Cottonwood Lakes Hike

13 miles - Moderate Effort
6-7 Hours (Total)
1,350 Total Feet of Climbing
Max Elevation of 11,200 feet
Leashed Dogs Allowed

The Cottonwood Lakes hike probably gives you the most bang-for-your-buck in the Eastern Sierra. 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. 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. Every step of this must-do hike is spectacular, so give it a try.

In this Guide:

Cottonwood Lakes Hike Directions & Video
Getting to the Cottonwood Lakes Campground Trailhead
Gear and Prep For the Hike

Quick Links:
Park Website - NOAA Weather Report - My Dec 2024 Gear

Getting to the Cottonwood Lakes Campground Trailhead

The drive to the Cottonwood Lakes Campground is pretty spectacular. Just south of Lone Pine, the gateway to Mt Whitney, you leave Rt 395 and climb 6,000 feet up Horseshoe Meadow Road, a long windy road up the side of the mountain. If you have a fear of heights, it's probably not a drive for you.

Horseshoe Meadow Road is generally closed for the winter (May-October). Call the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center to confirm if in doubt.

Use this address for the trailhead:
Cottonwood Lakes Walk in Campground, Lone Pine, CA, 93545

It can get confusing when you get up to the camp and trailhead area. There are signs but to give you an overview, here's a map. You're heading to the parking lot of the Cottonwood Lakes Walk-In Campground, not Horseshoe Meadow.

Screen Shot 2019 11 17 At 06.56.49

You don't need any parking permits for the lot!

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 3 — There's a ton of parking between all of the parking lots but it is often busy, but I've never seen it full.

Camping at Cottonwood Lakes Walk-In Campground

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 2 — There's a convent first-come, first-serve campground right at the trailhead. No reservations required (or possible).

If you want to stay overnight at the trailhead, there's a great option, the Cottonwood Lakes Walk-In Campground. There are 13 campsites right next to the parking lot and trailhead. You just walk your tent and gear 100 feet or so in from the lot; there's no hiking or backpacking needed. There's a small fee to use the campground. Fill out the form on the envelope, put your cash in it, and then drop it in the box. It helps to have singles and cash for the fee. The campsite area (and trailhead) have vault toilets, piped potable water, and trash cans.

It's a really mellow campground even though it's close to the lot. I'll often come up to Cottonwood Lakes Walk-In Campground the night before, sleep at altitude, then do this hike in the morning. It's also a great way to acclimatize and warm-up for a hike to Mt Whitney the following day.

If you can't find a campsite, try the nearby Cottonwood Pass Trailhead Campsite or even the Horseshoe Meadow Equestrian Campsite (although this is technically only for equestrians).

There's a one-night maximum stay at each campground.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 44 — The campsites spread around the parking lot and some include benches and fire pits.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 5 — Bears are very active in this area because of all the food waste. Use the bear boxes at the campsite and don't leave anything in your car that has a scent. Check out my guide to bear safety too.

Camping at Cottonwood Lakes

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 33 — There are dispersed campsites around the lake which are heaven. If you like to fish, the lakes are full of trout.

The area around the actual Cottonwood Lakes is a favorite among backcountry campers. There are no official sites; all the camping is dispersed, but the area is popular and you can find some nice nooks around the lakes where people have been before. Lakes #4 and #5 are particularly popular.

You do need a wilderness permit to camp overnight, and there is a quota, and while it's popular, it's not as crazy as the Mt Whitney lottery. Just reserve a permit in advance and do your thing.

Permit Availablity

Can't get a permit for your date? Try OutdoorStatus.com and get a text message as soon as a cancelled permit opens up!.

Gear For the Hike

Even though this isn't a crazy mountain climb, you are in the middle of the Eastern Sierras, and I recommend real hiking gear. Be prepared for alpine conditions and rapidly changing weather. It will probably be at least 20F cooler here than in Lone Pine, prepare accordingly.

