Big Pine Creek South Fork Gear Checklist
The Big Pine Creek South Fork permit is the quiet sibling of the North Fork. It covers a long switchback climb to Willow Lake, a bog-like meadow, then Brainard Lake and the unmarked scramble up to Finger Lake beneath the Middle Palisade Glacier. Hikers here carry shoes or sandals for a creek crossing that has no dependable bridge, a GPS track for the stretch past Willow Lake, a bear canister, a filter, and bug protection for early summer. Writers disagree on whether the mosquitoes reach the upper lakes and on how far it is from Brainard to Finger Lake.
What shapes your gear on Big Pine Creek South Fork
- Distance to Brainard Lake
- One writer who started at the overnight lot reached Brainard Lake at 5.47 miles from the trailhead. Another walked an 11 mile round trip with about 3,000 feet of gain from the day-use lot to Brainard Lake near 10,200 feet. Starting from the overnight lot adds about a mile to the trip compared with the day-use lot.
From Follow Tiff's Journey and Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek
- Finger Lake scramble
- The last climb to Finger Lake has no maintained trail. One hiker calls it half a mile and 531 feet of gain, with a class 2 scramble, and took 40 minutes up the rock field and 20 minutes down. A second hiker counted another 600 feet from Brainard Lake. Another day hiker put the whole trip at 12 miles with 3,400 feet of gain.
From Follow Tiff's Journey, Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek and Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Finger Lake: South Fork Big Pine Creek
- The creek crossing
- The Forest Service says an avalanche destroyed the South Fork bridge in spring 2011 and tells hikers to expect wet feet. One hiker found a man-made bridge in some years and none in 2021, with cold, strong flow. A 2018 day hiker warns of wet feet at the crossing, and a 2018 hiking group treated it as a challenge that called for a boulder hop.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail, Follow Tiff's Journey, Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek and Ted's Hiking World
- Quota and season
- The Forest Service limits overnight visitors on the South Fork to 12 people per day from May 1 through November 1. Wilderness permits are needed all year for overnight trips, and day use needs none. This permit does not cover the North Fork trail.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail
- Early season snow
- On May 3, 2026 a shop crew found the trail clear of snow until roughly where the switchbacks begin beside the waterfall, just past the wilderness boundary. Snow coverage grew with elevation toward the lakes, and the creek was running well.
From Eastside Sports
- Willow Lake
- Willow Lake is a combination of ponds, stream and meadow. A 2018 hiking group called it the highlight of the day, and a 2019 pair called it more of a bog. Two writers warn about mosquitoes there.
From Ted's Hiking World, Backcountry Post and Climber.org
What the agency requires on Big Pine Creek South Fork
A wilderness permit for every overnight trip
Overnight trips need a permit all year, and the signed permit must be with the group leader. Sixty percent of quota is released 6 months ahead and 40 percent 2 weeks ahead. Groups cannot exceed 15 people, which includes day use.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail and Recreation.gov (Inyo National Forest)
Food and scented items in a bear-proof container or counterbalanced
The trail page says food, trash and scented items must be stored in bear-proof containers or counterbalanced. The forest's bear page strongly recommends a container in every Inyo wilderness and lists eight areas where one is mandatory. The South Fork is not on that list. Where trees cannot hold a hang, only a container is allowed.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Bears and food storage in Inyo National Forest
No campfires, and a campfire permit to run a stove
The trail page bans campfires. The permit page asks every group to print a California Campfire Permit, which it says covers both campfires and stove use.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail and Recreation.gov (Inyo National Forest)
Treating all water
The agency says to treat any water you take from creeks, lakes or springs.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail
Burying waste away from water
There are no restrooms in the wilderness. Outside the Whitney area, the permit page says to dig a hole six to eight inches deep, 100 feet or more from water, trails and campsites.
What hikers carry on Big Pine Creek South Fork
Shoes or sandals you can wade the South Fork in
The bridge was lost in 2011, and the Forest Service says to expect wet feet. A 2018 day hiker agrees that the crossing may soak your shoes. Another hiker found the water cold with a strong flow when the bridge was missing in 2021 and says to look for a slower stretch.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail, Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek and Follow Tiff's Journey
A GPS track or offline map for the stretch past Willow Lake
The Forest Service says the trail above Willow Lake becomes indistinct with rock cairns marking the way. The Finger Lake hikers used a GPS track or a loaded waypoint, and one writer says the final stretch asks you to find your own way over uneven ground.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail, Follow Tiff's Journey and Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Finger Lake: South Fork Big Pine Creek
A bear canister
A father and daughter who camped at Brainard Lake stored everything in their canister after eating inside their tent. The Forest Service allows a counterbalance hang here, but a canister avoids a poor tree choice.
