Parker Lake & the June Lake Loop
June Lake (Hwy 158) · near June Lake / Lee Vining · Eastern Sierra
Trail Running
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Distance
- 4 miles
- Elevation gain
- 700 ft
- Best season
- June–October · spectacular fall aspen color
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit for the day run to Parker Lake. Ansel Adams Wilderness begins beyond; overnight needs an Inyo NF permit. Trailhead is free (rough dirt access road).
What is here
- Features
- Turquoise alpine lake beneath the crest · Aspen-lined creek (epic fall color) · Ansel Adams Wilderness gateway · Quiet alternative to the crowds
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Trail Running detail
- Surface
- singletrack
- Intl tip
- The Parker Lake trailhead is reached by a rough dirt road off the June Lake Loop (Hwy 158) — passenger cars usually manage it slowly. Time it for peak aspen color (late Sept–early Oct). The June Lake Loop villages have food and lodging. Combine with Mono Lake and the Mammoth-area runs (this guide).
The guide
The run to Parker Lake in the June Lake area is a short, spectacular Eastern Sierra gem — a 4-mile round trip climbing a creek …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Parker Lake & the June Lake Loop — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.797, -119.124