Defiantly recommend this hike!! Wonderful lakes and great spots to camp in along the trail Along the way pass the boundary for the Golden Trout Wilderness. All Rights Reserved, Cottonwood Lakes Walk in Campground, Lone Pine, CA, 93545, camping gear recommendations on my gear page, restored their habitat in Cottonwood Lakes, hiking tricks and tips that I’ve learned over the years, what hiking gear works and what gear doesn’t, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Hikes, please erase and block them using your web browser. Chicken Spring Lake via Cottonwood Pass Trail [CLOSED], Horseshoe Meadow to the Kern River [CLOSED], Horseshoe Meadows to Mount Whitney and Whitney Portal Trailhead via New Army Pass, Mount Langley Loop via Cottonwood Pass [CLOSED], Cottonwood Lakes Campground to Mount Langley, Mount Whitney via Cottonwood Lakes Walk-in Campground, Trail Pass to Trail Peak via Pacific Crest Trail, Horseshoe Meadows, Pacific Crest Trail, High Sierra Trail, Golden Trout Loop [CLOSED], Cirque Peak Via Cottonwood Lakes and New Army Pass Trails, Cottonwood Lake and Long Lake via Cottonwood Lakes and New Army Pass Trail, Cottonwood Lake #3, #4, #5 via Cottonwood Lakes and Army Pass Trail, John Muir Trail - Cottonwood Lakes Trail Head to Happy Isles [CLOSED], John Muir Trail: Horseshoe Meadow to Happy Isles [CLOSED], Horseshoe Meadow Loop via Trail Pass Trail [CLOSED], Horseshoe Meadow to Haiwee Creek [CLOSED], Trail Pass to Cotton Wood Lakes Loop [CLOSED]. Higher lakes are a bit marshy. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date(s) you selected. Hiked up to #5 on 7/4 free fishing day and our group caught 6 nice Golden trout kept a couple to taste- amazing! Though unmaintained, the Old Cottonwood Lakes Trail was easy to follow as it gently climbed, following the creek. Completed this with my dog over the weekend. The trail rolls up and down with no major climbing as it crosses streams, winds through pine and aspen forests past beaver ponds. Make sure your barbs are pinched!! After hiking a little over 0.5 miles the trail curves to the north, tops a low rise and then descends on ease grades to a crossing of the South Fork Cottonwood Creek at 1.4 miles. Awesome hike especially the view at New Army Pass. Altitude makes this extra challenging. As stated in recent review, there was still snow at the top as of 7/7 and this made for a dicey traverse. It was cold at night!! 4.5-hour drive to Lone Pine; 45-minute drive from Lone Pine to the trailhead; 3-hour hike to Cottonwood Lake #2 (8.6 km, 5.3 miles from the trailhead) We walked an extra mile because of the road closure The Cottonwood Lakes trail heads northwest through pine forest, ascending a small rise on gentle grades. Side trails branch to Muir Lake, Hidden Lake, South Fork Lakes, Cirque Lake. Old Army Pass was a bear. See park page for more information. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. My GPS estimated 17.5 miles and it took us 9 hours round trip. No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question. The Cottonwood Trail generally offers a lot of peace and solitude for the hiker and it is a nice option for someone wanting to do a little backpacking. The Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead marks the start of a great adventure into beautiful meadows, lakes, and alpine terrain. Pass the junction with the New Army Pass Trail at 3.5 miles. 4 of this did this trail as an overnight trip with a summit of Langley on day 2. Length 11 miElevation gain 1469 ftRoute type Out & back Whether you want to climb Mt Whitney from the west side, or traverse the entire John Muir Trail, we offer fully outfitted pack trips for both hikers and riders. Langley, Cirque Peak and the Pacific Crest Trail. Here are a few pics of the area: Cottonwood Lakes Trails Trip Report, August 17 2013. The conditions were great, sunny days. The hike to Lake #4 is extraordinary. TDD: 760-876-6228 Follow this road through incredible rock formations before heading up the mountain gaining thousands of feet over a few miles. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. 