California · Hiking · Near Mammoth Lakes

Hilton Creek

Hilton CreekPhoto: Dcrjsr, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
6.3 mi
round trip
1,235 ft
climb
9,691 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Hilton Creek open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

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

Hilton Creek is a hard hike in California's Inyo National Forest, on the White Mountain Ranger District. It is a 6.3-mile out-and-back route, starting at a low point of about 8,400 feet and climbing to a high point of about 9,700 feet, with a total gain of about 1,235 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced and open to horses. It is not an accessible trail, and the Forest Service manages the surrounding land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station run around 71°F for highs and 38°F for lows, while winter highs there sit in the low 40s. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet below the high point, so temperatures up high run cooler. The trail is open year-round. Crowley Lake Campground is about 1.3 miles away, and McGee Creek campground is about 1.5 miles away. The McGee Creek to Hilton Creek Trail lies about half a mile off. Climbers can head to Sugar Mountain, about 3.3 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Crowley Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.3 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    The Restaurant at Convict Lake

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 6 mi
  • If it rains

    Rock Tub Hot Spring

    Hot spring

    On your way back · 7 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 · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Hilton Creek

    Best months: June–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° / 13°

    2. Feb

      38° / 12°

    3. Mar

      42° / 15°

    4. Apr

      45° / 22°

    5. May

      54° / 27°

    6. Jun

      65° / 33°

    7. Jul

      71° / 38°

    8. Aug

      70° / 36°

    9. Sep

      65° / 32°

    10. Oct

      57° / 26°

    11. Nov

      47° / 20°

    12. Dec

      40° / 12°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 38.9 mi away at 8,694 ft. The station sits about 1,000 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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MCGEE CREEK TO HILTON CREEKPhoto: Dcrjsr, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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McGee Creek to Hilton Creek TrailPhoto: Dcrjsr, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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