Beginner-friendly Eastern Sierra stops/hikes for late May near Mammoth Lakes?
We’re planning to stay one night in Mammoth Lakes next weekend and explore the Eastern Sierra for a full day.
More specifically, we’ll cross over to the east side on Friday afternoon through Tioga Pass, then drive through the June Lake Loop before staying overnight in Mammoth Lakes. The next day, we’re planning to head up to Lake Tahoe in the late afternoon. We’re a group of four adults, all beginner hikers.
We’re mainly looking for places where we can stop, get out of the car, enjoy the scenery, and maybe do some light hiking (around 1–2 hours max). Since it’ll be late May, we’re especially interested in beautiful lakes, peaceful creeks, and scenic spring conditions without getting into anything too difficult or snow-heavy.
Here are some of the places we’re currently considering:
- Around Mammoth Lakes, we’re planning to visit Twin Falls Outlook. Are there any easy hikes nearby that you’d recommend?
- We’re also planning to visit Hot Creek Geologic Site.
- For Convict Lake, we were thinking of mostly just stopping by and enjoying the view from the lake area. Is there anything there that’s really worth doing beyond that?
- Little Lakes Valley hike: would this be too snowy or difficult in late May for beginners? I’ve also heard parking can get difficult unless you arrive very early. If Gem Lake ends up feeling too difficult for us, which lake would be a good turnaround point before heading back?
- How does Lake Sabrina compare to the other lake areas? It seems much farther south, so I’m wondering if it’s worth the extra driving time.
We’d also really appreciate any other recommendations.