There is plenty of water along the hike that's pretty reliable except in extreme drought conditions. In the summer mosquitos can be bad, so bring a head net and repellant. There are some small stream crossings that are doable without trekking poles, but if you have them it can't hurt.

If you go to the bathroom on the hike, please go away from the trail and water sources. The bathroom at the trailhead is the only "toilet toilet."

If you camp, Iit gets cold up around the lakes overnight so plan accordingly (you can check out my camping gear recommendations on my gear page). There are also bears and rodents looking for unattended food, so use a bear canister.

Gear That I Love Right Now

Nothing is sponsored or promoted, just the actual gear that I use.

Garmin InReach Mini 2Hit SOS or just tell loved ones that you're running late where your cell phone has no service. Review here.

Topo MTN RacerAggressive and fun with a wide toe box (=no blisters). Get them wet, they dry quickly. Lots of cushion and comfort.

Osprey Hikelite 26Lightweight, carries all your gear, and your back doesn't get sweaty. Oh yea, it's also one of the most inexpensive packs you can get.

Check out the complete list here. ( Updated December 2024)

Cottonwood Lakes Trail Maps

Overall the trail from the campground to Cottonwood Lakes is easy to follow and in great condition. There are some side trails and trails listed on Open Street Maps (OSM) that are very primitive, so if you are going to plan your own hike off this trail, make sure you have a GPX file loaded on your GPS.

Use This Map:
View in CalTopo | PDF Map | GPX File

How Will You Navigate?

Using the Apple Watch for Hiking

Garmin Fenix 7 & Epix Review For Hikers

How To Read a Topographic Map

Garmin GPSMAP 67i Review

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 3D Map

Cottonwood Lakes 3d Map — The hike winds it's way from the bottom right up toward Cottonwood Lakes, avoiding any big climbs to find the gentlest route to the lakes.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike Landmarks

Landmark	Distance	Elevation
South Fork Cottonwood Creek Crossing	1.4	10030
Muir Wilderness	2.9	10250
New Army Pass Trail	3	10450
Muir Lake Junction	4.5	11000
CDFG Cabin/Lakes	5.2	11100
Waterfall	6	11030
Lake #5	6.5	11200

Cottonwood Lakes Hike Elevation Profile

Cottonwood Lake Hike Highlights

Cottonwood Lakes are full of Golden Trout, only found natively in this area. Image Ray Found

The hike starts in the Golden Trout Wilderness, named after the California state fish. The area was formed in 1978 and encompasses 304,000 acres in the southern Sierra Nevada.
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. They formed into their own species of trout by becoming isolated in these mountain lakes thousands of years ago by volcanic activity. They were overfished, but the California Department of Fish and Game has restored their habitat in Cottonwood Lakes. When you get to the lakes, be sure to spend some time gazing into the clear water. You could see a trout or two.
If you want to fish for trout at Cottonwood Lakes, you just need a fishing license.

How To Hike to Cottonwood Lakes

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 4 — The trailhead is at the end of the parking lot by the toilet.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 6 — There's a spigot at the trailhead where you can fill up with water.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 7 — Look for the big sign pointing you toward the interpretive display and trail.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike Trailhead — Walk through the interpretive displays and trail notices.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 8 — The trail is easy to spot and heads away from the parking area.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 9 — Overall the trail is well marked and easy to follow. There are horses on the trails but no mountain bikes.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 10 — There's a pretty sweet Golden Trout Wilderness sign in the first few minutes on the trail. Keep going straight.

What exactly is a Wilderness Area?

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 11 — Keep going straight and avoid the trails to the left that head back to the equestrian campground.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 12 — You'll get some nice views to the left of Trail Peak. You can hike to the top of Trail Peak from the Cottonwood Pass Trailhead, close to where you parked.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 13 — After a flat section you'll start to descend down to the South Fork of the Cottonwood Creek.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 14 — After a bit of descent you'll join the creek on your right.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 15 — The trial crosses the South Fork of the Cottonwood Creek shortly after joining it. The log on the left works well for me, but you can also hop across the rocks.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 16 — The trail goes around this old pine. The landscape here is magical.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 17 — The trail levels out and follows a nice meadow to the right. Cottonwood Creek flows down through the meadow.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 18 — Go straight at the junction for the trail to Golden Trout Camp Trail (to the right).

