Inyo National Forest
An adventurous journey with 10+ mile hikes
Trek into the wilderness and sleep in the backcountry
Pups are welcome at camp and on hiking trails
Places we've visited and fallen in love with
Trip · 3-day backpacking trip
For · Friends and intermediate backpackers
Vibe · Challenging and hard
Distance · 15.2 miles and 3,892 feet of elevation gain
Permits · Yep, reserve a wilderness permit for Big Pine Creek North Fork
Drive · 4.5 hours from LA
Ideal dates · May to September
Pets · Welcome on trails and campgrounds!
This popular trek in Inyo National Forest begins at Big Pine Creek North Fork Trailhead and takes you through a chain of seven glorious alpine lakes. Each lake is named First Lake, Second Lake, Third Lake (you can see where this is going), and the further you hike, the more solitude you'll find. Each lake is fed by the Palisade Glacier, which you can climb or soak up views from the trail. Oh, and don't miss the notorious Temple Crag and waterfalls along the way. Design your own adventure at Big Pine Lakes.
Official National Forest Website
Main image credit: Nomadik
Some people day hike to Big Pine Lakes, but spending a couple of nights in John Muir Wilderness is the best way to experience this gorgeous area. Overnight permit quotas are in place from May to September, and you can reserve a wilderness permit up to six months in advance. If you see a "W" for your preferred entry date on Recreation.gov, it means a few more permits will be released at 7 AM exactly two weeks before your ideal start date.
Once you reserve a permit online, you'll have to request your permit via email, phone, or in-person, by answering a few questions. It'll take up to 48 hours to process and finally receive your permit.
Permits cost $6 (non-refundable fee) and an additional $5 per hiker.
Big Pine Lakes is tucked away in John Muir Wilderness, a 100-mile stretch along the Sierra Crest in Inyo National Forest
The name "Inyo" derives from a Native American word meaning "dwelling place of the great spirit."
John Muir Wilderness was designated and protected by Congress in 1964. Since then, it has become the second most-visited wilderness in the country!
You won't be saving money, but you'll save space and weight with these camp sandals.
Clothes
Sleepover! This is a tent you can stand up in and have plenty of space for air mattresses, doggos, and more.
Shared Gear
A reliable, popular, and relatively affordable dual-burner camping stove that is fairly heavy, but performs well.
Kitchen
It's pricey, but the New York Times' Wirecutter recommended this attachment as a way for wheelchair users to navigate uneven terrain.
Essential Items
Instead of transporting stuff on your lap, use this storage bag to easily store items underneath your wheelchair.
Essential Items
Never dig around your pack to find some hand sanitizer. Instead, hang this one on the outside of your pack.
Personal Stuff
If you're an experienced backpacker, this is the lightest full-size, full-featured, frameless pack made.
Essential Items
Add a little magic to your experience by hanging these twinkling lights around your tent every night.
Shared Gear
Sometimes you just want a camp chair that gets the job done. Nothing glamorous or fancy. Well, this is it.
Shared Gear
The more you backpack the lighter your shelter becomes, and the lighter it is, the more expensive it can be.
Shared Gear
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.
