the dyrt
Standard (tent/RV)
Dispersed
Tent Sites
Fires Unknown
Pets Unknown
Drinking Water
About
Cottonwood Pass Walk in Campground
Located in the Horseshoe Meadow Recreation Area this trailhead campground has 18 walk-in sites suitable for backpackers and hikers to use the night before they are going to hike into Golden Trout Wilderness via the Cottonwood Pass trail. Self-register when you arrive. Sites include food stroage boxes, tent pads, tables, fire grates, piped water, and toilet facilities. One night stay limit.
Horseshoe Meadow Area Campgrounds Guide (pdf)
Operator
USDA Forest Service
Access
Walk In
Contact
Location
Cottonwood Pass Walk in Campground
is located in
California
Directions
Located at the end of Horseshoe Meadow Road, 24 miles southwest of the town of Lone Pine, California. From center of Lone Pine, turn west at the stoplight and follow Whitney Portal Road for 3 miles. Then turn south onto Horseshoe Meadow Road.
5 Reviews of Cottonwood Pass Walk in Campground
Hidden Gem
I’ve used this spot for more 2-5 day jaunts than I can remember. My kids have been treated to this place for weekends off the grid since they’ve been toddlers. Peaceful. Beautiful. Accessible.
camp at elevation
get acclimated to higher elevation prior to your Sierras backpacking trip. restrooms and bear lockers are provided. use them as there is a lot of bear activity. cover any odorous items in your vehicle. pretty campground with tons and tons of trees. steps away from multiple trails.
Backpacking to cottonwood lakes
The trail head camp ground was very nice and well maintained. Vault toilets and fresh water with plenty of access to bear boxes to properly store your food. The trail to cottonwood lakes (JM93) was an amazing hike. I picked up permits for this trail in Lone Pine at the visitor center.
Nice views, close to golden trout wilderness
Great campground, acclimated here the night before heading up mount Whitney. Spacious, a nice trailhead for an acclimation hike and bear boxes. Only issue was our campsite neighbors thought it would be good fun to throw rocks at other, larger rocks to kill the time and we couldn't get to sleep for a while.
Great high alpine campsite!
We stayed here the end of August before backpacking Mt Langley and Whitney. It's a great campsite to stay at to acclimate ahead of time for your trips and to get a good early start on the trail. The hiking opportunities are endless from here,as this is a popular campsite for those climbing Mt.Langley. We were able to leave our car here for the 8 days we backpacked through Inyo NF and coming out of the Whitney Portal eventually. The sites are all really nice,they've got their own firepits and bear boxes to store all your stuff. Definitely recommend it for a nice weekend getaway or use for longer trips!
