Suggestions for 2-3 day backpacking trip in the Sierras?

Hello lovely people,

I'm considering a short solo backpacking trip in the Sierras at the end of September.  If anyone can recommend some routes, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Jeff- you can’t really go wrong going anywhere in the Sierra. But FYI, because of the huge snowpack this year you might like the hiking out to Bart Dome. It’s not to far, it’s not to hard and people don’t usually go there because it’s normally bone dry. This year the spring is flowing.
You start out by driving to “Big Meadow” you have 2 trail heads to pick from. This place is deserted so you probably won’t see another soul. 

Any one of the trails leading out of Toulume Meadows. Lyell Canyon for instance, nice and commodiously flat for much of its length. There are so many good trails in those mountains. If you really wanted to set a good pace and be ambitious you could start at Rock Creek Lake, go over the high pass to first and second recess lakes then take a hard right up to duck lake and then on to mammorh. Of course that would be difficult to reverse in a limited time frame so you'd have to be shuttled one way or the other. Good luck.

Part of the fun is planning your own trip. Which includes researching Sierra guidebooks and picking an area to explore.

Have you ever backpacked in the Sierra before?

Hey hey, just a quick note for which I’ll immediately apologize if you already did your research, but many of the best backpacking areas in the Sierras will require a backpacking permit through recreation.gov, a CA fire permit for your stove, and an approved bear canister. Not all, but anything near Yosemite or Mammoth will require these, for sure, and those will be my reccos, so I’m excited to hear others. My few favorites below:

Near Mammoth (all require a permit and canister):

Shadow Lake, Garnet Lake, and Thousand Islands Lakes: 18+ miles of JMT/Ansel Adams beauty, plus plenty more if you choose your own adventure. Along the JMT/PCT.

Duck Lake and Purple Lake via Emerald Trail and Duck Pass: 15.5 miles, shorten it by just going to Duck Lake. Elevation gain! 

Iva Bell Hot Springs via Fish Creek Trail: 18.0 miles of Inyo beauty, plenty of water, (mosquitos) and ending at some natural hot springs above the canyon. I have all the beta on the best camping spot and how to find the King’s pool.

Near Tuolumne:

Lyell Canyon, like Donald mentioned, is very chill, flat, amazing water. Until you get to Donahue Pass, then it’s straight up. Might be flooded plains this year though, IDK.

Cathedral Lakes! Go the other way, toward Yosemite valley, only 3.5 miles to Cathedral Lakes and Peak! We stayed there on our JMT section hike, wanna go back, camp, and climb the peak, I think it’s mostly moderates. Amazing swimming, amazing camping.

Definitely a choice trail that leaves the highway then  past those lakes before starting the hump up to 1000 Islands which are alpine hummocks  that sit below Banner Peak.Banner is one of the more striking peaks in the Sierras. That trail continues over the pass to the north where you can spot the Mono Lake area then  pass Amelia Earhart before descending Donohue down into the upper reaches of  Lyell. The Cathedral Peak trail is definitely fun . The South downhill side will take you to a trail junction in which turning left will lead to the infamous Merced Lake. Turning right will  get you to Little Yosemite and then to the Valley.

Good suggestions so far.  1000 Island with a trip up Banner is great.

Not a loop but an out and back to Glen Aulin, camp there and hike to Waterwheel and Le Conte Falls and back.  

There’s a good loop up Rafferty Creek and then down to Lyell Canyon and back out.

North Fork of Big Pine Creek has the lake loop.  Great views of Temple Crag and the Palisades.  

Over Kearsarge Pass and camp at Kaersarge Lakes and then day hike to Sixty Lakes Basis and back on day two.

There’s a nice partly off trail loop in Sequoia to Moose Lake.  Up the Pear Lake or Alta trails.  XC to Moose Lake and then out on the alternate trail.  

So many fabulous places, so little time. 

Thanks for all the recommendations!  Through my own research I found a nice trip that starts at Courtright Reservoir and heads east into Red Mountain Basin. There are still permits available for the time period I want to go, so that's a plus.  I live in Pasadena, so my tentative plan is to drive up on a Tuesday, camp near the trailhead, and start early the next morning, spending the next 3 days on the trail.

Thoughts?  

My only issue with approaches from the Westside are that you spend a good part of your first day hiking through forest below the timberline.  Occasionally you pass a meadow or a lake, but it can be monotonous.  The beauty of approaches from the Eastside are that you’re typically several thousand feet higher and the peaks are right there in front of you.  

The evolution basin is one of the most unbelievably beautiful areas I’ve ever been in my life and probably my favorite place in the sierras. Tons of scrambling and easy ridges around also 

Fat Dad wrote:

My only issue with approaches from the Westside are that you spend a good part of your first day hiking through forest below the timberline.  Occasionally you pass a meadow or a lake, but it can be monotonous.  The beauty of approaches from the Eastside are that you’re typically several thousand feet higher and the peaks are right there in front of you.  

Fair point. I thought this approach might be good for acclimatization as I live at about 800'. Starting out right at 9 or 10K might be a shock to the system.  

If ever a year to enjoy the beauty of.the southern Sierra, this is the year...

Jeff J wrote:

Fair point. I thought this approach might be good for acclimatization as I live at about 800'. Starting out right at 9 or 10K might be a shock to the system.  

I’ve lived on the westside of LA since college, which is around 100’ above sea level.  A big part of my trip prep is to drive up the night before I hike in and crash at or near the trailhead. You still feel the altitude but it helps dramatically.

The west side is definitely different, but onto the High Sierra Trail at Crescent Meadow is pretty epic. Though it begins in the huge sequoias, within 30 minutes you pop out to see incredible domes with incredible alpine climbs. It’s not unreasonable to make it up to Hamilton Lakes in a day. Never climbed Hamilton Dome, but it and Charlotte Dome are nearby. A little further is Precipice Lake, the scene of Ansel Adams famous Frozen Lakes and Cliffs. 

Samaki Kubwa wrote:

The west side is definitely different, but onto the High Sierra Trail at Crescent Meadow is pretty epic. Though it begins in the huge sequoias, within 30 minutes you pop out to see incredible domes with incredible alpine climbs. It’s not unreasonable to make it up to Hamilton Lakes in a day. Never climbed Hamilton Dome, but it and Charlotte Dome are nearby. A little further is Precipice Lake, the scene of Ansel Adams famous Frozen Lakes and Cliffs. 

Charlotte Dome from the HST would be a 2-3 day walk for most people. It’s commonly accessed from Roads End (west) or Onion Valley (east).

Rae Lakes loop or the above mentioned pear lk > tablelands/moose lk > HST are good 3 day trips for west side SEKI trailheads.

I would mention Mineral King trailhead for a higher west side start, but I believe that’s closed this summer from snow pack tree/road damage. 

Last I checked, Roads End is closed as well —but like many of the East Side points of entry, it provides a great on ramp to the Sierras. 

Road’s End is closed because of the damage to the road by this winter’s storms.  A bummer since I was going to take my boys for a trip there in the late spring. The trail toward Junction Meadow has some great destination: East Lake and Lake Reflection; Charlotte Creek to Charlotte Dome; Sphinx Pass to Mt. Brewer, Cloud Canyon, etc.  

I've been told the mosquitoes are particularly bad this year.  Can anyone confirm this?  

Jeff J wrote:

I've been told the mosquitoes are particularly bad this year.  Can anyone confirm this?  

Just go.

Jeff J wrote:

I've been told the mosquitoes are particularly bad this year.  Can anyone confirm this?  

Yes