California · Hiking · Near Mammoth Lakes

Bear Creek

Bear CreekPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
0.6 mi
round trip
44 ft
climb
7,418 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Bear Creek open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name Bear Creek, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Sierra National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Bear Creek is a short, easy out-and-back hike in the High Sierra Ranger District of Sierra National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. The route is about 0.6 miles long, with a low point of 7,358 feet and a high of 7,418 feet, so the climb is a gentle 44-foot gain over the course of the trip. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Huntington Lake weather station show July and August highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F and only one or two wet days a month. That station sits about 400 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the hike run a little cooler. The Bear Creek Trail lies just 0.1 mile away, and the Bear Creek Cutoff and Cirque Lake are each about 0.7 mile off. For an overnight stay, Mono Creek campground is roughly 1.8 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Mono Creek

    Campground

    Campground · 1.8 mi from the trail
  • If it rains

    Iva Bell Hot Springs

    Hot spring

    On your way back · 14 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Mammoth Lakes

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Bear Creek

    Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      43° / 24°

      11 wet

    2. Feb

      44° / 23°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      46° / 26°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      50° / 29°

      8 wet

    5. May

      56° / 36°

      6 wet

    6. Jun

      66° / 42°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      74° / 49°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 49°

      1 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 44°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      58° / 37°

      4 wet

    11. Nov

      49° / 31°

      8 wet

    12. Dec

      44° / 25°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Huntington Lake, CA, 15.4 mi away at 7,020 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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

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

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

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CRATER LAKEPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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LAKE ITALYPhoto: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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

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