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    Big Pine Creek Campground

    4.8 (13 reviews)

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    Camp site #20
    Jeanette Y.

    Great camping experience & would probably do it again (try out another spot) We had spot number 20 which was a pretty middle spot for everything. We were in between 2 bathrooms, a short walk away from the store & across from the lake. We were along the road, so it was easy to just pull in to our parking spot, not have to walk at all since everything was right there. We were directly across from another campsite. Each site comes with a bear box to store food, a large fire pit & a picnic table. There are two spots to pitch a tent. Plenty of room! There are vault bathrooms that surprisingly, were NOT smelly. Please be sure to close the lid & door as you leave though or there will be a swarm of flies. Every bathroom has toilet paper. Not toilet seat covers or sink though or hand sanitizer so be sure to bring your own baby wipes or hand sanitizer. Here are some basic things you should bring: -head lamps especially if you have to use the bathroom at night -water jugs (to drink & to wash dishes/hands) -lots of bug spray -jacket (even tho it was high 90s during the day, it was pretty cold at night after midnight) -baby wipes Overall, it was a great camping experience & the store sells BBQ plate every Saturday which wasn't too bad! Highly recommend

    Sarah R.

    One of my favorite ever campsites! My buddies and I actually selected the primitive camping site -- so no table, trash dumpster, fire pit or anything prepared for you. We headed straight into the wild...and LOVED it! When you head into the area on Pine Creek Road, the primitive camping sites are off a small trail to your left. The road is small, so you have to keep an eye out. There's another small trail to your right -- but that leads to a parking lot for climbers & hikers towards the mountain. Heading into the primitive camping trail, we passed a number of other campers and tents. Further on, there's a secluded spot for one (larger) car to park to your right. Then, you can head down a number of rock steps into a beautifully private area with the BEST view. (I mean, the view is beautiful from anywhere; yet this is the farthest secluded spot for photos rather than being close to the mountains.) We made our own fire pit, brought a picnic table and you know whatever else you'd need for camping. There are multiple trash dumpsters in town, so leave no trace!

    Lake 2
    Kris J.

    This was my first backpacking camping trip! It was a super hard trek for a first-timer, but I fell in love! The challenge of carrying 30lbs of gear while trying to make it to 10,000 ft is so rewarding. You get to the top, for us that was between the 1st and 2nd lake. It had plenty of trees and for shade and hanging hammocks. Being between both lakes was perfect. All you had to do was take a short hike to either one. Lake 2 is gorgeous with a first-row seat to Temple Crag! The views on the way up are SPECTACULAR! Be sure to get your permit! https://www.recreation.gov/camping/big-pine-creek-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70617

    View from Site 18
    Courtney C.

    Big Pine Creek Campground is at the end of Big Pine Canyon Road, the last campground before the road runs out. If you go in July and are not familiar with the area, the 115-degree heat on your drive in will cast doubts on whether you will survive your camping trip. The sun will burn you through your car windows. You will consider whether the road is really leading you to Venus. The road to the campground is a lengthy, steep incline, soothing any visions of heat stroke. This extreme rise in altitude makes it at least 12 degrees cooler upon arrival. HALLELUJAH! Big Pine Creek Campground is very well maintained. There are 30 sites for $23.00 a night (at least through Reserve America). My boyfriend and I stayed at site 18, which was down a somewhat private road, set back from the rest of the campsites. We rarely saw our neighbors the entire time. The gushing brook was only a few steps away and the soundtrack to our experience. Mountains surround the campground, which can feel a bit claustrophobic, but only if you're uptight. I was. On the final day, after our hike had yielded crystal glacier water and intense waterfalls, and after I'd witnessed a meteor as I stood outside the bathrooms, it dawned on me that Big Pine was incredible. This campground provides a great getaway to unwind from city life and personal stressors. This is one of the few campgrounds I truly plan on revisiting.

    Big Pine Creek
    H. M.

