Convict Lake Hike Guide
Convict Lake is a short loop hike located just outside of Mammoth Lakes, California in the Sierra Mountains. The lake’s name comes from a shootout between convicts who broke out of a Carson City, NV jail and a local sheriff posse in 1871. This hike is extremely short and easy but a beautiful spot for hikers of all levels. Convict Lake serves as a starting point for many other hikes in the area.
Convict Lake Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Convict Lake
Convict Lake Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars)
Distance: 2.5 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 7,589ft
High Point: 7,656ft
Total Elevation Gain: 220ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 1-2 Hours
Difficulty: Walk in the Park What does this mean?
Class: Class 1– What does this mean?
Season: Year round – expect snow November – April
Directions to Convict Lake
Trailhead: Convict Lake
Getting Here: From highway 395 just south of Mammoth Lakes, take Convict Lake road until it ends (about 2 miles). You can start the hike from anywhere along the lake.
Parking: You can park at any of the day use areas or along the lake itself in a handful of spots. Both areas have non-plumbing bathrooms. There is a parking lot (linked above) to the official trailhead, but it’s not necessary to start here.
Fee: N/A
Summary
Dogs: This is a great hike for dogs. Please always pick up after your pup.
Camping: There is a seasonal campground available at the lake itself which you can read more about here.
Hike Tip(s): Convict Lake is a great spot year round but this hike is especially good during the later fall and shoulder season. This time of year the leaves around the lake are beautiful and it’s nice to have a reliable hike that doesn’t lose access due to seasonal road closures.
Best Views: It’s really hard to go wrong with views on this hike. The ever present Mt Morrison and Mt Laurel really make for a stunning backdrop.
Make it a Loop: This hike is a loop, but there are plenty of other much bigger hikes in the area including Mt Morrison, Laurel Mountain, Mildred Lake and Dorothy Lake.
Convict Lake Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Backpack (Summer)
- Food & Water
- Optonal: Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, GoPro 360
- Optional: Drone
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
Convict Lake Trail Summary: October 2022
It was Jackie and I’s last day in California and we had a short window to hike before the long drive back to Reno for our flight. Fighting seasonal closures and short on time – we found Convict Lake which was the perfect spot to stretch our legs.
The trail around the lake was extremely easy to follow and outside of a few spots on the south side, flat as a back. It was nice to explore some of the little social trails and walk along the lake during the crisp fall air. The looming mountains behind the lake made me hungry to return to the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains for some much bigger days!
