About this place

Located at Horseshoe Meadows, at 10,000 ft. elevation, the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead accesses alpine lakes and creeks located between Mount Langley and Cirque Peak. Side trails branch to Muir Lake, Hidden Lake, South Fork Lakes, and Cirque Lake. Along the trail to New Army Pass are Long Lake and High Lake in the John Muir Wilderness. Climbing over new Army Pass, the trail continues into Sequoia National Park and eventually joins the Pacific Crest Trail. Vault toilets and bear food storage lockers available. The Cottonwood Lakes are home to California's state fish, the Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita). Common Destinations: Cottonwood Lakes basin, New Army Pass, John Muir Trail, Mount Langley From Highway 395, turn west at the stoplight at the center of Lone Pine, and follow Whitney Portal Road for 3 miles. Then turn south onto Horseshoe Meadow Road. The trailhead is 24 miles from the town of Lone Pine, California.