    I was here for a Memorial Day weekend camping trip. The campground is at the end of Glacier Lodge Rd, next to Glacier Lodge. I've been on many camping trips but it was my first time at Big Pine Creek. This campground is beautiful. There are lots of pine trees and aspens, the creek running alongside the campground is clean, the campsites are clean, and the bathrooms are clean. There is good spacing and seperation between campsites. There are several trails from the campground--some easy, some tougher, but all beautiful. I didn't have a chance to do any fishing, but I saw plenty of people with freshly caught trout walking from the creek to their campsites. Once word of caution though for people bringing trailers. I have a 28' travel trailer and a Suburban. There is a very narrow spot n the road caused by two trees by campsites 6, 7 & 8. I barely made it through that spot. Ii was too far into the camground to back up, so with a lot of time and jockeying the trailer back and forth, I was able to make it through with about 1/2" to spare (literally). If you have a longer trailer/vehicle setup, I recommend that you stick to the sites reachable from making a left at the center roadway. If necessary, you can then back-up to sites 22 & 23 pretty easily. If you decide not to take that advice, then please do yourself a favor and park your rig at the entrance to the campsite and walk your way to your campsite to survey the amount of space you have for your rig to get through--an extra 10 minutes just might save some repair bills. One last thing, this campground and Glacier Lodge are right next to each other. Glacier Lodge offers showers for $4.00 per five minutes. Just note that there is only one shower, so don't be surprised if there is a line. Oh, and I believe the shower is available only until 4:00pm (but I'm not positive about that).

    Our campsite

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    9 years ago

    Beautiful scenery, feels otherworldly. Road is curvy and narrow.

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    Ask the Community - Big Pine Creek Campground

    Any fishing here or close to this campsite?

    There's a pond right by the entrance with a few benches. You can also fish in the nearby creek

    Anyone know the conditions expected in the next couple weeks (late June early July 2019)? With all the snow we got was wondering situation there up at 7700 ft

    We were just there and it was gorgeous! Snow and mud on high hiking trails and the stream is very high!

    Is it too cold to go in December?

    It is closed, but the Glacier Lodge cabins are open.glacierlodge395.com

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    Review Highlights - Big Pine Creek Campground

    -Firewood sold at the Glacier Lodge (less than 1 mile away up the lane), OR look for an enclosed fenced off area with firewood inside.

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    Cottonwood Lakes

    Cottonwood Lakes

    5.0(5 reviews)
    74.5 km

    Not going to lie, this hike unexpectedly really beat me up. I intended to do the entire loop but…read morewas just so exhausted/overwhelmed when I woke up that I ended up turning back, although I took a different way back. I only made it to Lake 3 but to be fair, it started heavily pouring with intermittent thunder and lightning. The elevation gain destroyed me with my 20+ pound backpack, but I eventually made it to Lake 3 where I joined 2 other girls who basically adopted my clueless self. It is beautiful but perhaps would have been better without the cloudy skies. Overall, I would do this trip again but with more training!!

    The Cottonwood Lakes are a series of 5 lakes in the high Eastern Sierra Nevada at about 11,000'…read moreelevation where you can catch California golden trout. This is a great place to camp out if you are looking for a place to acclimate before doing a high altitude hike such as Whitney. For convenience, you can just camp out at the trailhead which is at 10,000'. It takes about an hour to get from the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead to the Whitney Portal. I arrived here on July 3rd in the afternoon and spent one night and the following day fishing and hiking the area as a warmup to Whitney, which I was hiking on July 5th. Ultimately, I did not have any altitude sickness issues beyond a very mild headache which I could treat with ibuprofen. From the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead, the Cottonwood Lakes are about 5.5 miles away, so 11 miles roundtrip. Cottonwood Lake #3 is the largest of the five, and I ended up catching all my trout here. However, I didn't spend much time, if any, at the other lakes due to time constraints. I caught 4 trout in about an hour and a half. It's a very beautiful area, with large open meadows and lots of wildlife. I saw a deer and a pair of coyote while hiking to the lakes. There are also hordes of mosquitos so be sure to bring powerful mosquito repellant. Cottonwood Lakes can also be the midpoint in a hike to Mt. Langley, but that's another review.

