Trail Conditions

Mather Pass

Jessie Wheeler

Here you will find the most recent trail conditions available. Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions. Thunderstorms are common during the summer months and can turn a clear day into a threatening situation in a matter of hours. Consider all possibilities before you head out on your trip and check out the Trail Safety page for more information on the dangers of wilderness travel.

At the end of September wilderness rangers are removed from the field and updated conditions become less available. You can help us by sending an email to report trail conditions. In general, you should expect winter conditions across the Parks' wilderness. For more information please call the Wilderness Office at [phone].

For snowpack data, visit the California Department of Water Resources snow survey website.

Climbing Mt. Langley
During a project to restore the route to the top of Mount Langley, miles of social trails were removed and a new route was marked with cairns. If you climb Mount Langley, please leave the cairns in place and use them to follow the new route.

Drift Fences
You may encounter "Drift Fences" in the wilderness. These fences are utilized to keep stock (horses, mules, and llamas) from roaming freely or impacting ecologically sensitive areas. Each fence has either a sliding pole or swinging gate across the trail for visitors to pass through. Please close all gates behind you to protect wilderness resources.

 

Cedar Grove and Roads End

The road into Cedar Grove and Roads End has opened for the season.

Lewis Creek and Kennedy Pass

6/22 - Kennedy Pass from our approach on the Lewis Creek TH it was snow-free until almost the top. There was only one patch of snow, easily walked through. At the very top there was snow with some small sun cups, and the trail got lost in it. Looking down the north side was solid snow to a tarn that is directly down the north slope of the pass based on the trail map, we believe the snow field covered the switchbacks of the trail down the mountain.

Copper Creek and Granite Pass
07/13 - Most snow has melted out at Granite Pass. Passable with no special gear.

Woods Creek, Bubbs Creek, and Glen Pass (Rae Lakes Loop)

7/29 - Glen Pass clear of snow, easy travel.
7/14 - Bubbs Creek is moving swiftly, trekking poles required at junction meadow

Pinchot Pass
6/22 - Pinchot Pass north side is snow free, south side has some large snow fields.Not difficult. Mather Pass 1 mile of snow and icy crampons recommended.

Forester Pass
7/29 - South side is stock passable, use caution. North side has some small snow patches that are melting quickly.

Grant Grove and Jennie Lakes Wilderness Area

JO Pass
7/18 - Weaver Trail: Weaver Lake over to JO Pass Trail: 5-6 new trees down. Some rock washout and some water bar and brushing work is needed in small sections before and after the creeks. NOTE: very good late Summer water source down at the Boulder Creek drainage.

Seville, Ranger, and Lost Lakes and Belle Canyon
7/13 - Belle Canyon to Comanche Meadow not stock passable at this time due to downed trees will be logged out in the next week or so.

7/13 - Trail to Seville and Lost Lakes have been logged out.

Redwood Canyon

7/13 - Prescribed burn in this area. Still a lot of lingering smoke trail closures in effect.

Sugarloaf Valley and Roaring River

7/14 - To Sugerloaf Meadow trails are good, however a lot of down trees that are hard to get around, but doable. Comanche Meadow to Seville Lake there are a lot of down trees but you can get around them. Sugerloaf Creek is difficult cross due to high water.

Lodgepole, Wolverton, and Crescent Meadow

Twin Lakes Trail
6/19 - Snow Free until at least Silliman pass, possible patchy snow beyond but nothing significant.

Alta Peak Trail
7/13 - Snow Free

Pear Lake Trail
7/29 - Snow free.

Tablelands
7/8 - Almost all snow has melted from the Tablelands

High Sierra Trail
7/05 - Snow Free to Kaweah Gap then some patchy snow that is easy to navigate.

Elizabeth Pass
7/29 - Snow free. West side is a bit rough, easy to lose the trail at times. Route finding skill necessary.

Foothills

Middle Fork Trail

7/29 - No water in Redwood Meadow, Some Water in Little Bearpaw meadow.

6/13 - Lower Granite Creek in the Middle Fork valley is running high and swift. Crossing where the trail crosses water is above waist deep. Alternate crossing 200 feet up stream of Lower Granite Creek is a safer crossing area.

