Bishop Area Trailheads - Horton Lake, North Lake, Lake Sabrina, South Lake
Hwy 395 Waypoints - Eastern Sierra Trailheads and Junctions
Red Lake and Birch Lake Trailheads via McMurry Mdw
GENERAL NOTES:
For the North Fork and South Fork trails, just take the Glacier Lodge Road (aka West Crocker Rd) west from the center of Big Pine (waypoint BIGPIN). (The Red Lake and Birch Lake trailheads are accessed via McMurry Meadow road, a right turn off Glacier Lodge Road before you get to the trailheads described on this page.)
About 11 miles from Big Pine you'll hit the end of the road (day use parking only, waypoint DAYUSE) where there is a pit toilet and a bear box. Most people drop their packs off at the trailhead, park just over half a mile downhill at the backpacker's parking lot (waypoint BCKPCK) and walk back to the trailhead without a pack. There are several bear boxes and some more toilets at the backpacker parking lot.
The South Fork (of Big Pine Creek) trail goes slightly uphill from the day use trailhead, then crosses the North Fork and drops into the South Fork drainage. Expect lots of mosquitoes around Willow Lake! This is the trail to Brainard and Finger lakes (for Sill, Gayley, Temple Crag, Middle Palisade, Norman Clyde, Southfork Pass, etc).
The North Fork (of Big Pine Creek) trail can be reached from the day use trailhead, but there is a more efficient trail that sidehills up directly from the backpacker's parking lot. You may get confused by the pack station, but the trail goes above it and stays well above the old road (now closed at the day use parking area due to an un-fixed washout many years ago). This is the trail to 'the numbered lakes' (First Lake through Seventh Lake), Sam Mack Meadow and the Palisade Glacier (for eastern approaches to the V Notch, U Notch, Winchell, Thunderbolt, North Palisade, Polemonium, Sill, Temple Crag, etc).
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