On a recent hiking trip, we explored all the eastern approaches into the southern Sierra, and of…read morethese the Big Pine lakes region is the most beautiful (just google for photos), but also unfortunately the longest trail in. Plus for me and my wife (late 50's) it was coming after several long day hikes, so we hired Glacier Pack Train to make the day a little easier. For an extremely reasonable price they agreed to take us up to the third lake, allowing us to hike the rest of the way, exploring all the other lakes and then hiking down. We were so happy we did this, not only because it made the entire region accessible to us, but because the trail ride itself was so incredibly enjoyable on its own. Even though our experience on horses has been pretty limited, we felt like we were riding ourselves, not just being transported up. Truly a terrific day from start to finish.

Gosh, I wish I could give 1,000 stars! I have been going to the upper lakes with the Stewart…read morefamily since I was a little girl, (which was a looooong time ago!) this is the experience of a lifetime. It's like being transported back in time, before cell phones and cars. Living the life of a cowboy! How incredible to have the experience! You can take a day ride of all of the lakes, (and they know the secret trails that aren't on maps), or you can have your camping equipment put on mules and they will fit you with a well trained horse and drop you off in an incredible campsite. They furnish the bear container, and they pick you up at the end of your trip! This is a great way for families with varying hiking abilities to get into the back country together and establish a base camp surrounded by incredible hiking options from an easy stroll to peak bagging. I feel like you haven't lived unless you ride up to the lakes at least once with Mert and Lizzie. They feel like family!

You can't beat this campground for its proximity to the Big Pines Creek trail head. If there's one…read morebit of practical hiking advice I can offer, it's to camp here for at least two days before hitting the trail if you live at a low elevation. I was not acclimated and it made my hike unexpectedly grueling. It's an absolutely beautiful hike, and I wish I was less focused on simply breathing! The entirety of the campground is surprisingly fancy as campgrounds go. Lots of manicured public spaces. But the store always seemed closed which probably had something to do with the government shutdown happening at the time. Directional signage within the campground (to specific site numbers and to the trailhead) is pretty awful and I wasted a decent amount of time trying to find my site. I got up pretty early to hit the trail (just as the sun rose), and had to use AllTrails to point me to the trailhead. In early Oct, it can get pretty cold up there so setting up camp at 4:30pm wasn't ideal. Try to get there earlier bc it cools down really fast. My specific site (26) was really private and very nice. It looked just like the pictures on Recreation dot gov. It sits beside a bubbling little stream, yet mosquitoes were never an issue. It was also the most level and tidiest tent pad I've ever had the pleasure of sleeping on. There was a major drop-off between the car pull-in and the campsite, so I had to be extra vigilant about not breaking my neck during the frequent back and forth loading and unloading.

I come here every year, usually in June or mid-August to hike the Big Pine Lakes trail. This year,…read morethe only reservation I could get was for April. We stayed over the weekend and it was absolutely freezing!!! Driving up, you could already see the mountains covered in snow and I knew right away we were in trouble! It got down to 21 degrees! I had double gloves, double layers, double everything and I still couldn't feel my fingers!!! Lol. I was so glad I brought my snow cleats because they helped a lot since the trails were covered in snow! For safety reasons, we decided to only hike up to Lake 2. The usual beautiful turquoise blue lakes were nowhere to be found and instead replaced with a half frozen lake. It was still a cool sight to see and I'm grateful I got to experience it at least once in my life because I swear, I will never stay here again in April! No way! Hahhaha. I definitely would not recommend camping here that time of year unless you have an RV or are really prepared for winter conditions. We were a big group which made the experience a lot more fun. I love this campground and there's a reason it's so hard to book. It's truly beautiful up there. If you're lucky enough to snag a reservation, definitely check it out.

Wow!! Just got back from a two night backpacking trip. I stood at lake one and lake two and it…read moredidn't disappoint. This is my third time here and first time as an overnight. I got to explore, fish, swim, relax, and wake up to an amazing view. This hike is hard especially with a 35-40lb backpack. Plenty of tent site if you got a permit.