Garfield Grove Trail (South Fork)
07/29 - Snow free to Garfield Grove. No reports past the grove. Expect high temperatures

Ladybug Trail (South Fork)
7/29 - Snow free. Expect high temperatures

Lower Colony Mill Trail (North Fork)
6/09 - No recent reports. Snow free.

Mineral King and Kern Canyon

Mineral King Road is open.

Paradise Ridge Trail
7/29 - Clear of snow.

Timber Gap
7/13 - Black Rock Pass eastside has a few patches that are easy to navigate, west side is clear

Tar Gap
7/13 - Snow free, less than 5 trees down. All creeks crossable with boots on, hiking poles recommended as they are still running real swift.

Sawtooth
7/29 - Clear of snow. Glacier Pass is clear of snow.

Franklin Lakes and Franklin Pass
7/29 - Not much snow at the top of Franklin, easy to navigate and get across without special equipment.

White Chief, Eagle Lake, and Mosquito Lakes
7/29 - Clear of snow.

Atwell/Hockett Trail
7/29 - Clear of snow. Trail begins to deteriorate as it heads down to Quinn Cabin. Forest Service trails east of the NPS border are unreliable at best. Navigation skills, map, compass, and/or GPS device necessary. Mosquitoes are starting to hatch, so the next few weeks might be getting pretty bad.

Sierra Crest and East Side (Inyo National Forest)

For more information on trails starting on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, contact the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center at [phone] or the Inyo National Forest Wilderness Office at [phone].

Bishop Pass
7/29 - Bishop Pass 100% snow free. East side has some snow on the switchbacks

Mather Pass
7/29 - Mostly snow-free. There is one level snowfield at the top of the pass for approximately 50ft.

Piute Pass
7/29 - No recent reports. .

Muir Pass
6/28 - Mostly snowfields with sporadic patches of exposed trail from south of Helen Lake to the Wanda Lake outlet. Unstable snowbridge in upper LeConte Canyon prior to Helen Lake. Recommended crossing calf-deep stream just up canyon of snowbridge instead.

Taboose Pass
7/29 - Clear of Snow.

Sawmill Pass
7/29 - No recent reports.

Baxter Pass
7/29 - No recent reports.

Kearsarge Pass
7/29 - No recent reports.

Shepherd Pass

7/29 - West side is snow free. East side has a 25 ft stretch of snow. Use caution, no crampons necessary.

ADVISORY: Not passable by stock. A flash flood has created several gullies 20 - 30 feet deep with near-vertical faces along the trail between Mahogany Flat and the Pothole on the east side (Inyo NF) side of Shepherd Pass. Symmes Creek near the eastern end of the trail is also scoured out, in places up to 50-60 feet wide and 20 feet deep. Hikers attempting to cross the gullies are at risk of dislodging rocks and causing severe injuries.

Mount Whitney Trail
7/8 - Mostly snow on East and West side of the summit. One low angle snow field near the summit and the cables visitors should use caution.

ADVISORY: No long term parking at Whitney Portal in 2016 due to road construction. Contact Inyo National Forest at [phone] or visit their website for more information.

Old Army Pass
6/24 - Old army Pass not advised at this time steep snow field along the top of the pass. Ice axe and crampons recommended. Water at Siberian Outpost is plentiful Guyot Creek in not running at all.

New Army Pass
6/24 - New Army Pass steep snow field that is avoidable with a moderate scramble on rocks.

6/10 - Creek from New Army Pass to Rock Creek and Lower Crabtree meadow is a straight forward crossing.

Cottonwood Pass
6/09 - No recent reports.

Kern Canyon
6/09 - No recent reports.

Lamarck Col
6/29 - There are large snowfields to the west of the Col on the NPS side, but it's possible to avoid these snowfields and stay on rock/sand. On the USFS side, the headwall is snow-covered with some rocks sticking out. The lake below the Col is completely unfrozen. Below the Col on USFS side, there are about four large snowfields between the Col area and Lower Lamarck Lake. Finding traces of the "trail" between the snowfields was easy. Traction aids or Ice axe not necessary.

 

New Army Pass

Photo by N. Ver