Dinkey Lakes Wilderness
Sierra National Forest · near Shaver Lake · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- easy
- Route type
- loop
- Distance
- 9 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,200 ft
- Time needed
- overnight · multi-day
- Best season
- July–September
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- Sierra National Forest wilderness permit, self-issued or reservable — low-key quota. A gentle, family-friendly lake loop west of the crest. Free California Campfire Permit for stoves.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Gentle lake-loop for beginners · First, Second & Island Lakes · Kids- and dog-friendly · West-slope forest
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Nights
- 1–2
- Resupply
- None needed. Bear canister recommended.
- Intl tip
- The loop can be done in either direction and shortened easily, making it forgiving if the weather turns or little legs tire. The access road is rough dirt near the end — a higher-clearance vehicle helps but isn't essential in dry conditions. This is the trip to build a new backpacker's confidence before something bigger.
The guide
The Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, on the gentler western slope of the Sierra above Shaver Lake, is one of the best places in the ran…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Dinkey Lakes Wilderness — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.133, -118.95