Piute Pass (North Lake) Gear Checklist
Piute Pass starts at the North Lake trailhead (9,276 or 9,362 feet by two hikers' counts), climbs about five miles past Loch Leven and Piute Lake, and tops out at 11,423 feet above Humphreys Basin. Food storage here is looser than at most nearby Inyo trailheads, so a counterbalance hang or a soft bear-resistant sack is legal on the trail, and fires are banned from the trailhead to the pass. The hikers we read packed rain gear for afternoon thunder, water shoes and a head net for the lower west side, a pack light enough for the stone steps, and warm layers for camps above 11,000 feet.
What shapes your gear on Piute Pass
- Route and distance
- The trail starts in lodgepole pine and aspen, then follows the creek past Loch Leven and Piute Lake to the pass. One hiker calls it a gentle 2,000-foot climb over five miles. Piute Pass and Bishop Pass are the two ends of the North Lake to South Lake loop.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake and SoCal Hiker
- How high the pass is
- Three hikers put the pass at 11,423 feet, while a 2024 trip report gives 11,417 feet. Piute Lake sits near 10,958 feet and Loch Leven near 10,740 feet, though one hiker lists Loch Leven at 10,743 feet.
From Michael D Photography Blog, SoCal Hiker, Binoculars in the Backcountry and 100 Peaks
- Quota and permit
- Overnight trips need a wilderness permit all year, and day trips do not. From May 1 through November 1 the quota is 30 people per day. A 2017 blog post lists no permit under its trail details, which does not match the Forest Service page.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake and SoCal Hiker
- Afternoon thunderstorms
- On a July weekend, thunderheads built over the pass in the afternoon. The hiker was rained on below Piute Lake, put on rain gear under a big tree for about 20 minutes, then spent roughly an hour and a half in the tent while thunder rolled.
- Snow near the pass
- A remnant snowfield crossed the trail below the pass on an August day in 2017, with pieces breaking away. In early July 2018 another group climbed a snowfield that other boots had already packed down, and suncups covered the slopes beyond.
From SoCal Hiker and Binoculars in the Backcountry
- Parking
- North Lake Road is steep, narrow and mostly dirt, and the Forest Service does not recommend it for trailers. Overnight parking is near North Lake, and the campground lot is for campers only. One midweek hiker was surprised by how many cars were already at the trailhead.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake and Michael D Photography Blog
What the agency requires on Piute Pass
A wilderness permit for overnight trips
Overnight trips need a wilderness permit all year. Day use does not need one. During the quota season, May 1 through November 1, the limit is 30 people per day.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake
A bear-resistant container or a counterbalance hang
On this trail the Forest Service lets you either store food, trash and scented items in bear-proof containers or counterbalance them at least 15 feet up and 10 feet out from a tree trunk. The container becomes mandatory anywhere without trees tall enough for a hang.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
A stove instead of a fire
No campfires are allowed from the trailhead to Piute Pass, and none at all above 10,000 feet north of Glacier Divide. Gas, petroleum or pressurized liquid stoves are allowed in high-elevation fire-ban areas.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
A way to treat water
The Forest Service says water from creeks, lakes and springs on this trail should be treated before drinking.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake
A camp spot at least 100 feet from trails and water
Use an established site at least 100 feet back from trails and water. The group limit in the John Muir Wilderness is 15 people, and that includes day use.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake
What hikers carry on Piute Pass
A rain jacket and a tent you can sit out a storm in
A hiker climbing in July was caught by rain and thunder before reaching the pass. The jacket went on under a large tree, and later the tent sheltered the whole evening storm before the sun returned.
A pack you can carry up the stone steps
The steps on this trail are close to two feet tall in places. One hiker carrying about 40 pounds came to dislike them, and a smaller, lighter pack after an earlier back injury made the same climb feel very different.
