Big Pine Lakes & Palisade Glacier
Big Pine Lakes
A group of high alpine lakes stained emerald green by glacial flour, with Palisade Glacier, the southernmost glacier in the Sierra Nevada, rising behind them.
Head up the north fork of Big Pine Creek from the trailhead near the Glacier Lodge. About 7.5 km in you reach the first lake, with the second and third lakes just beyond. The water is milky green from rock flour ground up by the glacier. This is one of the most popular day hikes in the eastern Sierra. The round trip is about 15–20 km, with roughly 700 meters of elevation gain. Fit hikers can continue to the glacier viewpoint. Overnight stays require a wilderness permit. The trailhead is about 17 km west of the town of Big Pine, roughly 40 minutes' drive from Bishop.
Opening hours
About June–Oct, daytime
Nearby sights
- South Lake
- Keough's Hot Springs
- Lake Sabrina
- North Lake
- Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center
- Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ
- Buttermilk Boulders
- Laws Railroad Museum