Beautiful California Lake Camping- June Lake Loop

Mike and I have both lived in California our entire lives and yet have never been able to explore June Lake. We have both been to Mammoth a few times but never stopped and saw the beautiful lakes nearby including June Lake, Gull Lake, Silver Lake and Grant Lake. Most native California’s I’ve noticed have not explored a lot of California and there is so much to see in this state alone. We really have been trying to visit as many places as we can in our home state. Mike also recently picked up fishing as a hobby, so this was the perfect destination for our next camping trip.

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Choosing a Campsite

There are a ton of campsites to choose from in the area (cabins too!) but we decided to go with Reversed Creek Campground, which is right across from Gull Lake. This campsite is in a more wooded area vs. an open field so it offers plenty of shade in most campsites. A lot of the other campsites we looked at had no shade and were in a more open area, providing less privacy as well. Reversed Creek Campground offered shade, a decent amount of privacy and a good-sized site. We stayed at site 01 which was right at the entrance. The neat thing about this site is there is a dedicated space for your tent which is clear from any rocks or stones and away from bushes etc. It’s a great spot and we loved it! The campgrounds have flushing toilets and waterspouts including buckets available for you to douse your fire. There is also firewood available to purchase from the camp host.

The campground is right across from the street from Gull Lake. There is another campsite right on the lake there. Those sites seemed a bit closer together and are close to the road as well, however, you have a beautiful view of the lake! You can hop in your car and you are a few minutes from the Marina where you can rent boats, kayaks, and paddleboards. You also are about a 3-minute drive from town where there are a few shops and then June Lake.

Fishing

We went fishing and had the best luck at Gull Lake Meadows for fishing. You need to drive on a rough one way dirt road to get to this spot, so definitely no trailers or low cars. Helpful if you have AWD for the road but not necessary. Pack a lunch, bring some chairs and you’re fishing gear and you are ready to go. There are plenty of spots to fish from along the lake. There is also a small ramp that people where using for kayaks etc. Make sure as always to “pack in, pack out!”. There are tons of ducks and other beautiful birds that live in the area. Lastly, there are restrooms available in the area as well.

We also drove a few minutes over to Silver Lake and went fishing but had no luck that day. Another really beautiful lake with tons of shoreline spots to fish from. You can also rent a boat from the marina. One family had a lot of luck fishing from their boat. There is also fishing available at June Lake and Grant Lake and various streams around the area. Just make sure to stay updated on regulations, which are all available to view online.

Things to Do

Aside from fishing, we did a beautiful hike at Parker Lake Trail. It was about a 15-minute drive from our campsite. This also requires you to drive up a dirt road but not as intense as the Gull Lake Meadows road. Bring plenty of water, a few snacks and you can also bring fishing gear. The trail itself is just under 4 miles (there and back) and is definitely kid and pet friendly. The beginning would be the most difficult as it has a bit of an incline, I would say moderate, but it flattens out after that. There are plenty of places to stop and explore with creeks and beautiful trees and wildflowers. At the end of the trail you reach the beautiful Lake. You can still hike around the lake and there are plenty of lakeside spots to stop, enjoy a snack and the view, and fish as well.

During our trip we also rented Kayaks from Big Pine Resort at June Lake. They are an incredibly friendly, family owned company that we highly recommend! We did an hour and a half on the lake and it was just beautiful. The mountains still had snow on them, and it was so peaceful and relaxing. This was also right before Memorial Day weekend so it was not crowded.

On our last morning after checking out of our campsite, we decided to have breakfast at Silver Lake Resort Café (recommended to us by a local). The resort & café are over 100 years old! Sit outside and enjoy a beautiful view of Silver Lake. They have a variety of items available on the menu and have pretty large portion sizes. We both left full and happy! The food was delicious, and the service was great (I had the “Silver Lake Cattle Company Scramble” and Mike had “The Garbage”). We highly recommend visiting the café if you are in the area.

Recommendations/Tips

Here are a few recommendations/tips we have from our trip:

Beat the crowds and visit in Spring or Fall. We went right before Memorial Day and had perfect weather. It also was not too crowded. Summertime is of course the most busy and also is prime time for tons of mosquitos.
Layer up! Typical for the mountains, it can get very cold at night, even in the summer. Be sure to bring extra blankets and clothing just in case.
Be prepared to put everything in a bear box, including toiletries etc. The box is large enough for a large cooler and a few other bags. Remember to check your car for any scented lip balms or hand sanitizers too.
If you know you would like to rent a boat or kayak, be sure to call ahead and make a reservation.