Water shoes for the wet crossings west of the pass
Past Summit Lake there are a few wet crossings, and on the west edge of Hutchinson Meadow six stream crossings come one after another. One couple simply left their water shoes on for all of them.
From SoCal Hiker
A head net for the meadow camps
The same couple found the bugs worst at Hutchinson Meadow, near 9,500 feet, and put on head nets for part of the evening before getting into the tent.
From SoCal Hiker
Soft bear-resistant sacks
A group of friends base camped at Muriel Lake in September 2024 and secured their food in sacks of that kind. That fits the Forest Service wording for this trail, which accepts containers or a counterbalance.
From 100 Peaks and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake
Warm layers and a headlamp for camps above 11,000 feet
A hiker who reached Muriel Lake at dusk cooked dinner by headlamp, felt the cold, and did not feel acclimated at a camp over 11,000 feet. Another group camped near Cony Lake at 11,600 feet.
From 100 Peaks and Binoculars in the Backcountry
A map and a saved GPS track for the cross-country basin
A four-day group that went from the pass into Humphreys Basin traveled cross-country until they rejoined the Piute trail on the last day. Another party noted several use trails leading toward the Golden Trout Lakes after Summit Lake.
From Binoculars in the Backcountry and SoCal Hiker
Boots with grip for late snowfields
Snow lingered across the trail below the pass into August in 2017 and into early July in 2018. One group chose the safest line across it, and another followed an existing track.
From SoCal Hiker and Binoculars in the Backcountry
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 Piute Pass
Starting the climb in the afternoon
One hiker reached Loch Leven late in the day, saw clouds building, and stopped at Piute Lake instead of continuing to the pass. A storm hit soon after the tent went up. Another group left the trailhead around 7:30 in the morning and crossed the pass in sun.
From Michael D Photography Blog and SoCal Hiker
A heavy pack on the stone steps
The same hiker had hurt his back on an earlier trip with a very heavy pack and chose to carry less this time.
Not leaving time to adjust to altitude
A group that went straight to a camp over 11,000 feet on the first evening spent the next morning resting in camp, and one member did not feel ready for the long day hike until mid-afternoon.
From 100 Peaks
Gear questions for Piute Pass
Do you need a bear canister for Piute Pass?
Not on the trail itself. The Forest Service page for this trail accepts either a bear-resistant container or a counterbalance hang. A container is required wherever there are no trees tall enough for a hang, so check your camp. One 2024 group used soft sacks at Muriel Lake.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake, Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations and 100 Peaks
Is a wilderness permit required for Piute Pass?
For overnight trips, yes, all year. Day hikes do not need one. From May 1 through November 1 the quota is 30 people per day. One blog lists no permit, but the Forest Service page is the rule to follow.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake and SoCal Hiker
Are campfires allowed on the Piute Pass trail?
No. Fires are banned from the trailhead to the pass and everywhere above 10,000 feet north of Glacier Divide. Bring a gas, petroleum or pressurized liquid stove.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Piute Pass Trail - North Lake and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
How high is Piute Pass?
Most of the trip reports we read give 11,423 feet. A 2024 report says 11,417 feet. Two hikers put the North Lake trailhead at 9,276 and 9,362 feet, and another calls the climb a gentle 2,000 feet.
From Michael D Photography Blog, SoCal Hiker, Binoculars in the Backcountry and 100 Peaks
Sources
- Piute Pass Trail - North Lake · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Wilderness Regulations · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Backpacking Trip to Humphreys Basin via Piute Pass (July 17-19, 2014) · Michael D Photography Blog, Michael D · Trip report
- Backpacking the North/South Lake Loop: Piute Pass to Hutchinson Meadow · SoCal Hiker · Trip report
- Humphreys Basin · Binoculars in the Backcountry, Bob Steele · Blog
- Humphreys Basin Backpacking Trip (Eastern Sierra, California), Reunion and Rescue 2024 · 100 Peaks, Derek Loranger · Trip report