Twin Lakes, Bridgeport, CA

In late June of this year I made my first trip to the Eastern Sierras on a camping trip with James and his aunt and uncle.  Having spent my childhood camping in the verdant North-Western Sierras I was unused to the steep granite peaks of the High Sierra and the dry climate in the sierra rain shadow.

Our destination was the beautiful Twin Lakes near Bridgeport California and gateway to the Hoover Wilderness.  At an elevation of 7000' the two lakes lie end to end at the bottom of a steep glacially carved valley.

From 395 and the town of Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Road meanders through bucolic pastures, past a dude ranch and into the Twin Lakes Valley. Along this route to the lakes are a collection of
campgrounds.

While looking for the perfect spot to set up camp we looked through ALL of these campgrounds. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. While the campsites nearest the lakes were mostly full, there was one farther down the road, in Buckeye Canyon, that was pleasantly empty. Well, except for one glaring exception: the cows. After deciding we didn't want to spend the night sleeping on a bed of cow patties, we proceeded to explore the remaining campsites for what felt like half the day.

We finally settled on a decent open campsite at Paha Campground that fit the aunt and uncles tent trailer while still providing a shady spot for our tent. The campground offered adequate shade and was a short one and a half mile scenic walk down to the lakes.

Paha did teach us city folk one thing: why deer are referred to as rats with hooves.  What started off as
"awwwww look at bambi," quickly turned into us taking turns chasing deer off with kitchen utensils.  The  deer infested our campsite and begged at our tables like dogs looking for a handout. One of our neighbor campers could not get rid of them after foolishly giving just one of them some salted peanuts. It was a lesson in what can happen to wild animals when humans constantly give them food. If hunting had been allowed in the area, those deer would definitely not survived.

Horse Tail Creek

The Twin Lakes area offers dramatic views of the peaks that separate the lakes from Yosemite, including the impressive Sawtooth Ridge. The jagged beauty of Sawtooth ridge provided an interesting contrast to the more lush or soft soil areas that surround it. My appreciation for rock formations has definitely grown with this trip.  While the lakes themselves offer a myriad of water activities against spectacular backdrop, the less than favorable weather stymied our kayaking plans and we stuck to traversing one of the incredible hikes overlooking the lakes. While the sun would have normally baked us at this time of year, the cloud cover made for a nice, cool hike.

On a tip from a fellow camper, we decided to try our luck on Horse Creek Trail.  The Trail begins in Mono Village RV and camping resort, which resides at the end of Twin Lakes Road. For those not staying in Mono Village, like ourselves, there is day parking available in the resort. The resort is also a source of cheap firewood and cheaper gas than can be found in  Bridgeport, which we also learned from one of our friendly fellow campers. The resort charges for boat launching into the lakes, however, if you wish to put in with lighter craft, there are plenty of spots that would serve you just as well for no fee.

The trail head for Horse Creek Trail can be found at the south end of Mono Village through the campsite. I would recommend asking a resort employee for directions. Hopefully you will not repeat our misadventure that arose from taking guidance from less than knowledgeable RV campers.  Due to that bad advice we added a significant amount of distance onto our hike by way of  the Twin Lakes fishery.

It looks scarier than it is

To finally make it to the trailhead, we had to cross two bridges. The first bridge is developed, but the second is rickety, comprised of rough pieces of wood. The rickety bridge has a very definite slant to it, prompting us to feign falling into the creek. We even stopped to snap a few shots before moving on.  At the time we were there, what looked like teenagers in hard hats were "repairing" the bridge, covering up some of the gaps between the slabs of wood.  Luckily, they seemed to have done a decent job of it and none of us actually went falling into the creek.

As you climb out of Mono Village, there are amazing views of Twin Lakes. We stopped several times to catch our breath and enjoy the view. The trail  begins with switchbacks that bring you several times past Horse Creek rushing down the ravine. These spots had plenty of shade and cascading water making for some spectacular views and great resting areas.

Past the switchbacks, we made our way through areas of thick wildflowers, which, at the end of June (on a low snowfall year) were in full bloom. The hills were covered in color, and with the falls in the distance, the view couldn't have been more beautiful, making this hike one of the most aesthetically pleasing ones we have been on this summer.

Wild flowers in full bloom

A couple we crossed paths with on the way up swore to us that the view of the upper falls was the most impressive of the hike.  While it was beautiful, I wasn't quite sure why they held it in such high esteem over the, in my own humble opinion, much more impressive views earlier on the trail

According to our tracker app, the trail starts at around 7,000 feet and two and a quarter miles terminates 8,250 feet. The trail ends in the Hoover Wilderness at a class two talus scramble with distant views of the Upper Horse Creek Falls.  Brave hikers who haven't had enough climbing for one day or backpackers looking to access the Yosemite Backcountr can follow a backpacking path well marked by trail ducks across the talus that marks the termination of the trail.

Lower Horse Creek Falls

James' aunt and uncle, who both were having knee problems, were able to make it part way up the talus scramble before deciding that they had enough for the day. We ate our lunch and then turned around for the easy walk downhill back to Twin lakes.

The hike proved to be only moderately difficult, while still providing a decent workout and rewarding the intrepid with some spectacular five star views. I would recommend this hike to anyone traveling to the Twin Lakes area who possesses even a moderate level of fitness.