June Lake Loop
This year during our visit to the Mammoth Lakes area in California we took the scenic June Lake Loop drive. For about 15 miles the road goes though alpine scenery and passes four glacial lakes. We stopped at two of the lakes to take short hikes.
The first lake was Gull Lake which is the smallest of the 4 lakes. We parked at the Gull Lake Park near a children’s playground, started counter-clockwise around the lake and soon came to this view of the lake and mountains.
A little further along we got a partial view of the meadow on one side of the lake. If you look very closely you might see another group hiking through the meadow.
Here is a little closer view if you had trouble spotting the hikers in the previous picture.
This is a 3 picture panorama which shows how large the meadow is. This was during Labor Day weekend and the grass was golden yellow.
Looking back along the way we came these buildings reminded us of European style chateaux.
All of the 4 lakes are known for fishing and the people in the boats are probably doing just that. The most common fish caught there are brook and rainbow trout.
The trail through the meadow is flat and easy going so even the 99 year old in our group had no trouble following it. Here he was even leading the way. At about the halfway point is a small picnic area where several of our group stayed while the rest continued. Beyond this are several short ups and downs in the trail which might have been a little troublesome for him.
Another activity to do on the lake is sailboarding which someone was enjoying. At the left rear of the lake is where our starting point was. In the trees to the right is a small 11 site campground.
When returning to our car we came across this sign. Maybe they should add a sign for old hikers like our group had.
After having lunch at the picnic area with all of our group we drove to the next lake which is Silver Lake. It lies at an elevation of 7,200 feet and is also known for fishing. We passed several groups along the shore engaging in this. Boating is allowed on the lake though we did not see any while we were there.
The clouds had cleared some from the morning overcast and made some interesting formations.
This is one of the groves of aspens near the lake and in a sort time will probably make some nice fall colors this area is known for.
This lake also has a large meadow as this 3 picture panorama shows. However there is not a trail through it and it was a bit soggy so I just ventured far enough to take these pictures.
One last look at Silver Lake before returning to the car. For those wanting to stay a bit there is a 63 site campground near this lake.
Resources:
A little information on the Gull Lake Hike.
Fishing information for all 4 lakes.
