The Eastern Sierra is home to many beautiful alpine lakes. Lamarck Lakes trail is one of them. Some easily accessible, and others not so much. It’s a beautiful summer day near Bishop, CA and we’re finally hiking to Lamarck Lakes!
Trail: Lamarck Lakes trail Distance: 4.6 miles round-trip Elevation gain: 1,564 ft. Location: Bishop, CA Permits: A wilderness permit is required for backpacking in Sequoia National Park. Permits can be obtained at recreation.gov
Trail Overview
Starting from North Lake Campground, the Lamarck Lakes trail is 4.6 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of 1,500′ ft. It’s a popular day hike and fishing area, so it’s best to get an early start. Backpacking is an option and wilderness permits are required and must be obtained before your trip.
The hike is short, yet steep- so I’d recommend bringing trekking poles for an enjoyable hike. The trail crosses Lamarck Creek twice before reaching the lake, so not much water is needed. Of course, bringing a water filter to refill for the journey back would be ideal.
From Lower Lamarck Lake, the hike is just a little over half a mile to get to Upper Lamarck Lake. Before reaching the lake, you’ll hit a junction- make sure to follow the creek outlet to the lake. In my opinion, Lower Lamarck Lake has better options to hang out by the lake. I didn’t go much further than the outlet of the upper lake, so there may be something I missed back there!
To return back to Lower Lamarck Lake, simply turn around and head back in the opposite direction in which you came. I only spent a few hours here, but I could only imagine how it would be to spend the night here. With amazing mountain views, I’m sure to head back for an overnight experience!
When is the best time to visit Lamarck Lakes?
Hiking in the Eastern Sierra any time before June and you’ll definitely run into some snow on the trail. I would recommend waiting this one out at least until July. If you are comfortable with snow conditions, the trail can be accessed until the road closes for the season- which is usually after the first major snowfall in late October.
