First time experience coming up to June Lake for the weekend and it was such a lovely getaway…read more Shoutout to my friend for taking me and showing me around. I know for a lot of people this is a nostalgic place that they grew up coming to as kids and have kept the tradition alive coming every year and so on. June lake is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking during the winter when there is snow. My friend has come here all year round and definitely agreed coming in the winter is like a wonderland. It was well worth the 5 hour drive to see snow and be in a cold and beautiful environment. While I'm sure it's lovely in the spring and summer, I'm looking for something I don't have close to home (which would be snow) so I'd definitely consider coming back again in those winter months. June lake is such a sleepy and quiet little area, it's very relaxing and calm. I felt safe being there and navigating the downtown. It's super small as far as the downtown goes, only a handful of restaurants and motels. Great for a solo traveler or someone wanting to wander around by foot. The lakes and mountains surrounding this town are picturesque and stunning. Having been to mammoth and now June lake id say if you want something more relaxing and small town vibes I'd prefer June lake over mammoth. It's got less action but if you are looking to just get away, snowboard/ski, and recharge - this is the perfect vacation destination to check out.

Great lake. The one star is for the gate lady. She said lake was full and come back in 4 hours or…read moretomorrow. We asked another nice man if we could park somewhere else and walk to the lake and he said yes. We parked about half mile away and walked to the lake. When we got down there we found plenty of open parking spots. Nobody monitors how many come in and how many come out so how do they know if there is no parking. We didn't mind the walk but what was disappointing is the gate lady did not even suggest that. She just said its full and that we could not come in. She even tried to compair June lake to tahoe and say it fills up and gets busy quick. LOL sorry to tell you lady but tahoe could drop one tear and over fill june lake and tahoe don't tell people beach is full come back. That just doesn't happen at tahoe.

My first time doing this hike and loved it little bit of a challenge, but so worth doing it. There…read moreis an incline so just take your time and take breaks. Really pretty views and the lake was really beautiful. It's worth doing the hike.

The trailhead is off the June Lake Loop between the Four Seasons Lodge and Double Eagle Resort…read more Road signs mark the turn off to a short dirt road that crosses a little wooden bridge. Similar to Crystal Lake (one of the Mammoth Lakes), Fern Lake didn't have special features like cascades, unique colors in the water, or impressive surrounding cliffs. An island with tree obscures seeing across the lake. The trail and Fern Lake had no ferns. It's a good lake but I saw five prettier lakes the day before when going to 1000 Island Lake. Reaching Fern Lake requires a short 3.1-mile roundtrip hike with steep 1500' elevation change. I didn't go to Yost Lake but took a few extra steps towards Yost Lake where a footbridge over Fern Creek was an attractive watery sight. Unexpectedly, the parking lot provided the most entertaining part of the visit. Like watching a nature video, I saw a coyote (sans Acme rocket booster) catch a squirrel (not a road runner) in the parking lot.

I entered the Ansel Adams Wilderness to reach 1000 Island Lake…read more Start the 16-mile roundtrip hike with almost 4000' elevation gain at the Silver Lake Campground on the June Lake Loop. Take the trail towards Agnew and Gem Lakes that transverses a cable-pulled rail line. Just before reaching the dam at Agnew Lake, follow signs to Clark Lakes by diverting left to the toughest part of the hike that goes up a rock scree. Enjoy the Clark Lakes and then follow the signs to 1000 Island Lake where the terrain rolls up and down. When approaching 1000 Island from the east, a climatic build up occurs as the trail skirts along a cascading river to one of best lakes imaginable. It's impossible to oversell the beauty of this large mountain lake dotted with vegetated islands and backed by towering granite crags. Although a long hike, plenty of stuff to see along the way maintains interest. Not monotonous (like hikes with only dense forest where every tree stump looks the same), the beginning has great views of Silver Lake followed by the industrial dams and rail tracks, and then the lushly green Clark Lakes - a worthwhile visit of their own. The busiest area was near 1000 Island Lake despite being the furthest from civilization. Consequently, my day-hiker self was in the minority amid the overnight backpackers and the trailhead parking lot was only half full. In late June 2022 during a drought, the lakes were full of water and patches of snow existed but never across the trail.

