Emerald Lake & Sky Meadows
Coldwater, Mammoth Lakes Basin · near Mammoth Lakes · Eastern Sierra
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 4.5 miles
- Elevation gain
- 1,200 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- July–October; peak wildflowers late July–August
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- None for day hikes; overnight = Inyo NF wilderness permit. Shares the Coldwater trailhead with Duck Pass (covered) — this is the gentler alternate. Buggy right after snowmelt.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 0 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Emerald Lake · Sky Meadows wildflower basin · Mammoth Crest backdrop · Cascading creek
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- Time it for the first two weeks of August for peak bloom; the meadow is buggy right after snowmelt, so bring repellent.
The guide
From Coldwater, an easy walk reaches Emerald Lake, then the trail climbs through forest to Sky Meadows — a hanging basin that f…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Emerald Lake & Sky Meadows — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.5905, -119.0055