This trail goes by Cottonwood Lake #1, Cottonwood Lake #2, Long Lake, New Army Pass, and Old Army Pass. The weather was terrific the whole time, hovering in the mid-70s during the day and only dipping into the 30s at night. Many hikers set out for Cottonwood Lakes (6 miles) either as a day hike or overnight trip. 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 Beautiful meadows and plenty of water Continue on and pass Cottonwood Lake Three on your left and then end at Cottonwood Lakes Four and Five. 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. If both fill you are permitted to camp / sleep in your car. New Army Pass coming down was very relaxing compared to the breathless, steep ascent. After a mile there is reliable water in the form of a creek. Old Army Pass was a bear. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. +++Watch for Rocks in the road+++++ Follow signs for hiking or horses depending on your pleasure. We'll catch the trail at the junction we found on the map between Cottonwood Lakes 1 and 2. Occasional high wind gusts. The trail is 16 + miles roundtrip and traverses a mostly sandy bottom for the first 4 miles. I got a headache, probably the altitude, so I didn’t make the whole loop. Cottonwood Lakes Trail Itinerary Day 1: Huntington Beach → Lone Pine → Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead → Cottonwood Lake #2. The trip begins on a mostly sandy trail leading you North into the Golden trout Wilderness. 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]. We stayed below High Lake since everyone was gassed. Leave Horseshoe Meadow and hike 3.5 miles up the 1,200-foot climb to Cottonwood Pass. Here are a few pics of the area: Cottonwood Lakes Trails Trip Report, August 17 2013. Here is an example of an early season two day trip. The Loop which can lead you to 5 lakes, starts from Horseshoe Meadow and travels from the Golden Trout Wilderness into John Muir Wilderness. The trail turns west and at around 4.5 miles you enter an open meadow with excellent views of the Sierra Crest ahead. Along the way pass the boundary for the Golden Trout Wilderness. See park page for more information. Just five miles to the third lake, but you get to see two before that Located near Horseshoe Meadows, the Cottonwood Lakes Basin has many pristine alpine lakes and creeks located between Mount Langley and Cirque Peak. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. It's important to keep on it so if you aren't sure, go back and make sure. Had the lake to ourselves! Wonderful lakes and great spots to camp in along the trail no photos have been added for Cottonwood Lake Trail yet, add a photo. And most of the time a had a jacket on!! There are bathrooms, bear bins, garbage, informative displays, and potable water. Aug 27, 2017 - As of September 2020, trails in this area are closed due to wildfire. Reviews / Comments. 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. As stated in recent review, there was still snow at the top as of 7/7 and this made for a dicey traverse. Full trip report can be found on my blog: www.shedreamsofalpine.com The hike begins at 10,090 feet, so expect a headache if you haven't acclimated properly. Langley, Cirque Peak and the Pacific Crest Trail. Wandering further, the trail all but disappeared with only a few cairns to mark the way as it climbed steeply to the next bench. Views of the waterfall and Langley were amazing. Lake 4 and 5 had quality fish. The hike to Lake #4 is extraordinary. 4.2 miles into this section, go straight on the middle road and pass Lost Lake. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. A loop through Cottonwood Lakes Basin with two totally unnecessary passes thrown in for bonus. Please choose a different date. Fairly easy hike in from the trailhead, minimal elevation gain over 6 miles. Completed this with my dog over the weekend. As of September 2020, trails in this area are closed due to wildfire. 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. This section would turn out to be very similar, with twisted Juniper Pines and … I'd rate this as "hard. 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. When … Read More The Cottonwood Trail is an 85 km partial loop that can be started at either Kathleen Lake or the Mush Lake Road. The distance was closer to 18 miles when I did this on Friday (17 July 2020). read more about your privacy and HikingGuy.com here. The Cottonwood Lakes trail heads northwest through pine forest, ascending a small rise on gentle grades. This is a difficult one way trail to Mount Langley in Sequoia National Park. Yes, 2 days The words: Cottonwood Lakes The trek up the pass was pretty gradual, though there were really steep grades on some spots but after coming down on the other side of the mountain, we were glad we … Head north through pine forests along Cottonwood Creek. Poles still a necessity and not for faint of heart but hopefully gone in a few days. 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. There is a small amount of rock scrambling but most of the trail is just sand/rocks. The trail head is close to the trail head to Mt Whitney. Continue on this road. There are excellent views of Rainbow Lake below and excellent aspen viewing in the fall. The conditions were great, sunny days. Side trails branch to Muir Lake, Hidden Lake, South Fork Lakes, Cirque Lake. Fishing was relatively slow. 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 This was my second backpacking trip. 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? 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. The paved road is usually open late May to late October. I rate it as "hard" for a day trip. See park page for more information. South Fork Meadow offered good views of tree-stubbled granite lumps to the east. The Lakes were super beautiful and worth the hike alone. The six mile walk out the final day was again beautiful! The trail is easy to follow and well marked. 