Kearsarge Lakes Trail

Kearsarge Lakes Trail is a 12.5-mile round-trip out and back from the Onion Valley trailhead, crossing 11,700-foot Kearsarge Pass before dropping into a high Sierra basin beneath the Kearsarge Pinnacles. Allow about eight hours. The trailhead is already around 9,200 feet, so even the climb to the pass is a serious high-elevation outing. Continue from the pass on the lower basin branch, take the Kearsarge Lakes spur to the shore, and return along the same corridor. The distance does not include wandering the informal lake-edge paths or extending to Bullfrog or Charlotte Lakes. For a shorter day, turn at the pass for roughly 10 miles round trip.

From Onion Valley, rocky singletrack follows a creek tributary before a signed fork about 0.3 mile in. Keep left for the Kearsarge route, away from Golden Trout Lakes. The steady climb crosses old moraines and passes Little Pothole Lake at about 1.4 miles, Gilbert Lake around 2.1 miles, and Flower Lake by a short spur near 2.4 miles. Heart Lake lies farther up the same slope. Above it, switchbacks thread through foxtail pines, then the trail opens into a dwarf whitebark pine zone before the final zigzags to the pass. The upper slope is rocky and exposed, and the climbing continues for most of the approach.

Kearsarge Pass sits near 11,700 feet and marks the boundary between Inyo National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park. Pause for the eastward view toward Owens Valley, then descend the rocky west face. Basin junctions lead to the lower route toward Kearsarge Lakes, to Bullfrog Lake, and onward to the John Muir and Pacific Crest trails. They serve longer itineraries, so follow the lower branch for the lakes and watch the junctions on your return.

The Kearsarge Lakes sit beneath the Kearsarge Pinnacles. Campsites are found around the first and second lakes, and an informal shore path continues toward the third and largest. The saved distance ends at the mapped Kearsarge Lakes spur by the shore; exploring farther around the lakes adds mileage and is not part of the measured route. When the water is calm, the Pinnacles can reflect on the lake. Include a strip of shoreline in a photo to show the basin's scale.

Onion Valley Road is usually open from May into November, depending on snow; check the road before choosing a date. The trailhead has a vault toilet, trash cans, and bear-resistant food lockers. Pack a full day of food; all natural water must be treated before drinking. Day hikes do not require a wilderness permit, but overnight trips do year-round. Overnight entries have a seasonal quota from May 1 through November 1, campfires are prohibited, and Kearsarge Lakes camping is limited to two nights. Pets are prohibited on trails inside Kings Canyon, so this cross-boundary route is not suitable for dogs.