Treasure Lakes - South Lake Gear Checklist
Treasure Lakes is a short round trip of roughly 5.5 to 6 miles from the South Lake trailhead, to a granite basin beneath Mount Thompson, Mount Goode and Hurd Peak. The Forest Service requires bear canisters here, bans campfires above 10,400 feet, and says the permit does not include Bishop Pass or the John Muir Trail. The people we read describe fierce mosquitoes along Bishop Creek, afternoon hail, a ranger who steers campers away from the shore, and a hard time finding a legal tent site near the lakes.
What shapes your gear on Treasure Lakes
- Route and distance
- The trail shares the Bishop Pass trail from South Lake to the first junction, then turns toward a less visited basin under Mount Thompson, Mount Goode and Hurd Peak. Round trip is given as 5.79 miles with 1,375 feet of gain by one trail listing, about 5.5 miles by a Bishop gear shop, and about 6 miles by a father and daughter.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail, The Outbound, Eastside Sports and 100 Peaks
- Quota and what the permit covers
- Overnight trips need a wilderness permit all year, and day use does not. From May 1 through November 1 the quota is 10 people per day. The Treasure Lakes permit leaves out Bishop Pass and the John Muir Trail.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
- Lake elevations and layout
- The trailhead lot sits at 9,800 feet and the first Treasure Lake at 10,668 feet. The camper numbered the lakes 1 through 4. Lake 2 was coated with algae, and lakes 3 and 4 were harder to reach for water because of talus and willows.
- Parking
- A paved lot sits at the end of the road, and extra overnight parking is allowed along the road below Parchers Resort, about a mile from the lake. On an August weekday in 2024 the overnight slots were full, and the hiker waited about an hour until someone left.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail and David Senesac photography
- Bugs and creek crossings
- About 1.5 miles in, the trail drops to Bishop Creek. A Bishop staffer in July 2025 found the mosquitoes fierce whenever she stopped moving. The trail listing advises bug spray, and one visitor mentions balancing over logs.
From Eastside Sports and The Outbound
- Afternoon weather
- On August 8, 2024, thunderstorms with hard rain and small hail began about 1 p.m. and kept going for more than three hours. Mornings during the stay were breezy, and wind kept the camper from photographing the lakes on the first day.
What the agency requires on Treasure Lakes
A bear canister
The Forest Service lists the Bishop Pass area, which includes Treasure Lakes, among eight areas where food and scented items must be stored in a container designed to keep bears out. The trail page says the same: active bear area, so use canisters for food and refuse.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
A wilderness permit for overnight trips
A permit is required all year for overnight trips. Day use does not need one. The quota is 10 people per day from May 1 through November 1, and the permit leaves out Bishop Pass and the John Muir Trail.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
A stove, not a fire
No campfires are allowed at any location above 10,400 feet on this trail. Gas, petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel stoves are allowed in fire-ban areas.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations
A way to treat water
Treat any water you take from a creek, lake or spring.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
A camp at least 100 feet from trails and water
Use an established site, with at least 100 feet between it and the nearest trail or water. Groups cannot exceed 15 people, which includes day use, and trash goes out with you.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
What hikers carry on Treasure Lakes
A freestanding tent that can be moved
In 2024 a camper found the legal tent sites near the lakes poor. A backcountry ranger criticized a first site about 60 feet from the lake edge, and the camper moved a self-standing tent to a higher spot beside bare granite.
Rain gear and a tent that handles hail
A storm with hard rain and small hail lasted more than three hours on an August afternoon in 2024, and the camper's tent was tucked against trees beside lake 2.
Bug spray or a head net
The trail drops to Bishop Creek about 1.5 miles in, where one hiker found mosquitoes fierce. The trail listing says to bring bug spray.
From Eastside Sports and The Outbound
A trekking pole
A ten-year-old on her first Sierra overnight leaned on a pole during rest stops on the long switchbacks, then scrambled up granite slabs close to the lakes.
From 100 Peaks
Spare webbing or cord for a pack repair
A hip-belt buckle snapped on the way up in 2024. The photographer threaded the straps through other webbing at the back of the buckles and tied them together, which got the pack to camp.
A way to treat water, and a plan for where to fill
The cleanest water came from the south shore of lake 1. The stream from lakes 3 and 4 was blocked by talus and tall willow. At a low camp near the wilderness boundary, one hiker walked a quarter mile back and forth to a stream.
From David Senesac photography and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
Windproof layers and a hot drink
Breezes blew through the basin on several mornings of an August 2024 stay, and the camper warmed up with hot chocolate before climbing a granite rib east of the lake.
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 Treasure Lakes
A tent site close to the water
The camper chose a shaded spot about 60 feet from lake 2 on sand and low plants, a ranger criticized the choice, and the camper regretted it and moved up. The ranger was also half-burying boulders in over-used sites near the shore.
Counting on a parking spot
The overnight slots at the lot were full on a weekday in August 2024. Allow time to wait, or plan to use the roadside parking below Parchers Resort, a mile from the lake.
From David Senesac photography and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
Underestimating the first climb
A father and daughter stopped often on the switchbacks and slabs, tired from the altitude even though the day was short, and the father warned her that long breaks meant adjusting to the altitude all over again.
From 100 Peaks
Gear questions for Treasure Lakes
Do you need a bear canister for Treasure Lakes?
Yes. The Forest Service names the Bishop Pass area, which includes Treasure Lakes, as one of eight areas where food and scented items must be stored in a bear-resistant container.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
Does a Treasure Lakes permit cover Bishop Pass?
No. The Forest Service says this permit leaves out Bishop Pass and the John Muir Trail. The overnight quota for the trail is 10 people per day from May 1 through November 1.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail
Are campfires allowed at Treasure Lakes?
No. The Forest Service bans campfires everywhere above 10,400 feet on this trail, and the first lake is about 10,668 feet. Cook on a gas, petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel stove.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Treasure Lakes Trail, Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations and David Senesac photography
How close to the water can you camp at Treasure Lakes?
Use an established site at least 100 feet back from trails and water. One 2024 camper wrote that many of the most-used sites at lake 1 were closer than that, and a ranger criticized a site about 60 feet from lake 2.
From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Wilderness Regulations and David Senesac photography
Sources
- Treasure Lakes Trail · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Wilderness Regulations · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- 2024 Trip Chronicles: Treasure Lakes Backpack 8/7 · David Senesac photography, David Senesac · Trip report
- Treasure Lakes Backpacking - Sophia's First Time Overnight in the Sierra · 100 Peaks, Derek Loranger · Trip report
- Trip/Conditions Report: Treasure Lakes Day Hike · Eastside Sports · Trip report
- Treasure Lakes Trail · The Outbound · Blog