    Photos
    Cottonwood Lakes
    Cottonwood Lakes
    Cottonwood Lakes

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    Mosquito Flat Trailhead

    Mosquito Flat Trailhead

    4.9(27 reviews)
    50.4 km

    This review is for Little Lakes Valley To Gem Lakes which was a ~7.2 miles round trip that took…read more~4.5 hours to complete. Trail will take you to 6 different lakes (Mack, Marsh, Heart, Box, Long and Gem Lakes). With an optional detour to a 7th lake called Chickenfoot Lake (located after Long Lake). Trail was mostly a rocky incline towards Gem Lakes. There were some fall colors on the shrubs but not on the trees of this trail. Beware of altitude sickness! The worse symptom for us this time was shortness of breath. Decent sized parking area at the trailhead. However, it was almost full at sunrise. Restrooms are available within a short walk from the start of the trail. The drive towards the parking lot gets narrow and harder to fit two cars. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/lHZW-RvsUXk

    LITTLE LAKES VALLEY TRAIL -…read more It's a very scenic and fun hike. If you're able, make sure you visit most of the lakes ( I think there are seven total). Reaching Long Lake (5th lake) is a good turnaround point for most people. Be prepared to get your feet wet as several portions of the trail were over a stream. TIPS: This trail is not ideal for those who have mobility issues. A lot of rocks, steps, gravel, and in some cases water and snow. Get to the parking lot by 8:30. The lot will fill up fast, and you'll have to drive down the road to find parking. There's a bathroom in the parking lot.

    Photos
    Mosquito Flat Trailhead
    Mosquito Flat Trailhead
    Mosquito Flat Trailhead

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    Sabrina Basin Trail - About to eat lunch! Water was too cold to take a dip!

    Sabrina Basin Trail

    4.6(7 reviews)
    23.9 km

    Great place to visit for all family! We discovered this place by chance, but we fell in love with…read morethe natural beauty--clear water, drinkable air, and a pure, peaceful atmosphere!

    Everywhere online says that this trail is a 6 miler, but it is most definitely 7 to get Blue Lake…read more Just keep that in mind when you don't reach the lake at 3 miles. Also keep in mind that this is a backpacking trail where you can continue beyond Blue Lake and reach numerous other lakes such as Dingleberry Lake, Hungry Packer Lake, Moonlight Lake, etc. However, my group of friends opted for a day hike since we aren't experienced backpackers. Soon after beginning the hike you get to Sabrina Lake which is neat in and of itself, but was not our final destination. If you wanted it to be, it could, as there are plenty of people enjoying the basin on their boats. Fun fact, Sabrina is pronounced SUH-BRAH-EE-NUH, not SUH-BREE-NUH, as one local informed us haha. Anyway, this hike was unlike any other I've been on due to the terrain. I've never been to the Sierras and it's so cool that it's like a dessert, alpine hybrid. There are beautiful alpine flowers (pink, purple, and orange) along the entire hike, two mini falls/streams that you have to cross, and plenty of rocky switchbacks. I would not call this a very intense hike as there aren't any portions that involve climbing or jumping. The only challenge I can imagine is if you didn't bring snacks/lunch to enjoy once you reach the beautiful Lake Blue. Lake Blue is crisp looking and crisp FEELING. You will definitely get hypothermia if you stay in for longer than a couple minutes. My feet were almost instantly numb, and my two friends that dared to (quickly) dunk their bodies in were extremely thankful for the hot noon sun that warmed and dried them fairly quickly. Make sure to bring bug spray because in the areas where you cross streams, there are HUGE SWARMS OF MOSQUITOS. Also there are bears and long-horned goats apparently, so be prepared in all situations. Happy hiking!

    Photos
    Sabrina Basin Trail - Sabrina lake, October 2025.

    Sabrina lake, October 2025.

    Sabrina Basin Trail - Pearl trout on Sabrina Lake. October, 2025.

    Pearl trout on Sabrina Lake. October, 2025.

    Sabrina Basin Trail - Sabrina Lake.

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    Sabrina Lake.

    Big Pine Creek Campground - hiking - Updated May 2026

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