Incredible Beauty on Hilton Lakes Trail
As we were working our way north on Highway 395, we checked out the hikes at the three main trailheads near the end of Rock Creek Road: Tamarack Lakes, Little Lakes Valley, and Hilton Lakes. And so far, Hilton Lakes Trail is one of our favorite day hikes in the eastern Sierras! There are a number of lakes that can be accessed from the Hilton Lakes Trailhead and they are absolutely gorgeous. The ever-changing scenery, trail conditions, and light traffic worked together to make our perfect hiking experience!
Quick Info: Hilton Lakes Trail
Directions: From Bishop, head north on US-395. After about 24 miles turn west onto Rock Creek Road at the sign for Tom’s Place. Follow Rock Creek Road for 9 miles to the Hilton Lakes Trailhead parking on the right.
Distance: 12.4 miles round trip (but variable depending on how many lakes you have time to see)
Difficulty: This is a moderate hike mostly due to the length, which is definitely manageable as a day hike though it would be a beautiful place to spend a night. The trail conditions are great and the ascents are mostly gradual with a few exceptions.
Our Experience on Hilton Lakes Trail
Getting to Hilton Lakes Trail is a gorgeous scenic drive into the Sierras gaining about 2,500 feet elevation. Once at the Hilton Lakes Trailhead, there is a parking area, a group of bear boxes and a vault toilet. Backtrack from the parking area to the sign for Hilton Lakes trail and begin!
At the start, there is a relatively steep initial ascent allowing for a nice view of Rock Creek Lake below and across the way. From here, the trail becomes very pleasant with gradual ups and downs and soft, sandy conditions underfoot.
The trail wanders through wildflowers, over small streams, and through beautiful conifers with great vistas of the granite mountains looming in the distance. Along the way we spotted one adorable marmot.
After about 4 miles you will reach a steep descent that brings you to an intersection splitting in the direction of either Third Lake or Davis and Second Lake. We took a right and headed first to Second Lake.
At the intersection is when we first encountered mosquitoes… lots of them. So, we walked quickly through a very lush area with some still-water then
through the woods to the turn off for Second Lake.
Second Lake was a beautiful blue with a cute serene island and granite peaks in the distance. We followed the trail around the lake for
awhile and took in the beautiful scenery. We were surprised to see no others here.
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Next, we took the trail back to the main trail and followed the sign toward Davis Lake. The trail passed a beautiful green meadow but we couldn’t stop for longer than just snapping a picture because the mosquitoes were so intense!
About one mile from the signed intersection we made it to Davis Lake. Davis Lake was amazing! The granite mountain back drop was stunning
and we spotted a tall waterfall on the mountainside across the lake. The water at Davis Lake was so clear and there were even little sandy beach-like areas along the shore.
We ate lunch on the shore line where we were able to get some relief from some of the mosquitoes. While we were at Davis Lake we saw two other hikers across the lake as well as some mules and two tiny frogs. After lunch we followed the trail across the outlet and around the lakeside for a little more exploring before moving on. We followed the trail back to the main intersection and headed towards Third Lake.
From the intersection, the trail to Third Lake is a steep ascent for about a half mile.
But after the climb, you are rewarded with seriously jaw dropping scenery! We could not have guess that Hilton Lakes Trail would just keep getting better and better!
What a Beautiful Finale!
From here, you can see Second and Davis Lakes down below in the green forested valley surrounded by granite mountains on either side. And
right at the top of the trail we found a small waterfall and a snow cave too!
After we were finally able to pull our eyes away from the incredible view, we continued a little further on the trail the rest of the way to Third Lake. Third Lake was a smaller lake, closer to the granite mountains, and also crystal clear – but busy! There were groups of people as well as about 10 tents and hammocks all along the shoreline… After seeing such few people at the other lakes we were surprised to see so many campers at Third Lake.
Third Lake was beautiful and since it was our last lake of the day, Shane braved the icy waters and chilling winds and dove right in!
What an amazing area! From here, we didn’t know it at the time, but there are more lakes that you can access not too much further on the trail. But from Third Lake we hiked back down to the intersection, climbed back up on the main trail and left the mosquitoes behind as we then made our way back to the parking area.
All in all, Hilton Lakes Trail was a great hiking experience and one we would highly recommend! So much beauty! With the distance and the amount of exploring to do, this would be a good trail to turn into a backpacking excursion as well.
Thanks for Reading!
There’s a lot to do in this area of the Eastern Sierras and we have barely scratched the surface! Check out some of our other adventures in the Eastern Sierras:
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