The Eastern Sierra, California, USA

We originally planned to visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in June 2023, but we waited too long to book, so settled on the Eastern Sierra instead. Once there, we realized this wasn’t “settling” at all.

Drove from Los Angeles.
Red Rock Canyon State Park:
- Hiked Hagen Canyon Trail. Broke up the drive with this scenic little hike.
Lone Pine:
- Whitney Portal. The drive up gets increasingly more dramatic.
- Lunch at the Whitney Portal Store. We were hoping for pancakes, but alas, we settled for veggie burgers and fries. Enjoyed eating outside under the big trees.
- Movie Road & The Alabama Hills. We liked the contrast of the rounded boulders in the foreground with the jagged peaks in the background.
- Hiked Mobius Arch Loop Trail.
Checked in our hotel.
Dinner from Mammoth Pizza Co & Slice Bar.
Dessert from Hugs Ice Cream. Real thick milkshakes.

Breakfast from Old New York Deli & Bakery Co.
Convict Lake:
- Hiked Convict Lake Loop Trail. Unbelievable natural beauty. Easy trail with lots of amazing views. There was still some snow on parts of the trail, but nothing we couldn’t handle with good hiking boots. Spotted 4 deer on our drive out.
Groceries for lunch.
Crowley Lake:
- Hiked Crowley Lake Columns Trail. We parked far from the lake and walked there. Some people tried to drive the rough road, but many got stuck. A guy in a Mustang lost one of his bumpers when he tried to gun it up a steep and very rough hill. The only cars that can pass are 4x4s with high clearance.
- Crowley Lake Stone Columns. Interesting natural formations.
Leftovers for dinner.

Breakfast from Old New York Deli & Bakery Co.
Lake Sabrina:
- Hiked Lake Sabrina Trail. Easy parking at the trailhead despite the limited space. Pretty challenging trail conditions due to snow and very bloated rivers/waterfalls. We tried to get to Blue Lake but came across an impassable waterfall, so we backtracked and tried the trail up to George Lake. But then the trail got far too snowy and we didn’t have any winter hiking gear. Still got a nice 3.5-mile hike in despite the issues.
Groceries for lunch.
June Lake Loop Scenic Drive:
- Grant Lake.
- June Lake Beach.
Dinner at El Charro Taqueria. Delicious!
Sunset drive from Twin Lakes Vista to Convict Lake.