Duck Pass & Pika Lake
John Muir Wilderness, Mammoth Lakes · near Mammoth Lakes · Eastern Sierra
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 12 miles
- Elevation gain
- 2,200 ft
- Time needed
- overnight · multi-day
- Best season
- July–September
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- Inyo National Forest Duck Pass trailhead permit via Recreation.gov, 6 months ahead. Starts high behind Coldwater Campground in the Mammoth Lakes Basin. Bear canister mandatory.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 2 of 5
What is here
- Features
- String of lakes: Arrowhead, Skelton, Barney · Duck Lake & Pika Lake · Close to Mammoth · Great first-overnight
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Nights
- 1–2
- Resupply
- None needed. Bear canister required.
- Intl tip
- Because you're staging out of Mammoth Lakes, you can acclimatize in comfort and grab a real breakfast in town before hiking in. The Mammoth Lakes Basin is at 9,000 feet — spend a night in town first if you're coming from sea level.
The guide
Duck Pass is one of the best introductory backpacking trips in the Eastern Sierra — high, scenic, and short enough for a first …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Duck Pass & Pika Lake — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.588, -118.973