This means that for reservations in the summer months (July through October), you will be able to make reservations from January to April. Contact the wilderness permit office if you have questions or need to reissue a permit with corrections. Turn right on Minaret Road and go to Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center (Main Lodge) for long term parking and to board the mandatory shuttle to the trailhead. Places to explore include the Ansel Adams, John Muir, Golden Trout, Hoover, and South Sierra wildernesses. Elevation Gain: ~1,388ft. Get a permit to backpack Minaret Lake in Inyo National Forest. Click below to be the first to know when my one-of-a-kind backpacking program re-opens again for enrollment! Minaret Vista is the highest lookout point in the Mammoth Lakes area that motorists can drive to during summer months. Some cross country sections along unmaintained trails that may be difficult to see and not marked well. Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and Crystal Lake Trailhead both less than five miles, and Minaret Vista seven miles away. The trail now mostly follows the Minaret Creek, and we spotted lots of fish in the clear waters darting away in front of us. Follow signs for the JMT and trek north through lush meadows and pine forests. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure, Eastern Sierra + White Mountains Area, California. You can reserve permits ahead of time online here, or try to get a last minute walk in permit as early as the day before at any of the ranger stations listed on their site here. and cultural destinations in your zip code and across the country. Visitorsto the Reds Meadow Valley pay a per-person transportation fee which allows use of the mandatory shuttle bus. Now youre ready to hit the trail and have a fantastic adventure hiking to Minaret Lake! After rock hopping across Minaret Creek for the first time of the day, we reached our first lake of the day.. Johnston Lake (8,127')! There were too many peaks to count, and I can see why this is popular climbing and alpinist spot. There are permit here too and these tend to range from 15 to 25lb, although in favourable conditions there's a chance of a fish weighing 30lb or more. Is there drinking water available along the Minaret Lake hike? There are no discounts for annual passes, military, seniors, or children. Southeast Face 5.8+ YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British Avg: 3.7 from 77 votes . If youre looking for specific information, feel free to skip ahead to the section youre looking for! How to Get a Minaret Lake Permit - The step-by-step process to get the required Minaret Lake permit for backpacking. This is something I teach in my backpacking program, but I want to give you a couple GPS options to get started. The one-way hike to Minaret Lake wont take the whole day, so this trip will still give you time to relax and explore the area further if you want. This is a good choice if you dont have a lot of time in the area or if youre looking for a challenging day for training. Highway 203. 2) Click the Explore Available Permits button. Hike Type: Overnight. The Minarets and mountains to the west High Trail goes between shaded areas of pines and exposed areas of sage brush for the next third of a mile to reach the first of three trails that branch off High Trail to ascend to the Clark Lakes. These common but avoidable mistakes are an essential part of your backpacking 101 foundation, so to speak. Crossing Minaret Creek Due to the high snow fall year and late melt, mosquitos were out in full force even in August. connected to the .gov website. But to camp overnight, you'll need to obtain a permit like most spots in the Eastern Sierra. If you are like us and hate crowds, we recommend doing this hike in the fall just before the Reds Meadow Road closes for the season. Sunset . How dangerous is hiking Minaret Lake? 2h 40m Easy 4.6 (412) Single room and boat options available. In this post I've outlined key deadlines to mark your calendars with for some of Californias most iconic locations such as Yosemite Wilderness Permits, Inyo National Forest Permits, Mount Whitney Permits, Half Dome Permits, JMT Permits, Joshua Tree camping reservations, Lost Coast backpacking permits and much, much more!. The Minaret Lake trail is fairly easy to follow, but there are a few trail junctions along the way. In that case, its probably worth spending a night in Mammoth Lakes before the hike in order to give your body a little time to adjust. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 6 h 45 min to complete. Then continue to Tokmak and meet a local Dungan family and enjoy a home-cooked lunch. Collectively, they form an arte and are a prominent feature in the Ansel Adams . In Minaret Creek you will fish for Brook Trout. Bear resistant food storage containers are recommended for all wilderness travelers., There are no restrooms in the wilderness., Respect other visitors desire for quiet and solitude. We are Brian and Julie, a Bay Area couple making travel work with full-time jobs. Map Information Activities The glowing Minarets behind Youssif Wildflowers by Ediza Lake, even in July Not a bad place to sit bax and relax That day we decided to follow a fellow hiker's advice to hike up to Nydiver Lakes. Shuttle stop #6 is Devils Postpile Visitor Center. Click here for all important dates for booking CA backpacking permits. Here are some of my favorite day hikes among the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona that are short enough to squeeze in on any trip to the area! I recommend a 2-day itinerary for the Minaret Lake hike. Park here, use the restroom one last time, and be sure to lock away all scented items in the nearby bear lockers. If you want to instead start in the Lakes Basin, you will need a permit for Horseshoe Lake Ranger Guided Programs Hiking to Minaret Lake out & back definitely makes for a long day, but it is doable. Out of all the places I've backpacked in the Eastern Sierra, the Minarets have to be the most jagged and dramatic