Ershim Lake Trail

California

California

Free — you'll pick up right here.

0.8 mi

Distance

366 ft

Gain

26 min

Time

No verdict for this trail

We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.

What we do know

  • Inside Sierra National Forest

    3 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.

    Boundary data

What's missing

  • No access route mapped

    We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.

Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.

Why you'll love it

Quick trip — under 2 mi
Out & back

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Ershim Lake Trail

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Elevation & route

Distance
0.8 mi
Elevation gain
366 ft
Elevation loss
366 ft
Highest point
9,244 ft
Lowest point
8,910 ft
More about this trail ↓

Photos

Directions & GPX

Get Directions

Permits & access

Managing agency
Forest Service

About this trail

Ershim Lake Trail is a 1.58-mile out-and-back hike in California with 366 feet of elevation gain and loss. The trail reaches a maximum elevation of 9,244 feet.

Facts about this trail

The climb

Starts at
8,910 ft
High point
9,244 ft
Total climbing
366 ft
Total descent
366 ft
Steepest stretch
15% grade around mile 0.3 on the way out
Length (round trip)
1.6 mi
Shape
Out and back

Most of the climbing comes early, so the second half is easier.

Source: Roamze elevation profile and trail geometry (DEM samples along the mapped route)

When to go

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA weather station, 31 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan41° high17° low
  2. Feb41° high18° low
  3. Mar45° high22° low
  4. Apr51° high27° low
  5. May60° high35° low
  6. Jun70° high42° low
  7. Jul78° high49° low
  8. Aug77° high47° low
  9. Sep71° high40° low
  10. Oct61° high30° low
  11. Nov49° high23° low
  12. Dec41° high17° low

The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Managed by
Forest Service

Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1

Conditions

Active alerts for Sierra National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Guided trips nearby

Local operatorsoffering guided trips. You book directly with them — Roamze doesn’t take a cut.

Bishop Pack Outfitters

Hiking business nearby (~25 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

View operator

Rainbow Pack Outfitters

Hiking business nearby (~28 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

View operator

Mammoth Lakes Pack Outfit

Hiking business nearby (~28 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

View operator