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Inyo National Forest
Hiking - Big Pine Canyon
Big Pine Canyon accesses a series of lakes and the Palisade Glacier in the John Muir Wilderness. It is essentially an in/out route, not connecting with the Pacific Crest or John Muir trails, as do most entry points. The loop around the lakes is a pleasant stroll and the Palisade Glacier under Mts. Agassiz, Winchell, and Sill is magnificent. But I found the hiking less spectacular than the Bishop Creek and Onion Valley areas to the north and south. - Bill Greer
To reach the trailhead from Hwy. 395, turn west on Crocker St. in Big Pine and continue approx. 10 miles up canyon to the end of the road. Overnight parking is located about 1/2mile below the end of the road; in a hiker parking lot. Day use parking is at the roads end.
1. NORTH FORK - BIG PINE CANYON - A hike of 9 to 18 miles depending on destination. The North Fork trail offers access to Big Pine Lakes and the Palisade Glacier, the largest glacier in the Sierra. The Palisade Crest, rising above 14,000', contains some of the finest alpine climbing in CA. The Big Pine Lakes trail zigzags through a slope of sage, manzanita and Jeffrey Pine before it reaches Second Falls and follows along the creek to its headwaters. Hikers will pass a stone cabin built by movie actor Lon Chaney while walking through a forest of Lodgepole Pine. A junction in the trail will go up to Black Lake, where splendid views of the Palisade Glacier and Crest can be seen. The trail from Black Lake will rejoin the main trail near 4th Lake.
Following the main trail will take hikers along past Lakes 1, 2, and 3. Third Lake is fed directly from the Palisade Glacier, causing its milky turquoise color from the glacial powder carried down from the melting glacier. The imposing dark mountain above 3rd Lake is Temple Crag. Fishing enthusiasts can find Rainbow Trout in most of the lakes in the canyon with the higher lakes containing Golden Trout.
The. trail to Palisade Glacier is about 1/2 mile above 3rd Lake. Turn left and follow switchbacks up among grassy benches and boulders to Sam Mack Mdw. About the last 1/2 mile to the glacier requires much boulder hopping and the trail is very obscure. Hikers can meander safely along the over part of the glacier where the slope is gentle, but should avoid the upper reaches unless well experienced on ice and snow.
One way mileages from the trailhead and elevations are: First Lake - 4.5, 9900'; Second Lake - 4.8, 10000'; Third Lake 5.5, 10400'; Fourth Lake - 6.510750'; Sixth Lake - 8.0, 11100; Palisade Glacier - 9.0, 12400;.
2. SOUTH FORK - BIG PINE CANYON - A roundtrip of 8 miles to Willow Lake (9600') or 10 miles to Brainard Lake (10,650'). The South Fork trail (an obscure footpath) climbs up beneath the jagged peaks of the Middle Palisade Crest and gives access to the Middle Palisade Glacier. Along the trail are a few gnarled Limber Pines growing on the . steep slopes below Willow Lake. The few lakes in this drainage contain both Brook and Golden Trout. The trail above Willow Lake becomes indistinct with rock ducks marking the way to the upper lakes.
3. BAKER LAKE/GROUSE SPRING - The Baker Creek trail is now seldom used, for the creek can be reached by a jeep road from Bishop. This trail provides spectacular view of the Palisade Crest. It takes in the canyons of both forks of Big Pine. The trail starts at a junction off the N. Fork trail. There it crosses a ridge and winds through a stand of Jeffrey Pines, that had been logged back in the 1880's. It then climbs past Grouse Spring to a high point on a gentle ridge where views of the Middle Palisade and Disappointment Peak tower above the glacier. To the north, are the high rolling meadows of Baker Creek and Coyote Flat, a remnant of an ancient plain that existed before warping and faulting formed the mountains of the Sierra Nevada.
If you want to hike the lakes below the Palisade Glacier or to reach the Sierra's largest ice field, try Trails of Big Pine Creek, a nice little book benefiting the Inyo County Sheriff's Search and RescueTeam. Contact John Vickers at P.O. Box 3944, Long Beach, CA 90803.
 Move on to Trail Finder: Inyo National Forest
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