Bench Lake Trail

Bench Lake Trail is a 23.1-mile out-and-back from Taboose Pass Trailhead, up Taboose Creek to Taboose Pass, then along the John Muir Trail and the Bench Lake spur. The distance includes the return along the same route. This is a remote, high-altitude backpacking trip; allow two or three days and about 20 hours of walking across the full out-and-back. The lake is the reward, but most of the work comes on the climb from the Owens Valley.

You start around 5,500 feet among black lava and sage, then climb through the canyon of Taboose Creek between Cardinal and Goodale mountains. The route gains more than 6,000 feet to the pass. The lower approach is rocky, hot and short on shade, so it feels much bigger than the mileage suggests. Treat creek and lake water before drinking.

At roughly 11,400 feet, the pass opens a view down the South Fork Kings Canyon toward the Cirque Crest. From here, follow a short stretch of the John Muir Trail to the Bench Lake spur. The final walk to the lake is easier than the long climb to the pass, but you're still high in the Sierra and a long way from the road. You'll return by the same route.

Bench Lake sits in a high alpine basin beneath Arrow Peak, with rocky shore and pines around the water. From the shore, frame the lake in front of Arrow Peak and include the shoreline rocks or pines for scale. No food, toilets or potable water were verified along the route.

The trailhead is at the end of Taboose Creek Road, about 12 miles south of Big Pine and six miles west of Highway 395. The last six miles are rough, bumpy dirt; there are no bear lockers at the trailhead. Overnight wilderness permits are required year-round and are issued by Inyo National Forest because the trip starts there. From May 1 through November 1, the trailhead quota is 10 people per day; day use does not require a permit. Pets are prohibited on the Kings Canyon trail portion. No campfires are allowed along Taboose Creek or above 10,400 feet.