Mariposa County, California
Looking for the best hiking in Mariposa County? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Mariposa County. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Hiking Spots in and near Mariposa County
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Pinecrest, California
Climb Granite Dome via Lower & Upper Lewis Lakes
25 mi / 5000 ft gainGranite Dome is the signature peak in the Emigrant Wilderness, with fantastic views north to the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, east to the Hoover Wilderness (Sawtooth Ridge), and south to Yosemite including, on a clear day, Cathedral Peak and the Cathedral Range.There are several routes up Granite D...Read more -
Mammoth Lakes, California
Hot Creek Interpretive Trail
5.00.37 mi / 69 ft gainHot Creek Interpretive Trail is a loop trail that takes you by a hot springs and good for all skill levels located near Mammoth Lakes, California.Read more -
Shaver Lake, California
Balsam Forebay
4.01.05 mi / 62 ft gainAccess to the forebay starts at the trail head from the parking lot 6,700 ft up, also from the parking lot there is access to two different sets of boulder patches separate from the ones encountered along the hike in. Hike Start the 1 mile out and back hike from the parking lot following the t...Read more -
Highway 108, California
Hike to Deadman Lake
6 mi / 1700 ft gainStart: 38º19'08.46"N 119º39'49.26"W Elev 8879ftPark along Hwy 108, head down the bank and across the stream at the bottom. There you will find the start of the trail.This is a challenging hike without much of an actual trail to follow for the majority of it. The hike is very steep in certain are...Read more -
Highway 108, California
Backpack to Blue Canyon Lake
5.03.6 mi / 1280 ft gainTrailhead Coordinates: 38º 19'08.46"N 119º39'49.26"W Elev 8897ftThe trail is kind of tricky to find. It is West of the PCT trailhead at Sonora Pass and it is not marked. You park along the side of Hwy 108 and scramble down an embankment where a creek flows at the bottom. Cross this creek and you ...Read more -
Auberry, California
San Joaquin River Gorge Trail
4.02.19 mi / 374 ft gainExplore the natural beauty of the San Joaquin River Gorge Trail, located near Clovis, California. This trail offers hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians a chance to experience diverse landscapes, from rolling hills to river vistas, all within the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation M...Read more -
Pinecrest, California
Camp at Baker Campground
5.0/ 6224 ft gainBaker Campground is a first come, first serve campground. Each site is equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and bear boxes. The cost for a single family site is $20 per night and a double family site is $40 per night. The campground provides bathrooms and potable water. The campground is typi...Read more -
Mammoth Lakes, California
Red Slate Mountain via McGee Creek
18.99 mi / 5440.73 ft gainI would recommend you spend the night in the area to acclimatize, since the trailhead does start at ~8,000ft and you will be hiking up to ~10,500ft at the end of the first day and climbing up to 13,100ft on the second day. One option would be to reserve a spot at the nearby McGee Creek Campground...Read more -
Mammoth Lakes, California
Steelhead Lake via McGee Creek
5.011.36 mi / 2536.09 ft gainWhether you’re looking for a dayhike near Mammoth Lakes, planning a backpacking trip along the JMT, or have a few extra hours to spare on a cross-California road trip, this is an easy and popular trail choice for killer mountain views. I was delighted to discover that this is one of the most eas...Read more -
Mammoth Lakes, California
McGee Creek
5.03.68 mi / 728 ft gainMcGee Creek is one of my favorite spots in the Eastern Sierra to photography the fall color. Most people avoid the area because the best views require you to hike and explore but the rewards are worth it. Right close to the parking lot is McGee Creek which is a beautiful creek to photograph offer...Read more -
Lakeshore, California
Evolution Valley via Florence Lake
4.530.36 mi / 3238 ft gainYou can get to the Evolution Basin a variety of ways, but the easiest is through the Florence Lake Trailhead. Here, you can choose to either take the Florence Lake Ferry across the lake, or save $25 and hike the extra 4 miles around the lake. Personally, I would choose the ferry. About five mile...Read more -
Lakeshore, California
Backpack to Crater Lake, Sierra National Forest
5.08.4 mi / 2100 ft gainStarting at Lake Florence, this hike starts out with a climb up and keeps this up over the next 3 miles. After about 3 miles of climbing you reach another lake, Dutch Lake which provides shade and a nice place to rest. From there it's a relatively flat 1.2 miles in to your destination. Once at Cr...Read more -
Friant, California
Pincushion Peak
2.49 mi / 1043 ft gainHead North on Friant Rd. It will begin to head East, becoming Millerton Rd. Stay on Millerton Rd for 4.2 mi. Turn left onto Sky Harbor Rd (street JUST before Table Mountain Casino). Follow Sky Harbor Rd for 5.8 miles to the end of the road. Parking is available along the road. There are port a po...Read more -
Sonora, California
Bouldering at Columbia College
Get your hands on some limestone bouldering at this spot. There's actually two locations for bouldering in this area, Columbia College and Columbia State Park (about less than a 10 min. drive from Columbia College), but I made this specific adventure for climbing on the college. GPS Coordinates f...Read more -
Arnold, California
Hiking Disaster Creek
While this is not a terribly scenic hike, the trees, creek, and terrain are very beautiful, and the entire area is quiet and peaceful. You're likely not to pass a single other person on the hike, which is great for letting dogs off-leash.The trail starts off with a series of switchbacks, which ga...Read more -
Arnold, California
Backpacking to Sword Lake
5.0Getting There Take 108 to Pinecrest Lake to pick up a free backcountry permit at the Summit Ranger Station. (If you reach Strawberry you've gone too far.) Continue past Beardsley Lake to Clark's Fork Road on the left. Cross two bridges and Forest Route 6N06 will take you to the trailhead (County ...Read more