California · Hiking · John Muir Wilderness · Near Mammoth Lakes

Poison Meadow

Poison MeadowPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
3.1 mi
round trip
648 ft
climb
7,466 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Poison Meadow open right now?

Closure in the area

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

Poison Meadow is a 3.1-mile out-and-back hike in the John Muir Wilderness, within the High Sierra Ranger District of Sierra National Forest in California. The trail climbs from about 6,800 feet to about 7,460 feet, with a total elevation gain of 648 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is not accessible. 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 a few hundred feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run a little cooler. The Hooper Diversion Trail starts less than a mile away, and Jackass Meadow campground is about a mile off. Mountain bikers can head to Hell Hole, roughly 1.2 miles away, and Ward Lake campground is about 1.4 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Jackass Meadow

    Campground

    Campground · 1.0 mi from the trail
  • If it rains

    Iva Bell Hot Springs

    Hot spring

    On your way back · 16 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 Poison Meadow

    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, 15.3 mi away at 7,020 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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