40 Hiking Trails near Hot Creek
first prev 1 2 next lastShowing Hiking Trails within 50 miles Distance miles of Forest Rd 3S138, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, USA City, Zip, or Address
Crowley Lake
Mammoth Lakes, California
7.6 miles SEA reservoir famed for ancient volcanic columns rising from the lakebed, along with trout fishing, and stunning Eastern Sierra scenery near Mammoth Lakes.
Hike, Swim 0.4 mi
Crowley Lake Stone Columns
Mammoth Lakes, California
8.8 miles SEOtherworldly 20-foot tufa columns rising from the Eastern Sierra lakebed at Crowley Lake — a geological wonder formed over 600,000 years of calcium carbonate buildup.
Hike
Crystal Lake
Mammoth Lakes, California
11.1 miles SWA 3.2-mile roundtrip Sierra day hike past Lake George, Lake Marie, and Lake Mamie, ending at Crystal Lake beneath the monolith Crystal Crag — shaded trail with room to swim, fish, or picnic lakeside.
Camp, Hike 4.0 mi
Mono Pass
Yosemite Valley, CA
26.9 miles NWAn 8-mile high-Sierra hike at 10,600 feet crossing meadows and several lakes, climbing through Bloody Canyon to sweeping views of Mono Valley and Mono Lake.
Hike, Swim
Standish Hickey Area
Lakeshore, California
27.0 miles SA two-mile stretch of the south fork of the Eel River inside a redwood canyon 180 miles from San Francisco — swim, kayak, fish, or hike, then camp near the 1,200-year-old Captain Miles Standish Tree.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Kayak, Swim 3.6 mi
Lyell Canyon
Wawona, California
27.9 miles NWAn 8-mile, nearly flat hike through Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows along the Lyell Fork river, with creek crossings, Kuna Creek cascades, and backcountry quiet far from the crowds.
Hike 1.8 mi
Gaylor Lakes
Yosemite Valley, CA
28.0 miles NWA 2-mile Yosemite hike with views the entire way — Dana Meadows, mountain peaks, and a high valley holding five separate lakes, with a mostly flat valley to wander once you top the pass.
Hike, Swim 4.0 mi
Saddlebag Lake
Lee Vining, California
30.3 miles NWAt 10,008 ft, this Eastern Sierra alpine lake offers exceptional trout fishing, a scenic four-mile loop, and a water taxi into the heart of the Twenty Lakes Basin.
Camp, Canoe, Hike
Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne County, California
30.4 miles NWA stunning alpine meadow in the high Sierra with granite domes and mountain views, the meandering Tuolumne River, and access to Yosemite backcountry — open summer only when the park road is clear.
Camp, Hike 0.8-4.1 mi
Dog Lake and Lembert Dome
Yosemite Valley, CA
30.6 miles NWA 4-mile round-trip hike through Tuolumne Meadows wildflowers to a serene evergreen lake and a granite dome with sweeping views — doable in 1.5 to 3 hours.
Hike, Swim
Elizabeth Lake
Wawona, California
30.8 miles WA 4.8-mile hike with a 1,000-foot gain to a quiet alpine lake tucked between Cockscomb, Unicorn Peak, and Johnson's Peak in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows backcountry.
Hike, Swim 1.1 mi
Lundy Canyon
Bridgeport, California
32.5 miles NWA 3-mile canyon hike past twin 70-foot waterfalls and beaver ponds into the Hoover Wilderness, with options to climb 2,000 feet to Burro Lake or explore wildflower meadows and multiple cascades.
Hike 0.9-3.2 mi
Cathedral Lakes
Wawona, California
33.6 miles WA gorgeous 7-mile High Sierra hike along the John Muir Trail to twin lakes at 10,000 feet, framed by Cathedral, Echo, and Tressider Peaks with sweeping views of Tenaya Lake from a rock shelf.
Hike, Swim
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
35.0 miles NWA popular introductory Yosemite High Country backcountry hike following the Tuolumne River to a High Sierra Camp beside the White Cascade waterfall, with further options to Waterwheel Falls.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim 6.1 mi
Glen Aulin
Wawona, California
35.0 miles NWAn 11-mile hike along the Tuolumne River to Glen Aulin with 800 feet of gain, passing Tuolumne Falls, Soda Springs, wildflower meadows, and the stunning White Cascade.
Backpack, Camp, Hike
Tenaya Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
35.4 miles WTenaya Lake's glacier-carved granite shoreline offers a spacious east-beach for swimming, canoeing, and kayaking with stunning Yosemite dome views all around.
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim 1.9 mi
Half Dome
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
36.9 miles WA grueling 14-mile round-trip hike with 4,800 feet of gain to the summit of Half Dome, including a cable section in the final 400 feet — a permit is required and a sunrise start is essential.
Hike 1.3-1.6 mi
May Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
37.2 miles WA 2.5-mile roundtrip hike to a scenic 9,270-foot lake at the base of Mt. Hoffmann — with views of Clouds Rest, Half Dome, and Teyana Lake, plus the option to summit the peak for even grander panoramas.
Hike, Swim 2.1 mi
Snow Creek Falls
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
38.3 miles WA 2,140-foot, seven-drop cascade tucked deep in Tenaya Canyon — best spotted from the Mirror Lake Loop, where you can also take a swim before hunting for the falls from the Snow Creek Trail junction.
Backpack, Hike
Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
38.9 miles WA paved, car-free trail winds to this seasonal lake at the base of Half Dome, offering a still mirror reflection and a popular summer swimming hole.
Backpack, Hike, Swim