Activity type: Backpacking Elevation gain at start: 7280…read moreLength: 36 miles total Trail type: out and back Skill level: moderate to strenuous Duration: 3 nights/4 days Top Elevation: 11,500 Total elevation gain: 7882 This hike will start you at the Rush Creek Trail at 7,280. Having climbed this trail so many times It still doesn't get old. It's the Labor Day w/e so the campground was packed with RV's . Although there were a couple of spots left for us backpackers. It was the perfect weather to hike in at 78 degrees. First Man made lake you will encounter will be Gem Lake at 9058 ft. The condition for this lake was appalling. The water level was low and the shore around it was dry. Expect to gain 1778 ft in 5 miles to get to Gem Lake. Alger Lakes is 7.5 miles from the intersection of Gem/Waugh/1000 Island. You start at 9160 ft and expect to gain 1840 ft the the very last of the three lakes. To get to the third Alger Lake you traverse a very scenic and relatively easy narrow trail surrounded by Donohue Peak at 11000 and Koip Peak at 12000. We scrambled up a class 2 nameless pass to get to a lake just below Koip Peak. It was merely a bowl of alpine lake not as big as the first Alger Lake but it was beautiful with dark rocks and nobody but us. No sign of snow since it's facing north. Although there's plenty of sign that the lake was once big and full. Rocks were exposed. Shores were much bigger. On the climb up we saw a not so visible waterfall form the lower lakes and followed it all the way up. At 11,500 the three Alger Lakes were fully exposed. What a scene! Alger Lakes are considered one of the most beautiful area to backpack. It boasts of one of the most beautiful canyon. Colors of green, blue, purple, red and yellow will play a trick on youR mind. I could swear I was in the Grand Canyon. Between the two canyons you will be able to get a glimpse of June lake resort. This is a very difficult hike with a lot of steep switchback climbs for miles and miles. Although the reward in the end and on the way in is worth it's weight in whatever precious metal you can think of. This is a very windy area. It may run 78-80 degrees during the day but the wind is chilled ice at 15-20 miles an hour. You. Will. Get. Cold! At night the wind is even worse. So pack some warm but light clothing and secure your tent. But this is one of my most rewarding trip. Awesome! #backpacking rocks # getoffyourbutt #getoffmybutt #11500 #koip peak12000.

This was the first year we attended the Fireman's BBQ. It's a fund raiser by buying raffle tickets…read morehaving the money go to June Lake Fire Department. The big prize is a boat and trailer. They had so many prizes, $1.00 per ticket. You didn't win just one prize, you could win four or more depending on the worth of them. It was a great turn out. The food was outstanding. BBQ brisket, potato salad, beans and two rolls. The kids had a great time with two playgrounds, and a bounce house. We will definitely be back next year. We got there at 12:30 and it was pretty crowded then. The time is from 12:00-4:00. Parking is difficult, you may end up walking a bit, it's worth going.

One of many of the beautiful lakes in this area. Haven't had a whole lot of luck with fish in this…read morelake but fish are caught here. Either way this spot will be another place to throw all your worries to the side and enjoy the great outdoors. Spectacular views just like most lakes in the area. If your plans are to stop here you won't be disappointed!

This is my one of favorite beach in the entire world! I was hesitant about sharing that this is my…read morefavorite beach because parking can already be such a pain. Plus, social media and content creators are trying to blow this spot up. But it is just always so dreamy here with the blue turquoise waters. I love that we can rent paddle boards and kayaks here, so no need to pack your own. The water temperature is medium cold so on a hot day it feels amazing to just chill and float.

The beach is beautiful and loved taking my family. What was terrible was the senior parking…read moreattendant, she was very rude. We had two car loads and only one car could get in. She said there was no more parking spots which was untrue when my daughter went in to find 6 spots available. When we turned around and went back she still did not allow us in. The beach was not even crowded. Felt some people were being selected and some weren't. Other than that it's such a place to visit with your family

Had the best time on June Lake. Rental was easy and casual, no lag before getting our into the…read morewater. The team at Mammoth Kayaks were more than understanding when we lost track of time on our way back too. Amazing experience, highly recommend for anyone exploring the area.

We kayaked out in June Lake. Our original thought was we were going to paddle board, however all…read morethe paddle boards were rented out. That's okay, because we weren't ready to fall into the lake water just yet. My husband and I shared a 2 seat kayak. We pushed ourselves to paddle out about a mile and back, it was so much fun. Notes: They only accept cash and you'll find the owner out on the beach, they wear a shirt with the company name on it. Have a lot of fun and enjoy those massive mountain views while in the lake.

An excellent place to volunteer!…read more This is a review of Coexist with Wildlife Day, which was awesome: a bio blitz, some volunteer work and tacos from a food truck with a band. Also free Otter Pops!

I really enjoyed visiting the River Pky. We gathered for a meeting and for some attendees, it was…read moretheir first visit and the atmosphere was amazing for all. I have been back just to enjoy the grounds. So pretty!

We had an excellent day with David. We booked a private tour for my wife and me. We are not so…read moreyoung so David tailored it to our pace and abilities (still made it to the top of Sentinel Dome- well worth the effort!). Literally went from the valley floor to the peak of sentinel dome. His knowledge of the park is outstanding. He picked us up at our lodge and dropped us there at the end of the day- even gave us the picnic we couldn't eat during the trip because clouds blocked the astrophotography portion. He even apologized for the clouds! An all day adventure; we were happily exhausted when we got back to Evergreen Lodge. Highly recommend.

Dave is AMAZING! We had the best day with him on our private tour of Yosemite. He is so fun,…read moreknowledgeable, a great conversationalist and made the day fabulous. I had the best time and felt like we got to really see Yosemite and get to know the park. I would 100% recommend booking with him and his company. Hands down the BEST!!