Lake is typically less populated than nearby Upper Lake and has some of the mot beautiful scenery on the JMT. Sunrise and sunset with the reflection of Cathedral Peak on the glassy wat...

NOTE: there are some camping closures in this area. Read here for more details. The Lake Ediza Junction has several great spots to camp. Try to find a spot that will have long afternoon sun as some spots will fall under the shadow of the ridge to the west. There are some sunny campsites along the...

This trip can be done as a day trip or backpacking trip. It is around an 11 mile out-and-back trip.Park at Twin Lakes in Bridgeport, CA. There is a $10 fee and it can take a while on busy weekends. A permit is required to stay overnight in Hoover Wilderness. The trailhead can be hard to find; it ...

Ansel Adams Wilderness is located in Mammoth Lakes, California. The trail to Lake Ediza is frequently traveled and is usually completed as an out-and-back day hike. In the summer, from 7am-7pm the road to the trail head is inaccessible to cars. To reach the trailhead you must take the shuttle fro...

Start from Agnew Meadows about 7 miles away. You can take the High Trail out as part of the River Trail with a long detour passing by several other scenic lakes, including Shadow Lake, Garnet Lake, and Ruby Lake. You will arrive at Thousand Island Lake a few hours after lunch, just in time to set...

Start at the Agnew Meadows Trailhead. You will need to arrive before 7:30AM or take the Shuttle from Mammoth Mountain. Start out by heading north on the John Muir Trail. You will pass Shadow Lake; walk around the south side of the lake for mountain views. Then, follow the trail up Shadow Creek u...

Garnet Lake is one of the premier stops along the Pacific Crest Trail. However, even if you don't have time for an entire thru-hike (like most of us), this beautiful lake is still easily accessible as an overnight trip! While there are many possible routes for reaching Garnet Lake, the Agnew Me...

Located in the heart of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Cecile Lake can be reached from a variety of trailheads. I chose to start out in Agnew Meadows. From here, the trail criss-crosses through a serene lowland environment with several crystal clear streams. After passing Olaine Lake, veer left an...

Mt Ritter is a long climb, but it is worth the effort. Start out by establishing camp at Ediza Lake prior to your ascent. The SE Glacier route (first ascent by John Muir) follows the path of least resistance up the SE side of Mt Ritter.The route first gains a broad bench below Ritter and Banner P...

There are several trailheads you can start at to get to the lake, but we chose the River Trail in Agnew Meadows because it was the only trailhead that hadn't met the quota yet. You can check on permit's and trailheads here. If the River Trail is booked other great options are Shadow Creek, Fish C...

Unlike most through hikes that require two cars or hitchhiking, you can accomplish this with only one car by using a YART. Another benefit is that by entering in Mammoth, it is usually much easier to get permits as opposed to starting in Yosemite where permits can be harder to get. Then once yo...

The most direct route begins at Murphy Creek trailhead, on the north side of Tioga Road near Tenaya Lake. Walk north on Murphy Creek trail for 2.5 miles with minimal elevation gain. Polly Dome Lakes are a great side trip via the social trail on the right side of the trail before the first junctio...

Start out at the Tenaya Lake Trailhead, where you can head directly onto the trail for Clouds Rest or you can branch off after 2.7 miles to Sunrise Lakes. This allows you to break up the hike, spend a night relaxing and help you have an early start back on the trail. Once re-connected to the Clo...

Although this trip specifically describes how to get to Garnet Lake, there are several other pristine alpine lakes (Shadow Lake and Thousand Islands Lake) along this looped trail, only a few short miles away from each other, that are just as worthy if you have the time. A minimum of 3 days/2 nigh...

May Lake is a stunning, serene subalpine lake that rests at the base of Mt. Hoffmann. The May Lake turnoff is located four miles past Tenaya Lake. From the turnoff, it's 1.8 miles to the trailhead parking lot. During summer time, I will recommend getting to the parking area early to get a spot ...