Charlotte Lake Trail

The rocky single-track begins at the end of Onion Valley Road beside a tributary of Independence Creek. At the signed fork about 0.3 mile in, stay left for Kearsarge Pass rather than turning toward Golden Trout Lakes. The trail climbs through forest and alpine tundra past Little Pothole, Gilbert, and Flower Lakes. Above Flower, the slope turns rockier and more open; switchbacks finish the climb to the roughly 11,800-foot pass, about five miles from the trailhead.

The pass marks the crossing into Kings Canyon. For this mapped variant, follow the upper, north-side path across Kearsarge Basin to the Charlotte Lake junction. The traverse runs along a rocky shelf above the basin; views open south toward Vidette Peaks and Bubbs Creek Canyon, with Bullfrog and Kearsarge Lakes below. Keep to the north route at the basin split: the lower branch toward Bullfrog belongs to a different basin circuit. After the lake, you still have to regain the pass on the return.

At the junction, take the Charlotte Lake spur. It descends through lodgepole and foxtail pine, then a meadow, to the lake's east bank and follows the north shore to campsites. The wide view across the water to the rocky Sierra walls is the payoff; give yourself time here before retracing the full route.

Day use does not require a wilderness permit. Overnight trips need one year-round, and camping at Charlotte Lake is limited to two nights; store food and scented items in a bear-proof container. Treat water from creeks and lakes. Pets are prohibited on trails inside Kings Canyon, so dogs cannot continue past the pass on this route. If you want a shorter day, turn around at Kearsarge Pass, about five miles from Onion Valley, for roughly a 10-mile out-and-back.