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. Several intersecting trails allow for different route options You get a nice high start, and the trail is excellent. I did not have a very good sleeping bag on top of it being fall, so I was cold during the night. The elevation and mileage was difficult for my skill level, but now looking back I know it is a fairly easy hike. Quite buggy at dusk and dawn. Higher lakes are a bit marshy. Cottonwood Lakes is a 10 km blue singletrack trail located near Whitney Portal California. 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. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The trail begins to gain elevation and you will want to avoid a turn off toward Golden Trout Camp. It was easy to lose the path traversing left at the end of the lake. 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. Backpacked 4 nights on Lake 3. It's a walkup campground, $6 cash. Defiantly recommend this hike!! There are trails that shoot off from this loop that head to Muir Lake, South Fork Lake and New Army Pass. HOME Cottonwood Pack Station is located near Lone Pine, California and operates under permit by the Inyo National Forest and Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park.. We offer supported hiking trips as well as traditional horse packing trips. I did a solo backpacking 1 night. Hours: Daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Head to Lone Pine, CA. My GPS estimated 17.5 miles and it took us 9 hours round trip. Awesome hike especially the view at New Army Pass. No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question. To Muir lake and back. I would recommend it to those who are into Sierra hiking, or just any hikers. The only time I’ve been in the Horseshoe Meadow area before was to start the John Muir Trail northbound over cottonwood pass.. Hiked up to #5 on 7/4 free fishing day and our group caught 6 nice Golden trout kept a couple to taste- amazing! 6.1 … They formed into their own species of trout by becoming isolated in these mountain lakes thousands of years ago by volcanic activity. Altitude makes this extra challenging. We knocked off a few miles the first afternoon and camped short of the fork in the trail. The trail connects the Crag Crest and the Lake of the Woods trails. Map showing trails to Cottonwood Lakes in the John Muir Wilderness, along with a trail elevation profile. Turn toward the mountains on Whitney Portal RD. 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. Cottonwood Lakes Trail Head Parking Lot Make a Left on Horseshoe Meadow Rd. Deet worked perfectly so lather up and they leave you alone. Great hike, we camped in the boulders at lake #3 so cool felt like a marmot! Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date(s) you selected. Phone: 760-876-6222 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. Cottonwood Lakes Trail Path alongside a wooded creek, climbing fairly gently above the timberline, past meadows and boggy areas, to a high basin containing several beautiful lakes, directly beneath the Sierra crest. Lots of cool little wildlife running around. The hike starts from the Cottonwood Lakes Campground, already at 10,000 feet, so your car does most of the legwork to get you to altitude. Next time. Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions. OMG. I’ve always heard of the beauty in the Cottonwood Lakes Basin. You can chose to complete the loop section anyway you like. Post a … It starts off fairly level then descends a bit to the golden trout camp area. The Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead marks the start of a great adventure into beautiful meadows, lakes, and alpine terrain. No major incline for the most part, except for nearly vertical rock scramble in the middle of the hike. Length 11 miElevation gain 1469 ftRoute type Out & back The mosquito situation was manageable. Season opener for us, I’m ready to go again! Beautiful singletrack leads you south on the Colorado Trail from Cottonwood Pass on a rarely hiked section of trail that contours across the base of Sheep Mountain (11,939 ft.). There are camping areas around the Cottonwood Lakes and I've heard you can catch some nice fish there. 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. Do not attempt to do the entire thing in one day unless you regularly do really long hikes. 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. The first lakes going counter-clockwise are worth stopping at! Cottonwood Lakes Loop starts from Horseshoe Meadow and travels from the Golden Trout Wilderness into John Muir Wilderness. 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. Follow this road through incredible rock formations before heading up the mountain gaining thousands of feet over a few miles. Parking is ample and paved. Rewarding and beautiful hike. Trail Products. A 30 foot section required a scramble at 900 ft above the lake and another section about 10 feet required holding onto the rock while shuffling along a foot wide ledge (don't look down here). Book. Hiked out through #1 and #2 what a beautiful valley, cut over to Muir lake for lunch, another great place. The half dozen Cottonwood Lakes are clustered in a basin at the foot of 14,032-foot Mount Langley. Head up the trail across a well made log bridge, rock hop one more creek and come to a junction. Cottonwood Lakes Trail is in the Inyo National Forest right outside the town of Lone Pine California. Pass over the log bridge or rock hop, and proceed on the flat trail skirting a meadow that holds Cottonwood Creek. It was memorable trip to this day. TDD: 760-876-6228 It begins at the Horseshoe Meadow parking lot at an elevation of 10,000 feet. 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