We were so lucky with getting last minute permits for our backpacking trip to Duck and Pika Lakes for our large party of 8! This trip was a perfect introductory backpacking trip for our friends (& our dog), who had never gone backpacking before. We didn’t want to scare them with something too long, and with the epic views and great campsite we knew this would pull them back into the world of backpacking!
Trip Overview:
Dates Hiked: June 26 – 27, 2020
Time: 5 hours in, 5 hours out (with many breaks)
Miles: 10 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,150 feet
Permit: A wilderness permit is required year round for overnight trips to Duck Pass and is available through Recreation.gov. Day use does not require a permit.
Trailhead: Duck Lake Pass Trailhead
Parking: Available parking at the trailhead
Dogs: Allowed on a leash
Getting to the Duck Pass Trailhead:
The trailhead to start this hike begins at the Duck Pass Trailhead, at the end of Coldwater Creek Road near Lake Mary in Mammoth. When you enter the area for Lake Mary, drive past the lake and past Coldwater Campground. Parking and the start to the trail is at the end of the loop.
Duck Pass Trip Details:
We started our hike at around 9:30 AM and arrived at Pika Lake around 3:30 PM, with many stops along the way. The trail starts off at the end of the loop after Coldwater Campground. The first couple miles ascend gradually on the Duck Pass Trail taking you from the forest floor high into the alpine lakes area. At around 1.5 miles you will reach Skelton Lake. Continuing on for another mile, you will reach the beautiful turquoise waters of Barney Lake. Beware of mosquitos and flies near these waters… they were especially a problem in the summer months!
Once past Barney Lake, you will start the incline with several switchbacks to Duck Pass. This part can be tough, but if you take breaks and look back at the great views of Barney Lake it’s not so bad. When you reach the top of Duck Pass you’re at an elevation of 10,700 feet.
At about 5 miles into the hike, you’ll see views of an amazing blue lake. This is Duck Lake! We took a break here to stop for lunch and enjoy the views. The trail forks to go either left toward Pika Lake or continues straight along the Western shoreline of Duck Lake. There were several campsites around Duck Lake, but we read a few posts online suggesting that the extra mile to Pika Lake would give us a few more options of more secluded and scenic campsites. You will descend in elevation going from Duck Lake to Pika Lake, but walking around Pika Lake is flat. We chose a campsite up on a hilly area away from Pika Lake. The sunset views here were amazing!
We brought one fishing pole along with us as there are some golden trout in the lakes, but had no luck catching anything.
The crew.
Need to Know:
- No campfires are allowed above 10,000 feet
- Bear containers are required
- No camping is allowed within 300 feet of the outlet of Duck Lake
- Water from creeks, lakes, and springs should be treated before drinking
- Bury human waste away from water sources
When to Backpack Duck Pass Trail:
Anytime from June to October would be a good time to hike to Duck and Pika Lake. We were lucky enough to get a last minute permit in June and thought that the weather was perfect. I was afraid there was going to be a ton of mosquitos, but there weren’t too many on the trail and there were almost none at our campsite!
What to Pack for Backpacking Duck Pass Trail:
- Hydration: We usually start with 2-3 liters of water, each, and pack a water filter and some iodine tablets. If you’re hiking where there’s snowpack, you can boil some snow to have drinkable water. Electrolyte packets are also very useful for hydration on the trail.
- Nutrition: We usually eat a bar or oatmeal and a piece of fruit before starting off on our backpacking trips. For this trip, we started later in the day so we had already eaten lunch. Then for snacks along the way, more bars, jerky, or trail mix. For dinners, we either eat dehydrated foods or even leftovers from a meal we ate on the road trip out to the hike (cold pizza makes a great dinner!). For a shorter backpacking trip like this one, we brought along some beers!
- Stove: We love our Jetboil to boil water for drinking and to heat up our dehydrated dinners, oatmeals, coffee, etc.
- Navigation: For hikes with more difficult trails to follow, you may want to invest in a GPS tracker. For simpler hikes, we use the GPS system on our phones and a tracker such as Gaia GPS or AllTrails.
- Headlamp: + I usually also pack our inflatable solar latern by MPOWERD and attach it to the outside of my pack while hiking.
- Sun protection: Sunscreen, sunglasses, and sun-protective clothes – always a must!
- First aid: Our first aid kit consists of band-aids, gauze, medical tape, Compede Bandages (love this more than Moleskin for blisters), antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, ibuprofen, tweezers, pocket knife
- Shelter: We use our Marmot Tungsten 2-Person Tent (3 season, 4 lbs, 13 oz).
The 10 Essentials
Check out our list of the 10 essentials here!
Leave No Trace
Always remember to practice the principals of Leave No Trace! These 7 principals include:
- Plan Ahead & Prepare
- Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Others
Check out the Leave No Trace program for more information.
