43 |
PARKER |
DISTANCE: 3.6 miles round-trip
HIKING TIME: 2 hours
SEASON: June–October
DIFFICULTY: moderate
The beauty of the Eastern Sierra unfolds on this hike. At the trailhead, the air is pungent with the scent of sage. In the first half mile of walking, Parker Creek runs noisily on your right. As you ascend, turn around for far-off Mono Lake vistas. Most of this trail’s 400-foot elevation gain occurs at the beginning, and the first 20 minutes are a workout, but the rest of the hike is gentle.
Wildflowers are profuse—blue and purple forget-me-nots, yellow alpine butterweed, lavender hooker’s onion, blue iris, orange paintbrush, blue brewer’s lupine, and mariposa lilies. Keep walking through a grouping of big Jeffrey pines. Pass a trail spur on your left leading to Silver Lake as you travel through a quaking aspen dell close to Parker Creek. The trail ends at the edge of Parker Lake, a glacial water set below Mt. Lewis at 12,300 feet, Parker Peak at 12,861 feet, and Mt. Wood at 12,900 feet. Another aspen grove at the far end of the lake completes the picture. Retrace your steps to the starting point.
From Lee Vining, drive 5.0 miles south on U.S. 395 to the Hwy. 158 turnoff for June Lake Loop (take the northern end of the loop, not the southern end, which is 5.0 miles farther south at June Lake Junction). Turn right onto Hwy. 158 and drive 1.3 miles. Turn right onto a dirt road signed for Parker and Walker Lakes. Drive straight 2.4 miles to the Parker Lake trailhead at the end of the road.
