McLeod Lake Trail - Hike A Trail

🌤 Trail Weather — Plan Your Hike Updated every 6 hrs · Trailhead coords

✅

Good Conditions — Solid Day to Hike

66°F, Overcast Clouds. Wind 7 mph. Standard 10 Essentials apply.

☁️

66°

Overcast Clouds

Feels 64°F

💨 Wind

7 mph W

Gusts to 19 mph

💧 Humidity

36%

Comfortable

👁 Visibility

6.2 mi

Good visibility

☁️ Cloud Cover

89%

Overcast

🌅 Sunrise

5:46 am

Ideal start time

🌇 Sunset

8:17 pm

Off trail by this

Today — 3-Hour Intervals

8 pm

☁️

64°

Feels 62°

💨 5/6

11 pm

☁️

55°

Feels 52°

💨 2/4

5-Day Forecast

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Today

Broken Clouds

64°F

feels 62°

💨 Wind/Gust

5/6 SW

💧 Humidity

37% Comfortable

👁 Visibility

6.2 mi — Good visibility

☁️ Clouds

67% Mostly cloudy

✅ Good Conditions — Go Hike

🌙

Thu, Jul 16

Clear Sky

45°F

feels 44°

💨 Wind/Gust

3/5 S

💧 Humidity

55% Humid — heat feels stronger

👁 Visibility

6.2 mi — Good visibility

☁️ Clouds

0% Clear — full sun exposure

✅ Good Conditions — Go Hike

🌙

Fri, Jul 17

Clear Sky

43°F

feels 40°

💨 Wind/Gust

4/5 S

💧 Humidity

36% Comfortable

👁 Visibility

6.2 mi — Good visibility

☁️ Clouds

3% Clear — full sun exposure

🥾 Acceptable — Check Elevation

🌥️

Sat, Jul 18

Few Clouds

47°F

feels 46°

💨 Wind/Gust

3/4 S

💧 Humidity

38% Comfortable

👁 Visibility

6.2 mi — Good visibility

☁️ Clouds

11% Clear — full sun exposure

✅ Good Conditions — Go Hike

☁️

Sun, Jul 19

Scattered Clouds

48°F

feels 48°

💨 Wind/Gust

3/4 S

💧 Humidity

43% Comfortable

👁 Visibility

6.2 mi — Good visibility

☁️ Clouds

33% Partly cloudy

✅ Good Conditions — Go Hike

Trailhead elevation only. Conditions change at altitude. Check weather.gov before heading out. Jul 15, 6:04 pm

A brief high-reward woodland trek through a haunting ghost forest killed by volcanic CO2 venting, opening to a pristine white-sand alpine beach at McLeod Lake. The ideal first high-country hike.

Trail Overview

The ghost forest at Horseshoe Lake is a real phenomenon — trees killed by carbon dioxide seeping from volcanic activity underground. McLeod Lake itself has a sandy beach that looks completely out of place at 8,900 feet. Outstanding short hike that punches above its mileage. Great choice for acclimation day or first-time Sierra visitors.

This Hike Is For You If…

Everyone. Beginners, children, visitors who are acclimating. Excellent first exposure to the Eastern Sierra.

Skip This Hike If…

No one should skip this if they are in the Mammoth area.

What to Expect on Trail

Terrain: Flat gentle path through open forest. No technical sections.

Shade: Mostly Shaded

Water: Reliable Year-Round. McLeod Lake at destination. Filter before drinking.

Views: Good

Crowds: Popular but lot rarely overwhelms. Quiet on weekday mornings.

Dogs: Yes, dogs are welcome on this trail.

Best Arrival: Anytime. This lot rarely fills completely.

This is a Tier 1 sourced review. Trail information is based on published sources and research. Andrew has not personally hiked this trail yet. Photos and firsthand sensory detail will be added when upgraded to Tier 2.

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