Sabrina Basin
John Muir Wilderness · near Bishop · Eastern Sierra
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 14 miles
- Elevation gain
- 2,800 ft
- Time needed
- overnight · multi-day
- Best season
- July–September
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- Yes
- How the permit works
- Inyo National Forest permit via Recreation.gov, Sabrina Lake trailhead quota, 60% released 6 months ahead at 7am. High trailhead above Bishop. Bear canister mandatory.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 3 of 5
What is here
- Features
- Chain of lakes below Sierra crest · Blue, Dingleberry & Hungry Packer Lakes · Under Picture Peak · Fall aspen nearby
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Hiking detail
- Nights
- 1–3
- Resupply
- None needed. Bear canister required.
- Intl tip
- Hungry Packer Lake under Picture Peak is the trip's showstopper and worth pushing to even if you camp lower. The trailhead sits above 9,000 feet — sleep in Bishop or at a nearby forest campground first. This is a great 'second Sierra trip' after an introductory overnight, building toward the bigger objectives.
The guide
Sabrina Basin is a quieter, gentler alternative to the famous Bishop-area trailheads, a chain of alpine lakes climbing toward t…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Sabrina Basin — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.216, -118.613