section of mountain range in the Sierra. Backpacking to Minaret Lake in Inyo National Forest is about 13.4 miles. Day two. Dont ever risk getting lost, and dont rely on other people for your safety outdoors. Also, if youre backpacking, set up your camp farther away from water, where wind will help keep some of the mosquitoes away. The Minaret Lake hike is the perfect way to get a taste of the stunning Sierra Nevadas on a short backpacking trip. After gaining a little more elevation, we finally saw the entire Ritter Range in all of its glory.Click here for all important dates for booking CA backpacking permits. May 1 through November 1 overnight visitors are limite to 10 people per day. I thought the altitude gain is closer to 2,300 since the lake is at 9,800ish. There is an endless supply of loops, out-and-backs, and point-to-point hikes that can be completed in the Ansel Adams Wilderness and Laura snagged us permits for the River Trail entrance. Hiking to Minaret Lake is not particularly dangerous, as it is not at all technical, but be careful at the stream crossing. The best times to visit this trail are May through October. Cant find available permits?You can now sign up to be notified of any permit cancellations via Outdoor Status! Twenty-two degrees Fahrenheit to be exact. No camping at Shadow Lake or along Shadow Creek between Shadow Lake and Ediza Lake. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. We headed counter-clock wise, and I ended up soaking in the sunlight on a little peninsula that is in the middle of the lake while Brian tried to see if he could make it up to Cecil Lake. No campfires at Minaret Lakes or Deadhorse Lake; and no campfires at all locations above 10,000 ft. Food, trash and scented items must be stored in. Permits required YEAR ROUND for overnight trips to Ansel Adams, John Muir, Hoover, & Golden Trout Wilderness areas, Group leader is responsible to ensure everyone in their group understands & obeys the conditions of the permit, All wilderness permits are reserved online. Always store your food (and any other scented items) at night in either a bear box or bear canister. From the Town of Mammoth, take Minaret Road to the entrance of Devils Postpile National Monument. The trail never gets too steep but does climb for most of the hike to the lake. Just like I teach my students in my backpacking program. Be sure to bring your National Parks Pass, or pay the current entrance fee, and then make your way down the narrow road toward the Devils Postpile Ranger Station. Never leave any crucial items behind before you head out on a backpacking trip! Less than 10 miles roundtrip, the Duck Lake is the perfect overnight backpacking trip to experience classic Sierra lakes and mountains. We lost, having to finish the last two miles in the dark, but we were prepared with headlamps. In this area, mosquitoes can be a massive nuisance and make your hike pretty miserable, so be sure to bring bug spray and potentially even insect-repellent clothing if youre hiking in the height of summer. Minaret Lakes John Muir Wilderness: Campfires are prohibited for all areas above 10,000 feet north of the Glacier Divide and above 10,400 feet south of the divide. While Minaret Lake is certainly not the highest point in the Sierra Nevadas, the trailhead starts at around 7,500 feet elevation, and youll end up all the way up at 9,800 feet when you reach Minaret Lake. Stay to the left on the JMT when it branches off from the PCT, and continue your climb unless you feel like making the detour to Minaret Falls. Wilderness permits can be obtained from the Inyo National Forest for trips originating out of trailheads within Reds Meadow Valley. Then onto the destination of today - Issyk-Kul Lake, the second-largest alpine lake in the world. Itinerary for Hiking the Minaret Lake Trail - Ill walk you through a suggested itinerary for backpacking the trail so you can make your plans accordingly. Water from creeks, lakes and springs should be treated before drinking. There was one stream crossing through this section, and luckily since it was Fall, the water level was low and we easily hopped across Minaret Creek via a few rocks. Weather forecast for the Sierra Nevada region. This loop is suitable for trail runners, hikers, and backpackers. Most of it was gorgeous but some of that JMT section honestly sucked, although the Minaret Lake day made up for it! Heres a look at the Minaret Lake hike elevation gain profile from the trailhead to the lake and back. We want to return to the lake as well to explore more of the area! Anywho, my permit via recreation.gov was for the Inyo National Forest on the High . The first water source is about 1.5 miles in and the trail is pretty exposed until then so bring lots of water and possibly a filter. You can reserve permits ahead of time online here, or try to get a last minute walk in permit as early as the day before at any of the ranger stations listed on their site here. But to camp overnight, you'll need to obtain a permit like most spots in the Eastern Sierra. Turn right at the junction, follow the sign for Minaret Falls and cross a bridge. Apparently the log bridge washed away a few years ago. Come prepared to find your way. Your write up motivates me to go back in fall. We passed two groups of hikers that sported some climbing gear who probably had their eyes set on higher end goal than us. For email, allow time for response during business hours. Do you need a permit to hike Minaret lake? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hello! In the summer, it would be splendid to go swimming here, but with the cold temperatures dipping my feet in would have to do. Due to its popularity, there is a very structured permit process, and this post covers everything you need to know about grabbing Mount Whitney permits so you can plan your hike up this epic California peak. 4) If you find an available date that works for you, click on the date, then Book Now.. I already have a permit for this trailhead. 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