6.1 … I got a headache, probably the altitude, so I didn’t make the whole loop. large granite boulders! They formed into their own species of trout by becoming isolated in these mountain lakes thousands of years ago by volcanic activity. Occasional high wind gusts. Cottonwood Lake to the Poplar Gulch Trail starts from the scenic little log cabins around Cottonwood Lake, this trail follows South Cottonwood Creek up Green Timber Gulch and into the mountains – as if any of these trails go anywhere else. I would recommend it to those who are into Sierra hiking, or just any hikers. The half dozen Cottonwood Lakes are clustered in a basin at the foot of 14,032-foot Mount Langley. It was easy to lose the path traversing left at the end of the lake. Views of the waterfall and Langley were amazing. From there, the Cottonwood Lakes Trail gently makes its way through pristine alpine terrain to a series of several crystal-clear alpine lakes, all in the shadow of the high Sierra peaks like Mt Langley. The only time I’ve been in the Horseshoe Meadow area before was to start the John Muir Trail northbound over cottonwood pass.. This is a difficult one way trail to Long Lake in Golden Trout Wilderness. Do not attempt to do the entire thing in one day unless you regularly do really long hikes. Phone: 760-876-6222 There is a small amount of rock scrambling but most of the trail is just sand/rocks. There are bathrooms, bear bins, garbage, informative displays, and potable water. Turn toward the mountains on Whitney Portal RD. South Fork Meadow offered good views of tree-stubbled granite lumps to the east. 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? The trail is 16 + miles roundtrip and traverses a mostly sandy bottom for the first 4 miles. Wonderful trail- easy for the most part excluding a half hour of switchbacks in the middle of hike The six mile walk out the final day was again beautiful! Aug 27, 2017 - As of September 2020, trails in this area are closed due to wildfire. Several intersecting trails allow for different route options It starts off fairly level then descends a bit to the golden trout camp area. New Army Pass coming down was very relaxing compared to the breathless, steep ascent. This trail is hard. Here is an example of an early season two day trip. Leave Horseshoe Meadow and hike 3.5 miles up the 1,200-foot climb to Cottonwood Pass. Roots Rocks Rhythm Trail Guide. Quite buggy at dusk and dawn. I rate it as "hard" for a day trip. Hiked out through #1 and #2 what a beautiful valley, cut over to Muir lake for lunch, another great place. Head north through pine forests along Cottonwood Creek. We camped at High Lake 2 nights and the sunsets were incredible. Cottonwood Lakes Trail provides a scenic romp through the Southeastern Sierra with alpine lakes and mountain views. Creeks and streams a half hour in to the hike Cottonwood Lakes Loop starts from Horseshoe Meadow and travels from the Golden Trout Wilderness into John Muir Wilderness. Located near Horseshoe Meadows, the Cottonwood Lakes Basin has many pristine alpine lakes and creeks located between Mount Langley and Cirque Peak. Please note that the gate leading to this trailhead is currently closed (06/04/2020). After a mile there is reliable water in the form of a creek. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Once on top head South to find New Army Pass. Cottonwood Lakes Trail is in the Inyo National Forest right outside the town of Lone Pine California. The distance was closer to 18 miles when I did this on Friday (17 July 2020). It's important to keep on it so if you aren't sure, go back and make sure. From Whitney Portal Road turn-off, the drive up to the trail head is approximately 30 minutes. Map showing trails to Cottonwood Lakes in the John Muir Wilderness, along with a trail elevation profile. Next time. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Since we arrived after 5PM, we made prior arrangement with the park rangers to pickup our overnight permit at the late night pickup box outside Lone Pine. There are excellent views of Rainbow Lake below and excellent aspen viewing in the fall. Before of the CA forest fires if hiking this month, it is nearly impossible to breath up there after noon and will NOT be a fun trip. We knocked off a few miles the first afternoon and camped short of the fork in the trail. Reviews / Comments. There are trails that shoot off from this loop that head to Muir Lake, South Fork Lake and New Army Pass. Season opener for us, I’m ready to go again! ", Very well marked trail, beautiful lakes, I found a nice spot to camp at the bottom of lake 3 almost at lake 2. The Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead offers hikers an excellent starting point to explore areas/destinations such as the Cottonwood Lakes Basin, the Golden Trout Wilderness, Mt. A loop through Cottonwood Lakes Basin with two totally unnecessary passes thrown in for bonus. Cottonwood Lakes can be a first night stopping place for hikers setting out to connect to the John Muir Trail or a basecamp for local adventures from fishing to peak bagging. 