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 19 — Soon you'll see the sign for the John Muir Wilderness.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 20 — And right after that you'll cross Cottonwood Creek. The path on the right goes over an easy log crossing.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 21 — The log is stable and easy to cross.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 22 — From here you start to climb up toward the meadow where the Cottonwood Lakes are. The gradient is gentle and switchbacks help make short work of the climb.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 23 — At the junction for New Army Pass, hike to the right to go to Cottonwood Lakes. The route to the left brings you into Sequoia National Park if you keep going straight. It's also used to approach Mt Langley.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 24 — Here's a closeup of the sign at the junction.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 25 — As you climb you'll start getting glimpses of the high Sierras. including Cirque Peak.

Before we start hiking through the lakes, it helps to acquaint yourself with the layout and numbers of the lakes, some of which are incorrect or not marked on official Forest Service maps.

Cottonwood Lakes Map — This hike will take you past Frog Pond, Cottonwood Lake #3, then up to lakes #4 and #5.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 26 — Soon you arrive at a junction for a trail to Muir Lake (to the right) continue straight into the meadow.The climbing is mostly done.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 27 — There are some little stream crossings, all easy except in spring thaw.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 28 — This area is incredibly beautiful. You have the trail, the meadow, and surrounding mountains.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 29 — Continue straight on the trail, avoiding the trail to the left heading to Cottonwood Lakes #1 and #2.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 30 — Soon you'll pass a small tin hut. The hut was is by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the restoration of Golden Trout to the lakes. The body of water on the left is actually not one of the Cottonwood Lakes, but instead is called Frog Pond.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 31 — Soon you'll see Cottonwood Lake #3 appear to your left.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 32 — When you reach the shore at the lake, make the right and continue around the shore. There are some great boulders to take a rest on next to the lake. This is also a popular fishing spot.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 34 — Continue on the trail along the lake toward the higher Cottonwood Lakes #4 and #5, just up the granite ridge in front.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 35 — Take a look back on this section for some great photo opportunities.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 36 — When you reach the end of the lake, the trail heads up a small rise. If you want to see a small waterfall, take the little side trail to the left.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 37 — Here's the waterfall where lake #4 spills into lake #3.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 38 — Otherwise climb the last 100 feet or so to the next lakes.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 39 — Okay, from here on out it's a choose your own adventure. To the left is Lake #4, to the right, Lake #5. Check them both out, walk the shores, and enjoy. If you're heading to Old Army Pass, you make the left here.

Although it looks like a nice big line on some maps, the actual trail from here up to Old Army Pass is usually in bad condition with sections washed out. If you're looking to gain the ridge, I highly recommend taking New Army Pass instead.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 40 — A sign marks the shores of Cottonwood Lake #5. You can hike around the lakes on the use-trails.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 41 — There's a little spillway connecting Lake #5 and Lake #4.

Cottonwood Lakes Hike 43 — From here you just head back the way you came. Have a great hike!

Need More Info?

Have a question about the guide? Join my Patreon and ask me a question.
When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.
Do you have an update to this guide? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to update the guide.

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This Guide Was Written by Cris Hazzard

Cris Hazzard 4 Mile Trail Yosemite
Hi, I'm Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy, a professional outdoors guide, hiking expert, and author based in Southern California. I created this website to share all the great hikes I do with everyone else out there. This site is different because it gives detailed directions that even the beginning hiker can follow. I also share what hiking gear works and doesn't so you don't waste money. I don't do sponsored or promoted content; I share only the gear recommendations, hikes, and tips that I would with my family and friends. If you like the website and YouTube channel, please support these free guides (I couldn't do it without folks like you!). You can stay up to date with my new guides by following me on YouTube, Instagram, or by subscribing to my monthly newsletter.