The North Fork and some other Inyo basins have stricter food rules. For this trail the agency wording is container or counterbalance.
From Backcountry Post, Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Bears and food storage in Inyo National Forest
Bug spray, and a tent set up before dinner
One writer says mosquitoes are bad after snowmelt, typically in June, and that none were at the lakes in July but some were near water along the trail. A 2019 pair in late August found them thick at Willow Lake and at Brainard Lake once they stopped. They pitched the tent first and cooked by reaching a stove out through the doors.
The two writers disagree about the upper lakes. Timing and wind seem to decide it.
From Follow Tiff's Journey, Backcountry Post and Climber.org
A water filter
The Forest Service says to treat all water. A day hiker marks the North Fork crossing and a two-log creek crossing before the lake as places to resupply, and the 2019 pair cleaned a filter at Second Lake after crossing over Contact Pass.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail, Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek and Backcountry Post
A headlamp for a long day
A Finger Lake day hiker who left at dawn nearly needed a headlamp when he returned around 6 p.m. A Brainard day hiker started late, got back near 7 p.m. and slept in his truck.
From Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Finger Lake: South Fork Big Pine Creek and Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek
A windbreaker for the exposed switchbacks
A 2018 September hiker packed one and the group's jackets went on and off several times during the day.
From Ted's Hiking World
Trekking poles and careful footing on loose ground
A hiker on the switchbacks reports a patch of very loose dirt and scree near the top that felt slippery. The 2019 pair broke a pole tip on steep snow while off trail toward Contact Pass.
From Follow Tiff's Journey and Backcountry Post
15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Big Pine Creek South Fork
Starting late for a long day
A Brainard Lake day hiker left late after driving from Fresno in the morning and felt tired by the lake, skipping the climb to Finger Lake. The Finger Lake writer would suggest it as a day hike only for fast hikers.
From Mid Sierra Musings: Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek and Follow Tiff's Journey
Underestimating cross-country time over Contact Pass
The 2019 pair left Brainard Lake for Contact Pass and found the path through the willows and over loose blocks took far longer than expected. They lost trip time and had no ice axes or crampons for the short steep snow patch on the north side.
From Backcountry Post
Camping at Finger Lake for the view
The Finger Lake writer found few camp spots near the lake with a view, and suggests camping at Brainard Lake and climbing up for the day.
Gear questions for Big Pine Creek South Fork
Do you need a bear canister on Big Pine Creek South Fork?
The Forest Service trail page says food must be in a bear-proof container or counterbalanced, and the forest's bear page does not list the South Fork among its eight mandatory-container areas. It still strongly recommends a container, and a hang is not allowed where trees are poor. A pair who camped at Brainard Lake used a canister.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail, Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Bears and food storage in Inyo National Forest and Backcountry Post
How many people can start an overnight trip on Big Pine Creek South Fork each day?
The Forest Service sets the quota at 12 people per day from May 1 through November 1. The permit page says 60 percent of spots open 6 months ahead and 40 percent 2 weeks ahead. One hiker got a last-minute walk-up permit for a July trip.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail, Recreation.gov (Inyo National Forest) and Follow Tiff's Journey
Is there a bridge over the South Fork on Big Pine Creek South Fork?
Not a dependable one. The Forest Service says an avalanche destroyed it in 2011 and tells hikers to expect wet feet. One hiker found a man-made bridge in some years and none in 2021. Plan on wading or a boulder hop.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail, Follow Tiff's Journey and Ted's Hiking World
Are there mosquitoes on Big Pine Creek South Fork?
Several writers say yes near Willow Lake and its bog-like meadow. One hiker met none at Finger Lake in July but some along the trail near water. A 2019 pair reported thick swarms at Brainard Lake in late August, while one writer calls June after snowmelt the worst time.
From Climber.org, Follow Tiff's Journey and Backcountry Post
Sources
- Big Pine Creek South Fork Trail · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Bears and food storage in Inyo National Forest · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Inyo National Forest - Wilderness Permits · Recreation.gov (Inyo National Forest) · Agency
- Big Pine South Fork Creek, Hike to Finger Lake · Follow Tiff's Journey, Tiff · Blog
- Big Pine Creek Eastern Sierra · Backcountry Post, Tim Valentine · Forum thread
- South Fork Big Pine Creek, John Muir Wilderness, CA · Ted's Hiking World, Ted Muller · Trip report
- Day Hike To Brainerd Lake Along The South Fork Of Big Pine Creek · Mid Sierra Musings, Dale Matson · Blog
- Day Hike To Finger Lake: South Fork Big Pine Creek · Mid Sierra Musings, Dale Matson · Blog
- Conditions Report: South Fork of Big Pine Creek · Eastside Sports · Blog
- Big Pine / Glacier Lodge · Climber.org · Blog