Best Hiking Trails in Inyo National Forest

Overview

Stretching 165 miles along the Nevada border in eastern California, Inyo National Forest is home to nine wilderness areas and huge sections of multi-use forest lands. The forest offers a staggering 2 million acres of desert landscape, pristine alpine lakes, old-growth pine and fir forests, and the highest peak in the lower 48 states — Mount Whitney. The forest is also home to the ancient Bristlecone Pine, a 5,000-year-old tree that grows in the alkaline soil of the White Mountains.

Ranging from 3,900 feet to 14,494 feet at Mount Whitney, Inyo National Forest provides a wide diversity in ecosystems and recreational opportunities. In the lowlands, the high desert dominates with fields of sagebrush and barren hillsides. Pine forests, gushing rivers, and cold alpine lakes characterize the forest’s middle elevations. While a large part of Inyo National Forest pokes above tree-line into the exposed, high-elevation alpine.

In addition to Mount Whitney, the main attractions in Inyo National Forest include Mono Lake, Devil’s Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Recreational activities abound and the forest is known for its world-class rock climbing, backpacking, day hiking, mountain biking, bouldering, backcountry and nordic skiing, resort skiing and snowboarding, fishing, offroading, camping, horseback riding, peak bagging, and scenic drives.

Getting Started

Access Inyo National Forest and all of its attractions through the many trailheads and access points that branch off of U.S. Highway 395. A good place to start is by visiting one of Inyo National Forest's five visitor centers located in Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes, Bishop, the Bristle Cone Pine Forest, and Lone Pine, California. The visitor centers sell guide books and maps and have rangers who can provide information and answer questions. The main trailheads for getting into Inyo National Forest's Wilderness areas include the Whitney Portal, Onion Valley, the trailheads out of the town of Bishop, and Reds Meadow. Many of the trails in Inyo National Forest provide access to the Pacific Crest Trail, the John Muir Trail, and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, as well as Yosemite National Park.

When to Go

Summer months are busy in Inyo National Forest. Enjoy fewer crowds in spring and fall, although expect to encounter snow in the shoulder seasons if traveling to the higher elevations. Inyo National Forest is also a winter paradise with snowcapped mountains providing opportunities for backcountry ski touring and resort skiing and snowboarding at one of the largest ski areas in the United States: Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in Mammoth Lakes, California.

Permits

Permits are required for overnight trips to the John Muir, Ansel Adams, Golden Trout and Hoover Wilderness Areas within the Inyo National Forest and can be reserved online or obtained on a first-come, first-served basis at one of the forest's visitor centers.

Mount Whitney has special permit regulations to manage the crowds of people that want to summit the highest peak in the lower 48. Overnight visitors and day hikers need a permit to enter the Whitney Zone. Permits can be reserved online, or applied for in person the day before your hike at the visitor center in Lone Pine. Walk-in permits are given out at 11 a.m. on the day before your hike begins.

Dog Info

Dogs are welcome in Inyo National Forest. The Forest Service recommends that dogs be kept on a leash at all times to avoid conflict with other people and animals. It is important to note that the National Park Service manages the wilderness on the eastern side of the Sierra Crest and that dogs are not allowed in the backcountry of the national parks.