Stayed couple days in mid-May at the Upper Sage campground and did the hike to the first two lakes…read more Due to snow, it's where most people turned around. It was the perfect distance for a nice day hike, at about 10 miles. Nice reward of picturesque lakes at the end, and you turn around head back. I went down to touch the water, but some people went swimming in the ice cold water! This was a very popular trail and seemed like everyone brought their dogs. Out of maybe 20 parties with dogs, 1 actually had it on a leash. I would recommend starting this hike early so you can grab a parking spot at the trailhead and avoid the heat.

I recommend staying here as it is so close to the trailhead going to the big pine lakes. Cabins had…read moreeverything from cooking utensils dishes and towels even seasonings. I'm going back real soon.

After an 8-hour hike to the glacier, we stopped at this spot for some BBQ--and it really hit the…read morespot! They served us a plate loaded with spicy sausage, tri-tip, chicken, pulled pork, and ribs. It also came with potato salad, baked beans, a slice of bread, and a piece of watermelon. The food tasted great, especially after a long day on the trail. Sitting is outdoors. People were friendly.

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.

I visit Convict Lake every year because it's just so beautiful! No wonder those escaped prisoners…read moreyears ago stayed here! You cannot resist such a beautiful lake with the mountain backdrop. Okay, the parking is terrible but if you're patient and parking lot pimpin', there will be an open spot for you! The water is freezing here in the summer but that is why I love it so much! I love being the 1 out of 3 people who swims here lol. If you want to fish here, I promise there's no fish here. We can never catch anything here! 10/10 will always visit again.

+ Fun, beautiful place to kayak. We enjoyed the 4-person tandem pedal kayaking with Convict Lake…read moreResort Marina Rental. . Pedal kayaking is done with your feet, like bike riding, instead of with your arms. + CLRMR's 4-person pedal kayak raft is secure, reliable, and good quality. + Pleasant ambience. Aside from 1 or 2 other boats blasting music, it's almost like we had the whole lake to ourselves. . Life vests are under our seats, and optional. . No seat belts. . Lotta fishers here, - so gotta be careful not to pedal close to their lines. - 4 stinky, under-maintained restrooms (37°35'38.8"N 118°51'04.4"W). - Water spigot not working. + Free parking, - but very crowded.

The Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery was a fun stop along the 395 near Lone Pine, mainly Independence…read more However, it is no longer much of a fish hatchery following a flood and fire affecting the factory itself. While fish still live there, it no longer houses the famous "California Golden Trout". The Fish Hatchery now holds an intriguing museum with tons of history, facts, and artifacts of the West's nature. The staff are very nice and thoughtful volunteers, whom are very helpful.

Beautiful stop. I've never been able to go inside, as it's always been closed when I've come by,…read morebut the grounds are well worth the stop on their own. Bring quarters to feed the fish :)

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!

First time for us four at Sequoia NP and we loved our experience in Crystal Cave. The staff overall…read moreloved what they do and you can tell. Right from the get go the staff welcomes your group and is telling you instructions to take care of yourself, your group and the caves/park. They greet you with enthusiasm and you learn so much. Please arrive on time! For parking there's quite a bit of spaces. There's restroom nearby so you can go before heading out. You can bring your backpack onto the trail but can't bring it inside the cave. So you can either bring it and leave it on the floor outside the cave or in your car. The trail can be a little challenging for some but very doable. Can be a little challenging for some children and some older adults. This also includes for the caves.The staff are there to watch for your safety but they do warn you about your surroundings. The cave is very cool to explore but there will be some tight spaces you will navigate through. So I don't recommend bringing a stroller and make sure your kids are able to walk and stay near. They will definitely enjoy the cool nature stuff inside! There's a gift shop stand near the entrance of the trail. You can buy nice souvenirs, snacks, and support! Overall we loved our tour and we would comeback again for this. Thank you to all the staff of Crystal Cave for all that you do and taking care of this natural beauty.

We made reservations to see the crystal cave and arrived early. They were able to move up our time…read morewhich was really nice since there's not much to do around there. Once it was time to hike down they made some general announcements and we met the guide at entrance of the cave. It was nice to have someone tell us the history of the cave and guide us through. The 20 minute hike down and up wasn't too bad and was completely doable for my 6 year old son. Overall, it was a unique experience and I'm glad we made the stop during our Sequoia trip!