California · Hiking · Dinkey Lakes Wilderness · Near Shaver Lake

Bullfrog Lake

3.0 mi
round trip
913 ft
climb
9,420 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Bullfrog Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name Bullfrog Lake, 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.

Bullfrog Lake is a 3-mile out-and-back hike in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, part of the High Sierra Ranger District of Sierra National Forest in California. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and rated hard, with a one-way climb of about 913 feet from a low point of roughly 8,500 feet to a high of about 9,420 feet. The route is natural-surface and allows horses, but not bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mammoth Lakes show July highs around 78°F with lows near 49°F, and the station sits about 1,600 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the lake run cooler. The Bullfrog Lake Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Dinkey Lakes mountain biking area is about 0.3 mile off. Helms Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 2.8 miles away, and Voyager Rock campground is about 4.8 miles away.

Around this trail

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Local outfitters

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  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Bullfrog Lake

    Best months: May–September. 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

      41° / 17°

    2. Feb

      41° / 18°

    3. Mar

      45° / 22°

    4. Apr

      51° / 27°

    5. May

      60° / 35°

    6. Jun

      70° / 42°

    7. Jul

      78° / 49°

    8. Aug

      77° / 47°

    9. Sep

      71° / 40°

    10. Oct

      61° / 30°

    11. Nov

      49° / 23°

    12. Dec

      41° / 17°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 34.8 mi away at 7,804 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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