Hike to Upper Sardine Lake
Rate this Adventure Yosemite › Upper Sardine Lake Trail
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Activities:
Camping, Fishing, Backpacking, Hiking
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Skill Level:
Intermediate
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Season:
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Elevation gain: 2900 ft (Upper sardine lake: 10,740 ft, Walker Lake: 7,840 ft). Distance: 13 miles roundtrip. Amazing views and great solitude. Trout fishing, overnight camping and great day hikes.
- 395 north
- Turn right onto the 158
- Keep right at fork onto Parker Lake Rd and go about 0.5 miles
- Turn right at first right and head all the way to the top until you hit a parking lot/camping ground/trail head
- 395 south
- Turn left at 158
- Keep right at fork onto Parker Lake Rd and go about 0.5 miles
- Turn right at first right and head all the way to the top until you hit a parking lot/camping ground/trail head
The trail head begins just above Walker Lake (7850 ft) which is a great lake for fishing. Once on the trail it will descend fairly rapidly until you are walking alongside Walker Lake through beautiful lush forests and tall grass. The trail is conveniently marked so there is no concern of heading the wrong direction. After a couple of miles of hiking through forest and crossing creeks, you will begin to ascend, and will continue ascending until arrival. Along the way, you get great views of Walker Lake and Mono Lake while passing several beautiful waterfalls. Just before getting to lower sardine lake, the trail gets very steep. Once at lower sardine lake you can continue to follow the relatively small trail along the right side of the lake. Again the trail will get very steep until you reach upper sardine lake. Upper sardine lake has many more options available for camping and is a much better choice in my opinion. If you would like, you can continue your hike to summit lake, about another 2 miles up the trail. Here you will come across several abandoned mining cabins.
Pack List
Day-hike:* Hiking boots* Trekking Poles (optional)* Windbreaker (was very windy in many areas)* Hat* Sunblock* Mosquito repellent (lots of these guys during the middle of the hike)* Water (hike ends at over 10,000 ft elevation)* Enough food for a 6 hour (approx.) hike
Overnight: (Same as day hike plus the following):- Permits (picked up in Bishop; hassle free and $5 ish/person)
- Tent
- Sleeping bag (temps in August at night were approx low 40's)
- Headlamp
- Sleeping pad (optional) (ground was surprisingly soft)
- Camp-stove
- Water filter (water in streams and lake tastes good)
- Bear Cans (not required here but give a peace of mind)
- First aid kit
- Beer n' whiskey
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My name is Connor Van Orden. Born and raised in Newport Beach California, some of my favorite things to do is explore our coast for epic surfing and refreshing solitude. I love to surf, backpack, ride motorcycles, ski, and climb.
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