Vermilion Valley Dam Trail

California

California

Free — you'll pick up right here.

1.0 mi

Distance

176 ft

Gain

21 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

    2 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

Here's your day, mapped

Vermilion Valley Dam Trail

Suggested plan · check conditions before you go

Building your full AI plan…

Meals

Building your meal plan…

Gear for the day

Building your gear list…

Elevation & route

Distance
1.0 mi
Elevation gain
176 ft
Elevation loss
176 ft
Highest point
7,712 ft
Lowest point
7,598 ft
More about this trail ↓

Photos

Directions & GPX

Get Directions

Permits & access

Managing agency
Forest Service

About this trail

Vermilion Valley Dam Trail is a 1.94-mile out-and-back hike in California with 176 feet of elevation gain. The trail reaches a maximum elevation of 7,712 feet.

Facts about this trail

The climb

Starts at
7,712 ft
High point
7,712 ft
Total climbing
176 ft
Total descent
176 ft
Steepest stretch
6% grade right from the start
Length (round trip)
1.9 mi
Shape
Out and back

Most of the climbing comes late, so save something for the end.

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, 19 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

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

Where it is

Managed by
Forest Service

Source: 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)

Add to a trip & share

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Cirque LakePhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cirque Lake

~4 min drive

12.98-mile out-and-back trail to Cirque Lake in California with 3,524 ft gain.

Bear CreekPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bear Creek

~4 min drive

0.58-mile out-and-back trail at Bear Creek in California with 157 ft of elevation gain.

Bear Creek CutoffPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bear Creek Cutoff

~4 min drive

5.96-mile loop trail in California with 1,637 ft elevation gain

Mono Crossing

~4 min drive

9.62-mile out-and-back trail in California with 756 ft elevation gain.

EDISON LAKE

~7 min drive

16.32-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,800 ft elevation gain and loss.

BEAR CREEKPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

BEAR CREEK

~4 min drive

12.2-mile out-and-back trail in California with 3,227 ft elevation gain and loss.

Devil's BathtubPhoto: garritron — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Devil's Bathtub

~6 min drive

1.06-mile out-and-back trail in California with 331 ft elevation gain.

Devil's Bathtub Trail

~2 min drive

8.66-mile out-and-back hike in California with 1,854 ft elevation gain/loss.

Corbett Lake

~8 min drive

5.26-mile out-and-back trail to Corbett Lake in California with 1,561 ft gain.

Bear Creek TrailPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bear Creek Trail

~4 min drive

13.28-mile out-and-back hike in California with 2,650 ft elevation gain

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Guided trips nearby

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

Mammoth Lakes Pack Outfit

Hiking business nearby (~17 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

View operator

Bishop Pack Outfitters

Hiking business nearby (~23 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

View operator

Rainbow Pack Outfitters

Hiking business nearby (~27 mi away) — hasn't claimed their Roamze page yet

View operator