Parker Lake Trail: Vibrant Lake Hike near Mammoth Lakes CA

Parker Lake Quick Stats

HIKE TO: Parker Lake
TRAIL: Parker Lake Trail
MILES: 3.73 miles out and back
TIME: 1:23 hrs 
DATE I WENT: 6/28/20 
DIFFICULTY: easy
ELEVATION: 8341 ft
ELEVATION GAIN/ LOSS: 720 ft
HIKE PERMIT: no for day hikes, yes for overnight
PARKING PERMIT: no
LOCATION: Eastern Sierra/ Inyo National Forest California

Trip Report

Parker Lake Trail is a very short and easy hike in the June Lake area up near Mammoth Lakes. The trail is less than 2 miles one way and mostly flat with maybe two very small and short inclines (only a couple feet) which makes it a great option for a family hike or a relaxing hike to stretch your legs after a strenuous hike!

This turquoise alpine lake is a hidden gem and often overlooked as it’s not in the popular Mammoth Lakes Basin, but it is definitely a bang for your buck hike that needs to be on your next Eastern Sierra Nevada trip list—little effort, big reward!

I’ve been lucky to visit this gem twice, once recently for a day hike, and it was one of my first overnight backpacking trips in the Eastern Sierra back in July 2016. It’s great for beginners of all kinds but it’s also always been very windy out there for me in July.

It takes about 40 mins to hike to the lake and the first 25 mins are exposed with no shade so keep that in mind if you’re hiking in the heat. Then, you enter the trees and hike along Parker Creek and there are at least two spots you can easily access the creek right off the trail if you need to filter water or just cool down.

There is one big creek crossing near the end, just before the lake, if you want to reach the right side of the lake, but this can be avoided if you just want to see the lake quickly.

The winds this weekend were high gusts up to 50+ mph… it was the first time I’ve ever seen white-water waves splashing around a tiny alpine lake!

If you plan to backpack to Parker Lake, there are great overnight camping options on the north side of the lake – the right side when you’re looking at the lake. It’s flat with tree coverage and easy access to water. However, there’s not too much to explore from there except walking a little further up along the lake. To access this side of the lake, we had to backtrack just a bit to find a sturdy log to cross Parker Creek. Waking up to the morning reflection out here was 100% worth it.

There is a trail that splits off to Silver Lake just 0.2 miles before reaching Parker Lake if you’re looking to add on some miles.

On the hike out, you also get beautiful views of Mono Lake!

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