Valentine Lake Trail

To get there, go east on Sherwin Creek Road from Mammoth for about 3.5 miles--past the Sherwin Creek Campground--until you see the sign for the Valentine Lake Trailhead. From the trailhead, the Valentine Lake Trail climbs up sandy switchbacks for about 2.5 miles until it reaches the juncture with the Sherwin Lakes Trail. Continue straight to stay on the Valentine Lake Trail. The climb steepens on rocky trail for the next 2.5 miles until it dead-ends at Valentine Lake. If you cross the outlet of the lake, you can find a nice lunch spot on some boulders overlooking the Long Valley Caldera behind you.