Virginia Lakes to Green Creek

Photos Maps Summary: This is an oustanding hike that can be done as a long and strenuous day-hike or a more relaxed overnighter. Either way, you will experience many scenic areas including 11 lakes (13 if you count the Frog Lakes individually), the border of Yosemite National Park, and the 11,130' Virginia Lakes Pass. However, a shuttle will need to be organized to transport between trailheads. Our favorite view from this hike came at the Virginia Lakes Pass and we camped at East Lake, which is only one of many gorgeous lakes seen during this hike. Plan on spending a little while at Green Lake especially. There are many short side-trips included in this description, but one that is not is to West Lake above Green Lake (~1.3 miles one-way). This hike can also be done in either direction but here we describe the route with more elevation loss than gain.Distance: 12.9 miles one-way (14.5 miles w/ all side-trips)Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,660'/3,500' total (1,960'/3,800' w/ all side-trips)Season: July through October (whenever Virginia Lakes Pass is passable)Fees & Permits: Wilderness permit required. Overnighters can reserve one or pick one up (limited number per day) from the Bridgeport Ranger Station.

Finding the Trailhead: Virginia Lakes Trailhead: 38.04822 N, 119.26256 W. Drive to the day-use and trailhead parking lot at Big Virginia Lake by following the Virginia Lakes Road W from US-395 south of Bridgeport to its end (~6.1 miles). The trailhead is located just off of the northeastern end of the parking lot. Green Creek Trailhead: 38.11219 N, 119.27545 W. Drive to the Green Creek Trailhead south of Bridgeport by following the Green Creek Road southwest from US-395 for ~8.0 miles. Turn right into the trailhead parking area. The trail begins off of the western end of the parking area.

The Hike: Starting from the Virginia Lakes Trailhead, follow the trail to the northwest as it begins to climb towards Blue Lake. Before reaching the first trail junction (at ~0.15 miles), there are nice views of Big Virginia Lake and Black Mountain. At the first trail junction, the left trail leads down to the northern shore of Big Virginia Lake and Virginia Lakes Falls (~0.15 miles round-trip). Staying right at the junction, the trail continues to the northwest towards Blue Lake. Just before reaching Blue Lake, the trail splits. The left trail follows more closely to the lakeshore and the right stays a little higher. At ~0.4 miles both trails reach Blue Lake and reconnect. Now the climbing begins in earnest along the exposed talus slope north of Blue Lake.A lush section of vegetation is passed and then an old cabin at ~1.0 mile just after passing briefly in and out of some shade and before the trail turns sharply to the right. Until late in the summer, many wildflowers can be found blooming along a spring just northwest of the cabin. The northeastern shore of Cooney Lake is reached at ~1.15 miles, where there are nice views of Black Mountain. Again, the trail continues to climb north of the lake until a trail junction is reached at the outlet from the Frog Lakes at ~1.4 miles. Before this, some people leave the trail to get down to the northwestern shore of Cooney Lake at the inlet (outlet from the Frog Lakes). At the Frog Lakes junction, you can take a short (~0.3 miles round-trip) side-trip to see the easternmost and northernmost Frog Lakes (highly recommended). The views from the northernmost Frog Lake are spectacular (picture above-right) and you can find some Elephant's Head Lousewort blooming along its shore. Continuing on the main trail, it passes over the outlet from the westernmost Frog Lake at ~1.55 miles before continuing along its northern shore. All along this section are nice views of the surrounding mountains with some wildflowers sprinkled in. After passing through this somewhat flat section, the trail again begins to climb in earnest towards the Virginia Lakes Pass (unofficial name). Some hardy wildflowers can even be found along the trail as it switchbacks it way up to the pass. At ~2.75 miles the trail reaches the ~11,130' pass at a saddle. The views looking back down towards the Frog Lakes is nice but the view looking down towards Summit Lake just west of the pass are phenomenal. There is a short side-trail just west of the pass which leads to the best views (~0.2 miles round-trip). From this viewpoint you have a 360-degree view, highlighted by the view between Summit Lake (WNW) and the northeastern tip of East Lake (NNW). The surrounding canyon walls perfectly echo any excited shouts. Continuing on the hike, the trail begins to switchback steeply down towards a trail junction. Along this route is a surprising plethora of Columbine ranging in color from bright red to pure white, with every imaginable shade in between (hybridized). At ~4.1 miles the trail comes to a great viewpoint for the Hoover Lakes (picture above-left) to the northeast just before switchbacking down to the trail junction. The Hoover Lakes/Summit Lake trail junction is reached at ~4.4 miles. From here, you have the option of hiking the ~2.2 miles to the Yosemite border and back which we did. Staying left at the junction, the trail descends to the outlet from the lake and then climbs along it to the eastern shore before following the northern shore of the lake to the Yosemite boundary at the western end of the lake. If you look closely near the border you can find the small, round metal boundary marker off the northern side of the trail (in the middle of a rock). Follow your steps back to the Hoover Lakes Trail junction to continue the hike.

From the junction, the trail steeply switchbacks its way down to Upper Hoover Lake. At ~0.4 miles from the junction, the trail crosses over the outlet from Summit Lake and then shortly reaches the southwestern end of Upper Hoover Lake. The trail skirts around the western and northern shores of the lake before crossing between the two Hoover Lakes at ~0.85 miles from the trail junction. The trail then skirts the rocky eastern shore of the Lower Hoover Lake before descending toward Gilman Lake. The trail switchbacks a couple of times, crosses over the outlet from the Hoover Lakes (East Fork Green Creek) and then passes by a large pond on its western side (not eastern side as the USGS topo indicates). Along this section are a few lush patches of lupine (picture at right). At ~0.95 miles from the middle of the Hoover Lakes the trail passes above the western shore of Gilman Lake. To get to this lake's shore, you'll have to follow a use-trail steeply down to it to the east (~0.2 miles round-trip). From here, the trail continues to the northwest, reaching the eastern end of Nutter Lake at ~1.05 miles from the middle of the Hoover Lakes (~6.4 miles from the trailhead). The trail then climbs above its northern shore and heads north-northwest towards East Lake. The southeastern end of East Lake is reached ~1.25 miles from the middle of the Hoover Lakes, where there is a nice view of East Lake Falls to the southwest. From here, the trail continues to climb to the north-northwest before descending slightly. At ~1.5 miles from the middle of the Hoover Lakes, we left the trail on a small use-trail to the west to find our campsite (~0.25 miles round-trip). The USGS topo map indicates this as the actual trail, but it is not. We found a great campsite just southwest of the large pond off of the eastern shore of East Lake. The eastern shore of the lake was only a short stroll away to the west-southwest. More excellent campsites can be found north of here as well (stay west of the large pond).