Baker Summit Trail

Baker Summit Trail is a remote, high-alpine hiking line near Bishop, California in the Inyo National Forest, used as a connector for backcountry alpine trips in the John Muir Wilderness (for longer days and overnight trips in particular).

Expect steep climbs and big altitude effort. Common planned versions of the route focus on carrying you up toward alpine basins like High Meadows and Baker Lake, with a strenuous profile tied to high elevation and sustained incline.

Typical itinerary options include a long out-and-back to Baker Lake, a point-to-point backpacking traverse toward Big Pine Lakes (using Green Lake and Baker Summit Trail), and a shorter out-and-back to High Meadows. Reported distances for these common trip pairings range from about 7.6 miles to about 16.8 miles depending on which terminus you choose.

Navigation can get difficult after passing Baker Lake, and conditions can vary quickly in the Sierra backcountry—plan on using offline topo maps and be ready to route-find in complex terrain.

For timing, the common hiking window runs roughly June through October, with winter impacts related to seasonal Inyo National Forest road closures.

Regulations: dogs are allowed, but overnight backpacking requires a wilderness permit.

More information: Early season backpacking to Baker Lake - Backcountry Nomad, Baker Summit Trail via Brown Lake and Green Lake | Inyo County, | Baker Summit Trail via Brown Lake and Green Lake