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. Hiked Mt Langley on 8/29/20. Cottonwood Lakes Trail Itinerary Day 1: Huntington Beach → Lone Pine → Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead → Cottonwood Lake #2. Getting to the Cottonwood Lakes Campground Trailhead, The Golden Trout is only native to the waters of this area and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful trout in the world. See park page for more information. Cottonwood Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 16.1 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Lone Pine, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. +++Watch for Rocks in the road+++++ Follow signs for hiking or horses depending on your pleasure. The trail head is close to the trail head to Mt Whitney. The Lakes were super beautiful and worth the hike alone. Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions. Full trip report can be found on my blog: www.shedreamsofalpine.com Cottonwood Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 25.9 kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near Lone Pine, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. There are camping areas around the Cottonwood Lakes and I've heard you can catch some nice fish there. The first lakes going counter-clockwise are worth stopping at! Please choose a different date. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. Just five miles to the third lake, but you get to see two before that Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center Lots of cool little wildlife running around. We saw a family of mountain sheep approach our campsite but they never threatened or came too close. Many hikers set out for Cottonwood Lakes (6 miles) either as a day hike or overnight trip. The trail is easy to follow and well marked. As of September 2020, trails in this area are closed due to wildfire. So AMAZINGLY beautiful, so many lakes, great altitude gain. Continue about 20 miles up this precipitous two-lane to the signed parking area for the section of Cottonwood Lakes Trail leading to New Army Pass. It was memorable trip to this day. The elevation and mileage was difficult for my skill level, but now looking back I know it is a fairly easy hike. I’ve always heard of the beauty in the Cottonwood Lakes Basin. Post a … The trail begins to gain elevation and you will want to avoid a turn off toward Golden Trout Camp. The mosquito situation was manageable. I did not have a very good sleeping bag on top of it being fall, so I was cold during the night. Trail Products. The trail varies from 4-wheel drive road to single track; it passes through stands of spruce and poplar; crosses two mountain passes, and follows through open meadows. And a few switchbacks at the top Fairly easy hike in from the trailhead, minimal elevation gain over 6 miles. Great hike, we camped in the boulders at lake #3 so cool felt like a marmot! They were overfished, but the California Department of Fish and Game has. The paved road is usually open late May to late October. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. Cottonwood Lakes Loop starts from Horseshoe Meadow and travels from the Golden Trout Wilderness into John Muir Wilderness. The summit of nearby Mount Langley attracts adventurous mountaineers. Cottonwood Lakes Trail Head Parking Lot 4.2 miles into this section, go straight on the middle road and pass Lost Lake. You get a nice high start, and the trail is excellent. If both fill you are permitted to camp / sleep in your car. Saw a fox on the long drive down the hill-crossed in front of us and climbed a shear cliff . It has 2 main sites, at the Cottonwood Pass Trail #3505, and also at Cottonwood Lakes Trail, they are not far, if one site fills, try the other. Going counter clockwise (from the East thru Old Army Pass as this route shows) was incredibly steep. Cottonwood Lakes Foot Trail is a 11 mile out and back trail located near Mesa, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Spectacular loop with tough climb over Old Army Pass. The summit of Langley was pretty tough as it was our first 14er, but as long as you follow the cairns, pack enough water and food, it's doable and not very technical. Head up the trail across a well made log bridge, rock hop one more creek and come to a junction. Pass over the log bridge or rock hop, and proceed on the flat trail skirting a meadow that holds Cottonwood Creek. no photos have been added for Cottonwood Lake Trail yet, add a photo. We stayed below High Lake since everyone was gassed. At 10,000 feet in elevation, Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead Campground makes a good place to spend a night before setting off into the John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia National Park. The Cottonwood Trail is an 85 km partial loop that can be started at either Kathleen Lake or the Mush Lake Road. No major incline for the most part, except for nearly vertical rock scramble in the middle of the hike. 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