Heart Lake

Mammoth Lakes, California

5.0/5

based on 3 reviews

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Details

Distance

2.11 miles

Elevation Gain

500 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Gregg Boydston

A quick and easy hike that offers stunning views of Mammoth Mountain, the Minarets, and Heart Lake. If done in autumn, there is a ton of aspens along the trail for the fall colors.

You will see a couple of trailheads starting by parking at the Coldwater Creek Campground parking lot. This one is specifically marked Heart Lake. There will be a couple of forks in the trail, but if you stay right and on the more obvious path, you will be up to Heart Lake in no time. (Going left will take you on a short half-mile loop around some old mines.)

Just over a mile on a fairly easy trail, you will come out of the trees to the Heart Lake beach-like entrance. The beginning portion is the steepest of it all. The end of the trail flattens out and contours the hillside. A very small lake but very easy to access for swimming or chilling for a picnic. (You will be in the John Muir Wilderness area so mind those rules).

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Fishing

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Hiking

Dog Friendly

Easy Parking

Lake

Scenic

Heart Lake Reviews

Diana Melnik

Heart Lake

06/14/23

Great hike, some incline and it does split off into a couple of different pathways but not too hard to find the top of heart lake to see the view!

5.0

PRO

Cheryl Tanigawa

PRO

Heart Lake

01/14/16

Fun afternoon hike right outside the town of Mammoth Lakes. I completed the hike with my daughter in a little over an hour. Lots of beautiful, scenic views and a nice lake at the top. Easy to find and very accessible.

5.0

Team

Tyler Drake

Team

Heart Lake

11/08/15

The hike up to Heart Lake has a little incline, but isn't too tough. The hike can be done in less than an hour excluding time at the lake. There's a parking lot at the trailhead so as long as it's not a summer holiday weekend, it should be fairly easy to get a spot. You're also really close to town, so when I finish up I like to head to Mammoth Brewing for a bite and a beer after.

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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Heart Lake

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Heart Lake Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Pika Lake via Duck Pass Trail

Duck Lake via Duck Pass Trail

Arrowhead Lake

Skelton Lake Trail

Emerald Lake

Photograph Lake Mary, Mammoth Lakes

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